2022 Sunderland City Council election
← 2021 5 May 2022 2023 →
One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council, except Copt Hill
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Graeme Miller Niall Hodson Antony Mullen
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative
Leader's seat Washington South Millfield Barnes
Seats before 43 12 19
Seats won 16 5 4
Seats after 42 14 18
Seat change Decrease1 Increase2 Decrease1
Popular vote 30,687 10,355 20,986
Swing Increase5.4% Increase0.1% Decrease3.9%
Map showing the results of the 2021 Sunderland City Council election
Majority party before election

Labour

 Majority party after election

Labour

The 2022 Sunderland City Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Sunderland City Council. This is on the same day as other elections across the United Kingdom.

Background

24 of the 75 seats will be up for election[1] All 25 wards were originally due to elect councillors, however the election in Copt Hill ward was postponed following the death of the city's only UKIP candidate.[2]

Since the first election in 1973, Sunderland has been a strongly Labour council, which consistently achieves over 60% control of the council.[3] 2021 represented the worst year for Labour in terms of seats; the party lost 9 with 39.2% of the vote.[4] The Conservatives gained 6 with 34.8%, the Liberal Democrats gained 4 with 15.4%, UKIP did not make any further gains with 4.5%, and the Green Party lost representation on the council with 5.2%.

There had been speculation ahead of the election that the Labour Party could lose overall control of Sunderland City Council for the first time in its history.

The seats up for election this year were last elected in 2018. In that election, Labour won 61 seats (a net loss of 4 seats). The Conservatives gained 2 seats while the Liberal Democrats gained 3 seats on the Council. 1 independent councillor lost their seat.

Election results

After the election, the Labour Party maintained control of the Council. Labour's majority was reduced to 4, having lost 1 seat to the Liberal Democrats in Doxford Ward. In Fulwell, the Conservatives also lost a seat to the Liberal Democrats with a swing of 15%[5]

The results defied media speculation that Labour would continue to haemorrhage seats like in 2021 and 2019. Labour leader Graeme Miller commented that "It was a good night" for his party because they "stopped the rot". Conservative Group leader Anthony Mullen, blamed his party's poor performance on the Partygate Scandal, after the Conservatives failed to gain seats in Washington South, Rhyope, St Anne's or Silksworth. Liberal Democrat leader Niall Hodson said his party's gains from both Labour and the Conservatives were a result of “good candidates working hard for a long period of time”.[6]

2022 Sunderland City Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 16 Decrease 1 62.5 26 42 54.7 29,718 44.6 +5.4
  Conservative 4 Decrease 1 16.7 14 18 24.0 20,602 30.9 -3.9
  Liberal Democrats 5 Increase 2 20.8 9 14 18.7 10,294 15.5 +0.1
  Independent 0 Steady 0 1 1 1.3 1,437 2.2 +1.4
  Green 0 Steady 0 0 0 0 4,410 6.6 +1.4
  Freedom Alliance 0 Steady 0 0 0 0 120 0.2 +0.2
  Communist 0 Steady 0 0 0 0 30 <0.1 -0.1
  UKIP 0 Steady 0 0 0 0 0 0 -4.5

Council composition

In the last council, the composition of the council was:

↓
43 19 12 1
Labour Conservative Lib
Dem 		INDY

After the election, the composition of the council was:

↓
42 18 14 1
Labour Conservative Lib
Dem 		INDY


Results by ward

An asterisk indicates an incumbent councillor.

Barnes

Barnes[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Antony Mullen* 1,637 47.6 Decrease0.7
Labour Abul Haque 1,329 38.6 Decrease2.4
Liberal Democrats Tim Ellis 264 7.7 Increase1.7
Green Rachel Featherstone 212 6.2 Increase1.5
Majority 308 9.0 Increase1.7
Turnout 3,453 41.9 Increase1.6
Conservative hold Swing Increase 0.9

Castle

Castle[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Allison Chisnall 1,308 64.2 Increase6.1
Conservative Paul Burke 505 24.8 Decrease2.5
Green Alison Ogle 223 11.0 New
Majority 803 39.4 Increase9.3
Turnout 2,050 25.2 Decrease1.1
Labour hold Swing Increase 4.3

Copt Hill (countermanded)

Copt Hill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tracy Dodds* 969 44.3 Decrease4.3
Independent Kathleen Pearson 606 27.7 New
Conservative Patricia Ann Francis 384 17.6 Increase2.8
Green Andrew Robertson 158 7.2 Increase3.5
Liberal Democrats Mary Ann Boddy 61 2.8 New
Majority 363 16.6 Increase0.6
Turnout 2,188 24.3 Decrease8.1
Labour hold Swing Decrease16%

