Politics in Alnwick: Who Represents You

Understanding who represents you and what they are responsible for can be confusing, particularly when there are several tiers of government involved. If you live in Alnwick, you are represented at three main levels: in Parliament by your MP, at county level by a Northumberland County Council councillor, and locally by Alnwick Town Council. Each has different responsibilities, and knowing who does what makes it much easier to get things done.

Here is a straightforward guide to how it all works.

Your Member of Parliament

Alnwick falls within the North Northumberland constituency, which was created as a new seat for the 2024 General Election. The current MP is David Smith (Labour), who won the seat in July 2024 with a majority of 5,067 on a turnout of 65.8%.

The constituency covers a large area of northern Northumberland, including Alnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Wooler, and the surrounding rural areas. Your MP represents you in the House of Commons and deals with national issues such as taxation, defence, the NHS, and education policy. You can contact your MP about issues that fall under the responsibility of the UK Government.

Best for: Your MP deals with national matters. For local issues like bins, roads, or planning, contact your county or town council instead.

Northumberland County Council

Northumberland County Council is the main local authority for the area and is responsible for the bulk of day-to-day public services. These include roads and highways, schools and education, social care, waste collection and recycling, planning applications, libraries, and public transport.

The council is made up of 67 elected councillors representing wards across the county. Alnwick is covered by two county council wards:

• Alnwick Castle ward covers the southern part of the town
• Alnwick Hotspur ward covers the northern part

Both wards were contested in the May 2025 county council elections. You can find your current county councillor and their contact details on the Northumberland County Council website by searching for your ward or postcode.

County councillors are your first point of contact for issues with roads, pavements, street lighting, school admissions, social services, and waste collection.

Best for: Not sure which ward you are in? Use the council's website to search by postcode and find your councillor.

Alnwick Town Council

Alnwick Town Council is the most local tier of government, dealing with issues specific to the town itself. It is a parish council and operates at a smaller scale than the county council, but plays an important role in community life.

The town council is made up of 18 councillors representing the same two wards (Hotspur and Castle). Town councillors are elected in local elections and serve four-year terms. You can see the full list of current councillors on the town council's website.

Alnwick Town Council is responsible for a number of local matters, including:

• Managing local parks, green spaces, and allotments
• Maintaining the town's floral displays and street furniture
• Running community events and supporting local organisations
• Managing the town's cemetery
• Commenting on planning applications that affect the town
• Setting a small precept (a charge added to your council tax) to fund its activities

The town council also acts as a voice for the community, raising concerns with the county council and other bodies on behalf of residents.

Best for: Town council meetings are open to the public. Check the Alnwick Town Council website for dates and agendas.

How to get involved

If you want to have your say on local issues, there are several ways to get involved:

• Attend a council meeting. Both Northumberland County Council and Alnwick Town Council hold public meetings that residents can attend. Agendas and minutes are published online.
• Contact your councillor. Whether it is a pothole, a planning concern, or a community project, your councillors are there to represent you. Contact details are available on the respective council websites.
• Vote. Local elections take place every four years for both county and town councils. Parliamentary elections are held at least every five years. Registering to vote takes a few minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
• Stand for election. If you feel strongly about your community, you can stand as a candidate for the town council. Details of how to do this are available from Northumberland County Council's elections team.

Local government works best when residents are engaged and informed. Knowing who represents you is the first step.