From Lofty Commitments to Silence: Why the Newcastle Upon Tyne Community Took to the Streets
From Lofty Commitments to Silence: Why the Newcastle Upon Tyne Community Took to the Streets
This past year has been one of stark contrasts for Newcastle City Councillor Karen Kilgour. So recently celebrated as the first female leader of Newcastle City Council, her tenure has since been marred by a no-confidence vote and rising public discontent. Food & Solidarity's efforts to engage Councillor Kilgour on critical issues of child poverty and unjust policies culminated in a rainy and windswept march by community members. The message was clear: promises made in opposition must be upheld in government. This article reflects on Kilgour's refusal to critique harmful Labour policies she once opposed and the unfulfilled commitments that continue to shadow her leadership.
A Tumultuous Year for Newcastle Leader
This has been a very busy and eventful year for Newcastle City Councillor Karen Kilgour. In just 2 months, from the 2nd of October to the 2nd of December, she went from being celebrated as the first female leader of Newcastle City Council to facing a no-confidence vote. Quite the turn-around!
The Catalyst: A Vote of No Confidence
As a reminder: this no-confidence vote happened after 5 Labour members of the council quit the party to stand as independents. They did this because they could no longer support what the Labour Party had done since winning the general election. This included such cruel and deeply unpopular measures such as:
Ordering its MPs to remove the winter fuel allowance from pensioners
Keeping the 2 child benefit cap in place
Continuing to discriminate against immigrants with the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy
Creating an "open door" policy between the Newcastle Labour Party and the Saudi regime
Failing, on a local and national level, to address the ongoing genocide in Palestine
They felt - just like the hundreds of members of F&S who signed our photo petition and millions of other people around the country - that they cannot support a government that enables Child Poverty. That a new government has to be more than a change in names and faces - it needs to actually fix problems and improve peoples' lives.
A Tale of Two Approaches: Labour vs. Food & Solidarity
The Labour Party knows that these policies are unpopular, even if they won't now publicly admit it. Over this year, their failures and inactions have caused them to drop from a 19-point poll lead above the Conservatives in January to scraping just 0.5% above them in December. By contrast, Food and Solidarity spent this year providing over 3,000 food parcels to our members, fought against unfair evictions and bad housing conditions, and campaigned to abolish the 2 child benefit cap and No Recourse to Public Funds. Perhaps this is why Food and Solidarity - unlike the Labour Party - has spent 2024 continuing to grow and winning the respect of people across the North East.
Karen Kilgour: A Record of Missed Opportunities
Back to Karen Kilgour! If she continues on her current course, she could set even more records. Perhaps at this rate, she will set a record for the most no-confidence votes in her term as leader, or by losing her future election by the largest margin ever seen? Only time will tell.
The March for Accountability
After months of outreach from Food & Solidarity, Councillor Kilgour missed a clear deadline to respond to our reasonable demands for action on child poverty, as well as unjust policies such as the 2 child benefit cap and No Recourse to Public Funds. And so, on a rainy and windy day, members of the community, mothers, and parents took to the streets, marching to demand accountability. The weather was harsh, but our resolve was stronger. As was fitting for the Christmas season, we represented the ghosts of promises past—the unfulfilled commitments that haunt leaders who once vowed to make meaningful change. They carried a message that could not be ignored, a reminder that these issues will not fade away simply because they are inconvenient to address.
The Missed Deadline: Promises Unfulfilled
When a response from Karen finally came, after she was forced into it by by the march to her surgery, to the dismay of many it focused on condemning the past government's actions rather than addressing the policies upheld by the current Labour government. Despite previously supporting the abolition of the two-child benefit cap and No Recourse to Public Funds during the Conservative government's tenure, she now refuses to confirm the same stance under a Labour government. This refusal to engage with the reality of Labour's continued complicity in harmful policies is a betrayal not only of our community but of the promises that Labour once claimed to champion. Read her response delivered after the march!
A Choice for the Future
What is certain is that Karen faces the same choice faced by all politicians across this country in the next few years: stand for nothing and fix nothing to try and get a career in an establishment that is increasingly hated and increasingly failing; or stand for real change and win the support of unheard millions across this country who need an end to poverty and politicians who will deliver it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Newcastle community march against Karen Kilgour?
After months of outreach from Food & Solidarity, Councillor Karen Kilgour missed a clear deadline to respond to reasonable demands for action on child poverty, the two-child benefit cap, and No Recourse to Public Funds. Community members, mothers, and parents took to the streets to demand accountability for unfulfilled commitments.
What is the two-child benefit cap?
The two-child benefit cap is a policy that limits child tax credits and Universal Credit to the first two children in most households. This policy has been criticized for contributing to child poverty, and Labour kept it in place despite previous opposition to it when in opposition.
What is No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)?
No Recourse to Public Funds is a policy that restricts immigrants from accessing most benefits, tax credits, and housing assistance. Critics argue this discriminatory policy contributes to poverty and hardship among immigrant families.
What happened with Karen Kilgour's no-confidence vote?
In December 2024, just two months after being celebrated as Newcastle's first female council leader, Karen Kilgour faced a no-confidence vote. This occurred after five Labour council members quit the party to stand as independents due to disagreements with Labour's policies on child poverty, winter fuel allowance, and other issues.
Join the Movement for Change
Regardless of what Karen does, we at Food and Solidarity will continue to campaign for an end to child poverty by abolishing the 2 child benefit cap and No Recourse to Public Funds. We will continue to provide food and support for our members and work towards an organised workplace, community and household. If you are interested in being part of this movement, or know someone who might be, click this link to join Food and Solidarity as a member today, and be a part of an organisation striving to bring about the change needed for so many families.
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