Sunderland City Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. Sunderland City Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 75 councillors have been elected from 25 wards.[1]

Political control

From 1889 to 1974 Sunderland was a county borough, independent of any county council.[2] Under the Local Government Act 1972 it had its territory enlarged and became a metropolitan borough, with Tyne and Wear County Council providing county-level services. The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Tyne and Wear County Council was abolished in 1986 and Sunderland became a unitary authority. Sunderland was awarded city status in 1992. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[3][4]

Party in controlYears
Labour1973–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2002 have been:[5]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Robert Symonds[6] LabourMay 200214 May 2008
Paul Watson Labour14 May 20087 Nov 2017
Harry Trueman Labour7 Mar 201816 May 2018
Graeme Miller Labour16 May 2018

Council composition

Whilst under Labour control solidly since 1973, the political composition of Sunderland City Council has fluctuated over the years as the Conservatives, SDP-Liberal Alliance, and Independents gained seats from the Labour Party. Until 2019, only Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Independents (including Independent Labour) had ever won seats on Sunderland City Council. When UKIP and Green Party councillors were elected in 2019, Sunderland became one of the few British councils with all five parties represented. The table below gives an impression of the council's composition based on local election results.[7]

Election Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat[8] Independent UKIP Green Total
1973 21 56 0 1 78
1975 23 52 1 2 78
1976 26 49 1 2 0 78
1978 27 49 1 1 0 78
1979 24 53 0 1 0 78
1980 18 58 1 1 0 78
1982 15 49 8 3 0 75
1983 14 52 7 2 0 75
1984 13 53 7 2 0 75
1986 11 59 5 0 0 75
1987 10 61 4 0 0 75
1988 9 63 3 0 0 75
1990 8 64 3 0 0 75
1991 8 64 3 0 0 75
1992 8 64 3 0 0 75
1994 8 64 3 0 0 0 75
1995 5 67 3 0 0 0 75
1996 4 68 3 0 0 0 75
1998 4 68 3 0 0 0 75
1999 8 64 3 0 0 0 75
2000 10 62 3 0 0 0 75
2002 11 62 2 0 0 0 75
2003 9 63 1 2 0 0 75
2004 12 61 2 0 0 0 75
2006 13 59 2 1 0 0 75
2007 17 53 1 4 0 0 75
2008 22 48 1 4 0 0 75
2010 18 52 1 4 0 0 75
2011 14 56 1 4 0 0 75
2012 8 64 0 3 0 0 75
2014 8 63 0 4 0 0 75
2015 6 66 0 3 0 0 75
2016 6 67 1 1 0 0 75
2018 8 61 6 0 0 0 75
2019 12 51 8 0 3 1 75
2021 18 42 12 0 3 0 75
2022 18 41 14 1 0 0 75

Council elections

Sunderland's Council area comprises 25 wards, each electing three councillors. Elections are held in thirds, in three years out of every four. Between 1974 and 1986, elections were held in every fourth year to Tyne and Wear County Council, until the County Council was abolished. In 1982 and 2004, all seats on Sunderland Council were up for election following boundary changes.[9]

Elections under 1973-1980 boundaries

Elections under 1982-2003 boundaries

Elections under 2004 boundaries

Election results maps

By-election results

1997-2004

South Hylton By-Election 18 September 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 636 71.1 -10.3
Conservative 178 19.9 +1.3
Liberal Democrats 80 9.0 +9.0
Majority 458 51.2
Turnout 894 11.4
Labour hold Swing
Colliery By-Election 23 July 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 646 46.7 -18.7
Conservative 394 28.5 +9.9
Liberal Democrats 343 24.8 +8.9
Majority 252 18.2
Turnout 1,383 18.0
Labour hold Swing
Town End Farm By-Election 6 July 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 509 63.4
Conservative 155 19.3
Liberal Democrats 139 17.3
Majority 354 44.1
Turnout 803 11.8
Labour hold Swing
Eppleton By-Election 7 June 2001
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 3,074 65.9 +2.2
Conservative 860 18.4 -17.8
Liberal Democrats 731 15.7 +15.7
Majority 2,214 47.5
Turnout 4,665
Labour hold Swing