Note: This ward election took place on Thursday 16 June 2022. Copt Hill ward election was rescheduled due to the death of UKIP candidate Reg Coulson. [9]

Doxford

Doxford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Allen Curtis 1,511 49.7 Increase1.0
Labour Steven Hansom 851 28.0 Increase2.3
Conservative Tom Cuthbertson 565 18.6 Decrease3.5
Green Richard Bradley 115 3.8 Increase0.3
Majority 660 21.7 Decrease1.3
Turnout 3,048 38.4 Decrease1.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing Decrease 0.7

Fulwell

Fulwell[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Bond 2,193 52.4 Increase15.9
Conservative Sandra Boyers 1,254 29.9 Decrease12.5
Labour Iain Kay 648 15.5 Decrease1.4
Green Liam Dufferwiel 93 2.2 Decrease2.0
Majority 939 22.5 Increase16.6
Turnout 4,188 47.3 Decrease1.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase14.2

Hendon

Hendon[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Mordey 1,087 45.7 Increase10.9
Liberal Democrats Tom Livingstone 909 38.2 Decrease4.0
Conservative Syed Ali 281 11.8 Decrease3.7
Green Helmut Izaks 104 4.4 Decrease0.1
Majority 178 7.5 Increase0.1
Turnout 2,390 29.3 Decrease1.4
Labour hold Swing Increase7.5

Hetton

Hetton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Claire Rowntree* 1,320 45.1 Increase0.4
Independent David Geddis 991 36.3 Increase16.6
Conservative Adelle Burnicle 339 12.4 Decrease7.0
Liberal Democrats John Lennox 168 6.2 Increase4.0
Majority 239 8.8 Decrease16.2
Turnout 2,735 29.6 Decrease1.3
Labour hold Swing Decrease8.5

Houghton

Houghton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Burrell 1,655 55.7 Increase8.7
Conservative Craig Morrison 681 22.9 Decrease8.8
Independent Donna Thomas 446 15.7 new
Green Emma Robson 169 5.7 Decrease0.8
Majority 974 32.8 Increase16.5
Turnout 2,964 29.3 Decrease0.8
Labour hold Swing Increase8.3

Millfield

Millfield[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Wood* 1,227 49.0 Decrease16.8
Labour Kingsley Okojie 923 36.9 Increase13.3
Conservative Gwennyth Gibson 250 10.0 Increase2.6
Green Gary Ogle 64 2.6 Increase0.7
Communist Julio Johnson 30 1.2 Steady0
Majority 304 12.9 Decrease29.3
Turnout 2,503 33.3 Decrease1.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease15.1

Pallion

Pallion[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats George Smith* 1,470 57.9 Decrease1.5
Labour Karen Noble 723 28.5 Increase8.7
Conservative Judith Porter 266 10.5 Decrease6.4
Green Dorothy Lynch 79 3.1 Decrease0.7
Majority 747 29.4 Decrease10.2
Turnout 2,543 32.8 Increase0.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease5.1

Redhill

Redhill[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Stewart* 1,065 56.3 Increase5.7
Liberal Democrats Steven Donkin 411 21.7 new
Conservative Sue Leishman 326 17.2 Decrease13.5
Green Billy Howells 89 4.7 new
Majority 654 34.6 Increase14.9
Turnout 1,901 24.1 Decrease0.1
Labour hold Swing Decrease8.0

Ryhope

Ryhope[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martyn Herron 1,311 45.7 Increase2.9
Conservative Kevin Leonard 1,283 44.7 Decrease4.4
Green Robert Welsh 277 9.6 new
Majority 28 1.0 Increase5.3
Turnout 2,811 33.4 Increase2.4
Labour hold Swing Increase3.7

Sandhill

Sandhill[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Crosby* 1,274 53.2 Increase2.4
Labour Debra Waller 800 33.4 Increase1.0
Conservative Christine Reed 249 10.4 Decrease2.3
Green Laura Hind 71 3.0 new
Majority 474 19.8 Increase3.4
Turnout 2,404 31.2 Increase2.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase1.7

Shiney Row

Shiney Row[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mel Speding* 1,658 55.2 Increase5.5
Conservative Richard Vardy 882 20.4 Decrease12.0
Green Thomas Mower 345 11.5 Increase2.2
Freedom Alliance Michael Kennedy 120 4.0 new
Majority 776 25.8 Increase8.5
Turnout 3,016 31.6 Decrease0.6
Labour hold Swing Increase4.1

