2023 Sunderland City Council election

The 2023 Sunderland City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Sunderland City Council. There were 25 of the 75 seats of the council up for election, being the usual third of the council. The election took place at the same time as other local elections across England.

2023 Sunderland City Council election

← 2022 4 May 2023 2024 →

25 of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Graeme Miller Niall Hodson Antony Mullen
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative
Seats before 43 14 15
Seats won 16 5 3
Seats after 45 15 13
Seat change Increase2 Increase1 Decrease2
Popular vote 28,796 10,882 14,358

  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Party Reform UK Independent
Seats before 1 2
Seats won 0 0
Seats after 1 0
Seat change - Decrease2
Popular vote 4,230 1,719

2023 Sunderland City Council Election Map

Leader before election

Graeme Miller
Labour

Leader after election

Graeme Miller
Labour

Labour retained its majority on the council.[1][2] The Liberal Democrats overtook the Conservatives to become the largest opposition party. The Liberal Democrats were led into the election by Niall Hodson, but he was replaced as party leader after the election by Paul Edgeworth.[3]

Background

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25 of the 75 seats will be up for election[4]

Since the first election in 1973, Sunderland has been a strongly Labour council, which consistently achieves over 60% control of the council.[5] However, in recent years they have lost seats to the Conservatives, UKIP and Liberal Democrats. The seats up for election this year were last elected in 2019. In that election, Labour lost 10 seats, The Conservatives gained 4 and Liberal Democrats gained 3.

In 2022, Labour defied speculation they would continue to haemorrhage, Leader Graeme Miller commented that "It was a good night" for his party because they "stopped the rot".

Since the last election, three councillors have defected from the Conservatives, one to Labour, one to Reform UK, and one who currently sits as an Independent and is not standing for re-election. In the last election the Conservatives were outperformed by the Liberal Democrats, who gained one more seat. There was speculation that the Liberal Democrats could take over from the Conservatives as the main opposition party on the council.

Result summary

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2023 Sunderland City Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 16  2 66.7 29 45 60.0 28,796 45.3  0.7
  Liberal Democrats 5  1 20.8 10 15 20.0 10,882 17.1  1.6
  Conservative 3  2 4.0 10 13 17.3 14,358 22.6  8.3
  Reform UK 0 - 0.0 1 1 2.7 4,230 6.7  6.7
  Green 0 - 0.0 0 0 0.0 3,533 5.6  1.0
  Independent 0 - 0.0 0 0 0.0 1,719 2.7  0.6
  Monster Raving Loony 0 - 0.0 0 0 0.0 40 0.1 -
  Communist 0 - 0.0 0 0 0.0 27 0.1 -

Council Composition

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

43 15 14 1 2
Labour Conservative Lib
Dem
Reform UK Independent
45 15 13 1
Labour Lib
Dem
Conservative Reform UK

Results by ward

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An asterisk next to a candidate’s name denotes an incumbent councillor. All changes shown below are in relation to the 2019 local election.

Barnes

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Barnes[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Abul Bakkar Haque 1,272 40.3 +1.7
Conservative Kevin Leonard 1,130 35.8 −11.8
Reform UK Alan Douglas Bilton 296 9.4 New
Liberal Democrats Tim Ellis-Dale 248 7.9 +0.2
Green Mark Tyers 212 6.7 +0.5
Majority 142
Turnout
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Castle

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Castle[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Foster* 1,235 65.0 +0.8
Conservative Paul Burke 258 13.6 −11.2
Reform UK Peter Middleton 196 10.3 New
Liberal Democrats Mia Coupland 125 6.6 New
Green Gary Ogle 87 4.6 −6.4
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Copt Hill

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Copt Hill[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Melanie Thornton* 1,273 50.8 +6.5
Independent Phillip John Dowell 564 22.5 New
Conservative Pat Francis 364 14.5 −3.1
Green Andrew Robertson 122 4.9 −2.3
Reform UK Sheila Samme 98 3.9 New
Liberal Democrats Nana Boddy 83 3.3 +0.5
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Doxford

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Doxford[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Heather Fagan* 1,788 59.2 +9.5
Labour Co-op Andrew John Rowntree 719 23.8 −4.2
Conservative John Scott Wiper 301 10.0 −8.6
Reform UK Dawn Hurst 146 4.8 New
Green Auburn Langley 67 2.2 −1.6
Majority
Turnout
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Fulwell