2004-present

Barnes by-election, 24 November 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Morrissey 1,139 50.8 Increase15.8
Liberal Democrats Peter Taylor 547 24.4 Decrease4.7
Labour Ian Galbraith 489 21.8 Decrease4.5
BNP Ian Leadbitter 67 3.0 Decrease6.6
Majority 592 26.4
Turnout 2,242 25.5 Decrease23
Conservative hold Swing Increase10.3
Millfield by-election, 23 March 2006[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Dixon 566 43.5 Increase10.2
Labour Shirley Waldron 397 30.5 Decrease1.1
Conservative Leslie Dobson 260 20.0 Decrease1.6
BNP James Davison 79 6.0 Decrease7.4
Majority 169 13.0
Turnout 1,302 18.2 Decrease17.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase5.7
Washington East by-election, 27 September 2007[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angela Cuthbert 1,196 49.9 Increase9.8
Labour Dianne Snowdon 994 41.5 Increase2.2
Liberal Democrats David Snowball 206 8.6 Decrease5.6
Majority 202 8.4
Turnout 2,396 27.6 Decrease8.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase6
Houghton by-election, 2 May 2013
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gemma Taylor 1,418 47.1 Increase1.3
Independent John Ellis 1,124 37.3 Increase37.3
UKIP Edward Coleman-Hughes 302 10
Conservative George Brown 111 3.7
Liberal Democrats Sue Sterling 55 1.8 Decrease0.5
Majority 294 9.8
Turnout 3,010 33.3 Decrease2.5
Labour hold Swing Decrease19.3
St Anne's by-election, 27 March 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqui Gallagher 945 48.1 Decrease24
UKIP Aileen Casey 555 28.2 Increase28.2
Conservative Tony Morrissey 345 17.6 Increase3.6
Green Emily Blyth 120 6.1 Decrease5
Majority 390 19.8
Turnout 1,965 23.2 Decrease4.8
Labour hold Swing Decrease26.1
Washington East by-election, 11 December 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Taylor 775 38.3 Decrease3
Conservative Hilary Johnson 595 29.4 Increase4.1
UKIP Alistair Baxter 506 25 Decrease1.1
Green Tony Murphy 93 4.6
Liberal Democrats Stephen O'Brien 52 2.6 Decrease2.2
Majority 180 8.9
Turnout 2,021 23.4 Decrease10.9
Labour hold Swing Decrease3.6
Sandhill by-election, 12 January 2017
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen O'Brien 824 45.0 Increase41.5
Labour Gary Waller 458 25.0 Decrease29.9
UKIP Bryan Foster 343 18.7 Decrease7.2
Conservative Gavin Wilson 184 10.0 Decrease5.7
Green Helmut Izaks 23 1.3
Majority 366 20.0
Turnout 1,832 23.8 Decrease4.8
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing Increase35.7
Pallion by-election, 1 February 2018
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Haswell 1,251 53.8 Increase49.5
Labour Gordon Chalk 807 31.7 Decrease25.9
Conservative Grant Shearer 126 5.4 Decrease4.2
UKIP Steven Bewick 97 4.2 Decrease24.7
Green Craig Hardy 39 1.7 Decrease 1.8
Majority 444 19.1
Turnout 2,324 31.7 Increase2.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing Increase37.7
Hetton by-election, 30 September 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iain Scott 661 31.6 Decrease1.7
Liberal Democrats John Lennox 634 30.3 Increase30.3
Independent David Geddis 386 18.5 Decrease3.1
Conservative Adelle Burnicle 303 14.5 Increase8.8
Independent Maurice Allen 67 3.2 Increase3.2
Green Justine Merton-Scott 41 2 Decrease1.8
Majority 27 1.3 Decrease3.3
Turnout 2,092 22.5 Decrease10.3
Labour hold Swing Decrease16
Redhill by-election, 3 March 2022[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Usher 709 46.9 Increase9.3
Liberal Democrats Steven Donkin 386 25.5 Increase25.5
Conservative Sue Leishman 296 19.6 Increase5.5
UKIP Ian Lines 85 5.6 Decrease35.4
Green Helmut Izaks 35 2.3 Decrease5.0
Majority 323 21.4
Turnout 1,511
Labour gain from UKIP Swing

At the time of resignation, incumbent Keith Jenkins was an independent.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Information available about your Local Area". Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Sunderland Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Sunderland". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Council minutes". Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "Tributes to former Sunderland council leader and education chief". Sunderland Echo. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ↑ Incorporating local by-election results from 2000.
  8. ↑ Liberal prior to 1981, SDP-Liberal Alliance from 1981 to 1988.
  9. ↑ "Tyne and Wear: Ward Voting Summaries 1973-2015". Tyne and Wear Elects. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "Sunderland council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Lib-Dems retain second seat in city". Sunderland Echo. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Declaration of Result of Poll". Sunderland City Council. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Redhill Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. ↑ Clark, Kevin (19 January 2022). "By-election looms after resignation of former UKIP city councillor Keith Jenkins". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
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