Silksworth

Silksworth[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phil Tye* 1,618 56.2 Increase13.6
Conservative Jack Simm 923 32.1 Decrease8.7
Green Christopher Crozier 337 11.7 Increase4.9
Majority 695 24.1 Increase22.3
Turnout 2,885 36.5 Increase3.0
Labour hold Swing Increase11.2

Southwick

Southwick[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alex Samuels* 1,309 58.6 Increase7.8
Conservative John Wiper 623 27.9 Decrease3.8
Green Morgan Seed 280 12.5 Increase8.1
Majority 686 30.7 Increase11.6
Turnout 2,232 28.3 Decrease1.4
Labour hold Swing Increase5.7

St. Anne's

St. Anne's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Watson 1,061 48.8 Increase6.9
Conservative Bryan Foster 840 38.6 Decrease3.3
Green Raymond Moore 273 12.6 new
Majority 221 10.2 Increase10.1
Turnout 2,183 28.0 Increase1.8
Labour hold Swing Increase5.1

St. Chad's

St. Chad's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Ayre 1,453 49.5 Decrease10.4
Labour Martin Old 974 33.7 Increase1.2
Liberal Democrats Anthony Usher 145 8.8 Increase1.2
Green Alyson Kordbarlag 114 7.9 new
Majority 479 15.8 Decrease11.6
Turnout 2,697 36.8 Decrease0.8
Conservative hold Swing Decrease5.8

St. Michael's

St. Michael's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Dixon* 1,832 53.8 Decrease3.3
Labour Chris Smith 1,201 35.3 Increase9.0
Green John Appleton 231 6.8 Decrease6.5
Liberal Democrats Colin Wilson 139 4.1 Increase0.7
Majority 631 18.5 Decrease12.3
Turnout 3,408 40.7 Increase3.1
Conservative hold Swing Decrease6.2

St. Peter's

St. Peter's[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lynn Vera* 1,567 49.4 Decrease4.4
Labour Tom Newton 1,068 33.6 Increase2.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Walton 280 8.8 Increase3.4
Green Auburn Langley 250 7.9 Increase1.5
Majority 499 15.8 Decrease6.6
Turnout 3,175 40.2 Decrease1.4

Washington Central

Washington Central[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Linda Williams* 1,683 59.1 Increase4.0
Conservative Derek Dunn 883 31.0 Decrease0.3
Green Emma Cutting 267 9.4 Increase2.2
Majority 800 28.1 Increase4.3
Turnout 2,846 34.1 Decrease0.5
Labour hold Swing Increase2.2

Washington East

Washington East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Logan Guy 1,682 53.3 Increase5.4
Conservative Chris Eynon 1,223 38.7 Decrease4.4
Green Michal Chantkowski 239 7.6 Increase1.7
Majority 459 14.5 Increase9.7
Turnout 3,158 35.2 Increase0.8
Labour hold Swing Increase4.9

Washington North

Washington North[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jill Fletcher* 1,349 61.2 Increase8.4
Conservative Hilary Johnson 552 25.0 Decrease6.7
Green Scott Burrows 298 13.5 Increase7.1
Majority 797 36.2 Increase15.1
Turnout 2,203 27.8 Decrease1.9
Labour hold Swing Increase7.6

Washington South

Washington South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graeme Miller* 1,454 47.4 Increase10.9
Conservative Peter Noble 1,310 42.7 Increase5.7
Liberal Democrats Sean Terry 303 9.9 Increase2.4
Majority 144 4.7 Increase4.2
Turnout 3,078 40.1 Increase5.0
Labour hold Swing Increase2.6

Washington West

Washington West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dorothy Trueman* 1,641 58.4 Increase6.4
Conservative Sam Cosgrove 878 31.2 Decrease1.4
Green Paul Leonard 280 10.0 Increase1.4
Majority 763 27.1 Increase7.7
Turnout 2,812 32.4 Increase0.3
Labour hold Swing Increase3.9

References

  1. ^ "Election timetable in England". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  2. ^ Graham, Hannah (21 April 2022). "Vote on hold as 'dedicated' council candidate dies during campaign". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Sunderland City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  4. ^ Graham, Hannah (8 April 2022). "Tories hope for Labour loss in Sunderland council elections". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  5. ^ "'Complacent' Labour and Conservatives handed Lib Dems gains in Sunderland local elections". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  6. ^ "'Complacent' Labour and Conservatives handed Lib Dems gains in Sunderland local elections".
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "List of candidates standing" (PDF). Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. ^ "New date set for Copt Hill election after death of candidate halted ballot". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
Categories