Look back at 2025
As 2026 looms into view, we look at the stories that have been making the headlines in Northants this year
Dear NN Journal readers,
Hopefully you’ve had a peaceful Christmas, and the leftovers have been dispatched. As 2026 looms large, we thought we’d send out a review of the year’s big news in Northamptonshire.
Of course, it’s been another interesting twelve months in our county, with perhaps the most significant event being the breakout of Reform UK onto the local political scene. Add to that not one, but two chief constables (one former, one serving) in court, NN Journal’s own knock on the door from the police, and the re-emergence of concerns about toxic waste in Corby and its been 12 months of surprises.
NN Journal has played its part in uncovering some of the news, with our own scoops and investigative reporting. We have new investigations underway for 2026, but NN Journal’s reporting is only possible due to our loyal subscribers, to whom we are extremely grateful.
If you’re not already a paying subscriber, please consider joining today. You’ll receive everything we write plus access to our full archive which now has over 1,000 articles. We turn five next month, so you could consider a subscription an early birthday gift
A new shade of blue
It’s no understatement to say the capture of both of Northants’ unitary councils by Reform UK, was not on the bingo card for 2025. Even in the days leading up to the May election, the party and its bunch of first time rookies, were being dismissed by their political rivals.
But those with influence, the Northants voters did not disregard them and instead backed them in huge numbers. The Tories’ decades of dominance across Northamptonshire towns and villages collapsed and Labour - which only nine months before had been celebrating at the general election - has been relegated to a bit part player on the local authorities. The Green’s did well in the North, taking their councillor tally to eight, but the party failed to win in the West and so still are without a presence there.
Reform UK’s first six months have been eventful, with a councillor on each authority being kicked out (Robert Bloom for racist language and Adam Smith for matters in his personal life), the councils have supported, or at least refused to condemn mass flag raising and the West is now in a fight with the home office about accommodating asylum seekers in hotels in its area.
Besides some alignment with the national party, the political legacy seems to have continued with the status quo that had been laid out by the outgoing Conservative administrations.
Promises of a DOGE style audit of the finances have not yet materialised, the West had continued with the corporate plan set out by its predecessor and signed off a little scrutinised regeneration deal for Northampton town centre and both have raised council tax, despite pre-election pronouncements from the national party.
The authorities were also spurned by their neighbours over the border in Bedford, Milton Keynes and Luton and pushed out of a devolution deal. There have been whisperings of the two Northants councils joining forces for a devolution deal (remember Northamptonshire County Council, anyone?) which will presumably get louder this year.
On the officer side, a number of senior officials decided in 2025 that their days in Northamptonshire must end and so West Northamptonshire Council’s chief executive Anna Earnshaw has departed, as has her deputy Rebecca Purnell, chief legal officer Catherine Whitehead, adults director Stuart Lackenby and public health director Sally Burns. Things have been more stable in the North unitary, although its fourth director of children’s services in four years Charisse Monero departed suddenly this year.
Weakened arm of the law
It’s been another year Northants Police will not look back on with fondness, as its former chief constable Nick Adderley appeared in court this month charged with fraud, misconduct in public office and making a false witness statement, and the serving chief chief constable Ivan Balhatchet, gained the ignominious honour of being the first chief constable to be found guilty of contempt of court. This was in relation to a civil case brought by Londoner Nadine Buzzard-Quashie, who is taking action against the force in a claim for wrongful arrest relating to an incident in 2021.
The force is also investigating perhaps the county’s most high profile murder case, following the killing of Indian national Harshita Brella, who police think was murdered by her husband Pankaj Lamba in Corby, before going on the run. Lamba has been charged, but is still a free man, drawing criticism from many including Corby’s MP Lee Barron.
Four Northants Police officers are also due to face disciplinary proceedings after an investigation by the police watchdog relating to their actions following disclosure by Harshita before her death of her domestic abuse.
And for the first time, NN Journal received a visit from the police in August relating to our articles this spring reporting public announcements by then serving councillor and former Northants police officer Matt Binley about alleged crimes. We were told to desist from contacting Binley or face action for harassment. This was totally unwarranted, as any communications we had with Binley were in the course of our usual, responsible reporting. We later received an apology from the force.
The resurfacing of Corby’s toxic waste problem
Following the airing of Netflix drama Toxic Town, the issue of the reclamation of land used by Corby steelworks and the toxic byproducts, has resurfaced. Toxic Town told the story of the successful fight of a group of families in 2009 to prove that their child’s birth defects had been caused by the mismanaged clean up of the steelworks land and now a new wave of families with health problems are speaking out publicly and wondering whether their child’s cancer or their own ailments could have been down to the town’s industrial legacy.
Nn Journal has been involved in setting up some testing for heavy metals of the town’s fresh water and the results will become public in the new year.
We will also continue to follow this story and investigate Corby’s past with many new avenues for enquiry.
Un-healthy
The health picture in Northamptonshire has been pretty patchy in 2024, with the problems at St Andrew’s Healthcare and the closure of the beloved Workbridge in Northampton featuring.
Kettering General Hospital’s children’s department also faced another poor report and health bosses have been focusing on a restructure as the integrated care board has now merged with neighbours in Leicestershire and Rutland, after the health secretary ordered a reduction of staffing numbers.
Some good news was delivered by the Labour government in the form of a £20m bonus for three left behind neighbourhoods in Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough. The three areas were featured in a year-long series by NN Journal in 2021 and we will be following how the money is spent and the impact of the windfall on the community in 2026.
All the stories mentioned here, can be found in our archive.
Happy new year Sarah and to all the staff of NNJOURNAL who made your successful Journal. Let's hope 2026 will be a better year. Peace on earth that is what we all wish.
Interesting overview, Sarah. Your meticulous reporting skills are needed now more than ever. Happy to remain a subscriber for years to come.