Politics in Tynemouth: Who Represents You
A factual, non-partisan guide to political representation in Tynemouth — your MP, your ward councillors, the elected mayor, and how North Tyneside Council works.
Understanding who represents you and how local decisions are made can feel complicated. Tynemouth residents are served by several layers of democratic representation: a Member of Parliament at Westminster, ward councillors on North Tyneside Council, a directly elected mayor who leads the council, and a combined authority mayor for the wider North East region. This guide explains each layer and how they fit together.
Your Member of Parliament
Tynemouth is a parliamentary constituency that sends one MP to the House of Commons in Westminster. The constituency covers Tynemouth itself along with North Shields, Whitley Bay, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, and parts of Preston Grange and Shiremoor.
Following the 2024 boundary review by the Boundary Commission for England, the Tynemouth constituency was redrawn. It now comprises the council wards of Chirton and Percy Main, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay South, Monkseaton, New York and Murton, Preston with Preston Grange, St Mary's, Tynemouth, and Whitley Bay North.
The current MP for Tynemouth is Sir Alan Campbell, who has represented the constituency since 1997. At the July 2024 general election he was re-elected with 24,491 votes and a majority of 15,455. Sir Alan Campbell has served in a number of government and opposition roles during his time in Parliament, including as Government Chief Whip.
You can contact your MP through the UK Parliament website at members.parliament.uk or by writing to the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
Best for: To find out exactly which constituency you fall within, enter your postcode at members.parliament.uk.
Your Ward Councillors
For local government purposes, Tynemouth falls within the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside. The borough is divided into 20 wards, each represented by three councillors. Tynemouth ward covers the village centre, Front Street, the Priory headland, Longsands, and the surrounding residential streets.
Council elections in North Tyneside take place three years out of every four, with one councillor per ward elected each time for a four-year term. The most recent local elections took place on 7 May 2026.
You can find your current ward councillors, along with their contact details and surgery times, on the North Tyneside Council website at my.northtyneside.gov.uk/Wards/Tynemouth. If you are unsure which ward you live in, the council website allows you to search by postcode.
Best for: Ward councillors are your first point of contact for local issues such as planning applications, parking, waste collection, and street maintenance.
The Elected Mayor of North Tyneside
North Tyneside is one of a small number of local authorities in England that has a directly elected mayor. Rather than choosing a council leader from among the councillors, residents of the entire borough vote directly for their mayor every four years. The mayor then appoints a cabinet of up to nine councillors to help run the council.
The current Elected Mayor of North Tyneside is Karen Clark, who was elected in May 2025. She succeeded Dame Norma Redfearn, who had held the position since 2013 across three consecutive terms.
The elected mayor sets the strategic direction for the council, chairs cabinet meetings, and has responsibility for key decisions on services including education, housing, planning, highways, social care, and environmental services. The mayor also represents North Tyneside on regional bodies.
Best for: The elected mayor is not the same as the ceremonial mayor. North Tyneside also has a ceremonial mayor who chairs full council meetings and carries out civic duties.
How North Tyneside Council Works
North Tyneside Council operates under a mayor and cabinet model. The key elements are as follows.
Full Council brings together all 60 councillors and the elected mayor. It meets several times a year to set the annual budget, agree council tax levels, and approve the overall policy framework. All councillors can speak and vote at full council meetings.
The Cabinet is made up of the elected mayor and up to nine cabinet members, each responsible for a specific policy area such as housing, environment, or children's services. The cabinet meets in public, usually monthly, and takes the major executive decisions on how services are delivered and money is spent.
Overview and Scrutiny committees allow councillors who are not on the cabinet to examine decisions, review performance, and hold the mayor and cabinet to account. Any councillor or member of the public can request that a decision be "called in" for scrutiny before it is implemented.
Planning and Regulatory Committees deal with planning applications, licensing, and other regulatory matters. These committees include councillors from across the political parties.
All council and committee meetings are open to the public. Agendas, minutes, and reports are published on the council's democracy pages at democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk.
The North East Combined Authority
Since 2024, Tynemouth residents have also been represented by a combined authority mayor covering the wider North East region. The North East Combined Authority (NECA) brings together seven local authorities: North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, County Durham, and Northumberland.
The first North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, was elected in May 2024. The combined authority mayor has powers and funding for transport, economic development, skills, housing, and strategic planning across the region. This is a separate role from the elected mayor of North Tyneside.
Best for: The combined authority mayor controls the regional transport budget and has powers over strategic planning that affect the whole North East.
How to Get Involved
There are several ways to engage with the democratic process in Tynemouth beyond voting in elections.
Attend council meetings. Full council, cabinet, and committee meetings are open to the public. Check the council's online calendar for dates and agendas.
Contact your councillors. Your three ward councillors hold regular surgeries and can be contacted through the council website. They can help with local issues and raise concerns on your behalf.
Submit petitions. North Tyneside Council accepts petitions from residents on local matters. Petitions with a certain number of signatures can trigger a council debate.
Join a consultation. The council regularly consults residents on proposed changes to services, planning applications, and major projects. Current consultations are listed on the council website.
Register to vote. You can register to vote online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. You need to be registered to vote in local, parliamentary, and combined authority elections.
Best for: Not sure who to contact about a particular issue? North Tyneside Council's main switchboard is 0345 2000 101.