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Fulwell[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Walton 1,879 48.1 −4.3
Conservative David Sinclair 1,036 26.5 −3.4
Labour Andy Stafford 718 18.4 +2.9
Reform UK Lisa Hilton 126 3.2 New
Green Liam Dufferwiel 108 2.8 +0.6
Monster Raving Loony Jumping Jack Flash 40 1.0 New
Majority 843
Turnout 3,912 43.9  3.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Hendon

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Hendon (countermanded)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynda Scanlan* 878 43.6 −2.1
Liberal Democrats Steve Donkin 865 43.0 +4.8
Conservative Georgina Young 104 5.2 −6.6
Reform UK Ian Jones 87 4.3 New
Green Helmut Izaks 79 3.9 −0.5
Majority 13
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

The election in Hendon was countermanded due to the death of the Conservative candidate, Syed Ali. It was held on 15 June.

Hetton

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Hetton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Iain Scott* 1,117 44.9 −0.2
Independent David Geddis 812 32.7 −3.6
Conservative Connor Sinclair 210 8.4 −4.0
Reform UK Sam Wood-Brass 157 6.3 New
Green Rachel Lowe 101 4.1 New
Liberal Democrats Ian David Ellis 89 3.6 −2.6
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Iain Scott was elected in a by-election on 30 September 2021 due to the death of the incumbent Labour councillor Doris Turner.

Houghton

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Houghton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Juliana Herron* 1,625 60.1 +4.4
Conservative Craig Morrison 363 13.4 −9.5
Independent Donna Thomas 269 9.9 −5.8
Reform UK Steve Holt 206 7.6 New
Liberal Democrats Sharon Boddy 128 4.7 New
Green Alyson Kordbarlag 113 4.2 −1.5
Majority 46.7
Turnout 27.0 −5.3
Labour hold Swing

Millfield

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Millfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julia Potts* 1,497 56.3 +7.3
Labour Kingsley Osahon Okojie 872 32.8 −4.1
Conservative Hardip Barad 134 5.0 −5.0
Green Richard Peter Bradley 71 2.7 +0.1
Reform UK David Craig 59 2.2 New
Communist Julio Romero Johnson 27 1.0 −0.2
Majority
Turnout
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Pallion

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Pallion
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Martin Haswell* 1,659 64.3 +6.4
Labour Karren Noble 715 27.7 −0.8
Conservative Gwennyth Gibson 93 3.6 −6.9
Reform UK Raymond Lathan 75 2.9 New
Green Dorothy Lynch 39 1.5 −1.6
Majority
Turnout
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Redhill

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Redhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Usher* 1,015 59.3 +3.0
Reform UK Neil Farrer 262 15.3 New
Conservative Sue Leishman 215 12.6 −4.6
Liberal Democrats Steven Dale 133 7.8 −13.9
Green Justine Merton-Scott 87 5.1 +0.4
Majority
Turnout 1,712 21.9
Labour gain from UKIP Swing

John Usher was elected in a by-election on 3 March 2022 due to the resignation of the incumbent Independent councillor Keith Jenkins.

Ryhope

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Ryhope
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Lindsey Leonard 1,348 51.5 +5.8
Conservative Lorraine Douglas 596 22.7 −22.0
Reform UK Tony Thompson 368 14.0 New
Green Micheal Harker 166 6.3 −3.3
Liberal Democrats Janice Ellis 142 5.4 New
Majority
Turnout
Labour gain from UKIP Swing

Sandhill

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Sandhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen O'Brien* 1,457 64.0 +10.8
Labour Keith Lakeman 557 24.5 −8.9
Conservative Christine Reed 104 4.6 −5.8
Reform UK Ciera Hudspith 100 4.4 New
Green Martha Bradley 60 2.6 −0.4
Majority
Turnout
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Shiney Row

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Shiney Row
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op David Snowdon* 1,501 53.8 −1.4
Conservative Richard Vardy 592 21.2 +0.8
Green Thomas Mower 310 11.1 −0.4
Reform UK Morgon Proud 177 6.3 New
Liberal Democrats Michael Peacock 137 4.9 New
Independent Lynsey Gibson 74 2.7 New
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Silksworth

