Linda Arkley (February 1952 – 13 October 2023) was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician who served as the elected

mayor of North Tyneside The Mayor of North Tyneside is the executive mayor of the borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. The incumbent since 2025 is Karen Clark (British politician), Karen Clark. A Mayoral Referendum was held on 5 May 2016 to determine i ...

from 2003 to 2005 and from 2009 to 2013.

Early life

Linda Arkley was born in February 1952. She attended The Bede School in

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

, and studied at both Sunderland University and

Northumbria University Northumbria University (legally the University of Northumbria at Newcastle) is a Public research university, public research university located in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, North East of England. It has been a university since 199 ...

. For most of Arkley's professional career she worked as a nurse and health visitor.

Political career

Arkley was first elected as a councillor for Tynemouth ward in 1991, a seat she held until 1995 before regaining it in 1996. During this time she served as deputy leader of the Conservative group on

North Tyneside council North Tyneside Council, or North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, is the Local Government in England, local authority for the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provid ...

and in cabinet under Conservative Mayor, Chris Morgan. The Conservative Mayor of North Tyneside, Chris Morgan, resigned in 2003 due to a scandal involving child pornography. Arkley stood in the subsequent by-election, and won in the second round defeating then MEP Gordon Adam. Arkley was defeated in 2005 by Labour candidate

John Harrison John Harrison ( – 24 March 1776) was an English carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought-after device for solving the History of longitude, problem of how to calculate longitude while at sea. Harrison's sol ...

. Later that year she stood in a council by-election in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, and was elected to represent Preston ward. Arkley regained the mayoralty of North Tyneside in 2009, when she defeated Harrison. Towards the end of Arkley's second term she was expelled from a meeting of North Tyneside Council after she “berated” Labour councillor Sandra Graham after she asked questions about workers’ rights and the safeguarding of external funding. In May 2013 she was defeated by the Labour candidate Norma Redfearn. Arkley stood as the Conservative candidate for Tynemouth ward in 2014, when she was defeated by the Labour incumbent, Sarah Day. In the 2015 local elections, Linda Arkley again unsuccessfully attempted to return to North Tyneside Council by standing in Benton ward where she lost to Labour's Janet Hunter. In March 2019, Linda Arkley announced her intention to seek the Conservative nomination in the inaugural North of Tyne Mayoral election, noting that she was the only declared female candidate for the office. Having chosen the

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

to announce her decision, she told ''ChronicleLife'' that her candidacy had been inspired by "making sure this isn't a male dominated race." Arkley would go on to lose the nomination to local businessman Charlie Hoult. Arkley made her return to North Tyneside Council in 2021, taking the seat of Cullercoats ward from the Labour Party in that year's

local elections Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

. Linda Arkley died on 13 October 2023, at the age of 71.

Honours

Arkley was made an

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 2018 for political service.

References

External links

Councillor Linda Arkley
page at

North Tyneside North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It forms part of the greater Tyneside conurbation. North Tyneside Council is headquartered at Cobalt Park, Wallsend. North Tyneside is bordered by Ne ...

Council {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkley, Linda 1952 births 2023 deaths Mayors of the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside Women mayors of places in England Officers of the Order of the British Empire Conservative Party (UK) mayors 20th-century English women politicians 21st-century English women politicians People from North Shields Place of birth missing Place of death missing