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Silksworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joanne Laverick 1,459 56.2 ±0.0
Conservative Owen Snaith 493 19.0 −13.1
Green Chrisphoer Crozier 346 13.3 +1.6
Reform UK Michael Ellis 218 8.4 New
Liberal Democrats Mauro Amatosi 78 3.0 New
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Southwick

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Southwick
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Butler* 1,256 60.2 +1.6
Conservative Liam Ritchie 359 17.2 −10.7
Reform UK Paul Watt 250 12.0 New
Green Emma Cutting 136 6.5 −6.0
Liberal Democrats Helder Costa 84 4.0 New
Majority
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

St Anne's

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St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Catherine Hunter 981 48.5 −0.3
Conservative Pam Mann* 694 34.3 −4.3
Liberal Democrats Elaine Rumfitt 216 10.7 New
Green Simon Hughes 131 6.5 −6.1
Majority
Turnout
Labour gain from UKIP Swing

Pam Mann won this seat in 2019 as a UKIP candidate.

St Chad's

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St Chad's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dominic McDonough* 1,296 50.2 +0.7
Labour Martin Old 888 34.4 +0.7
Reform UK Graham Hurst 164 6.3 New
Green Scott Burrows 124 4.8 −3.1
Liberal Democrats Anthony Usher 112 4.3 −4.1
Majority 408
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

St Michael's

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St Michael's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adele Graham-King 1,432 42.2 −11.6
Labour Chris Smith 1,378 40.6 +5.3
Reform UK Chris Eynon 273 8.0 New
Green John Appleton 201 5.9 −0.9
Liberal Democrats Colin Wilson 110 3.2 −0.9
Majority
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

St Peter's

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St Peter's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Josh McKeith* 1,348 43.4 +9.8
Labour Co-op David Newey 1,160 37.3 −12.1
Liberal Democrats John Lennox 254 8.2 −0.6
Green Rachel Featherstone 193 6.2 −1.7
Reform UK Keith Samme 152 4.9 New
Majority 188
Turnout 3,111 39.3
Conservative hold Swing

Washington Central

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Washington Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Beth Jones 1,806 66.6 +7.5
Conservative Audrey Jaitay 505 18.6 −12.4
Reform UK Dean Hilton 158 5.8 New
Green Raymond Moore 145 5.3 −4.1
Liberal Democrats Linda Wood 99 3.6 New
Majority 1,301
Turnout 2,720 32.7
Labour hold Swing

Washington East

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Washington East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Fiona Miller* 1,651 56.4 +3.1
Conservative Hiliary Johnson 780 26.6 −12.1
Reform UK Lynda Alexander 210 7.2 New
Green Michal Chantokowski 166 5.7 −1.9
Liberal Democrats Richard Bond 122 4.2 New
Majority 871
Turnout 2,936 33.1
Labour hold Swing

Washington North

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Washington North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Walker* 1,455 68.2 +7.0
Conservative Svetlana Rakhimova 275 12.9 −12.1
Reform UK Elizabeth Anne Brown 163 7.6 New
Green Kevin Lynch 131 6.1 −7.4
Liberal Democrats Graeme Arnott 108 5.1 New
Majority 1,180
Turnout 2,138 26.9
Labour hold Swing

Washington South

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Washington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Joanne Chapman 1,311 43.6 −3.8
Conservative Peter Noble 1,210 40.3 −2.4
Reform UK Deborah Lorraine 229 7.6 New
Green Robert Welsh 142 4.7 New
Liberal Democrats Sean Terry 114 3.8 −6.1
Majority 101
Turnout 3,012 39.5
Labour gain from Green Swing

Washington West

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Washington West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Trueman* 1,534 56.8 −1.6
Conservative Samantha Cosgrove 570 21.1 −10.1
Green Paul Leonard 228 8.4 −1.6
Liberal Democrats Andrew Bex 220 8.2 New
Reform UK Kathryn Brown 147 5.4 New
Majority 964
Turnout 2,705 31.5
Labour hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Local elections 2023: Labour hold Sunderland, Newcastle, South Tyneside and Gateshead". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  2. ^ Binding, Chris (5 May 2023). "Sunderland City Council election results 2023 in full". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  3. ^ Gillan, Tony (18 May 2023). "Sunderland City Council has new main opposition leader after Lib Dems announce change at the top". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Election timetable in England". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Sunderland City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Sunderland City Council" (PDF).