Labour has strengthened its control of Sunderland City Council following the latest round of local elections after taking three new seats.

Senior figures in Wearside’s ruling political group said they were “very happy” with the results of the 2023 polls, which saw the Labour Party increase its overall majority on the city council.

As the polls closed on Thursday, May 4, candidates flocked to Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre where votes were counted for the 24 seats contested across the city.

Follow our live updates for the latest results throughout the day

When the dust settled in the early hours of Friday morning, Labour had successfully defended all of its seats while picking up new seats in Ryhope, Barnes and St Anne’s, with the Liberal Democrats also gaining a seat in Fulwell.

Although Conservatives defended several key seats they were left counting their losses after losing wards to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said the positive night for the Labour Party comes off the back of work nationally and locally.

He said: “I’m very happy with the fact that the Labour vote across the city is up and that surely means that people are beginning to have trust in us again given the work that we have done over the last five years.

“To take opposition seats in areas where we have struggled to do that in the past is very pleasing, to finish any election night up on your seats is always preferred to down.

“So I think it shows that the Labour option for people is being considered again and we just need to keep at that and continue to gain trust with the electorate and we will gain more seats”.

After losing around 20 Labour councillors over elections in 2019 and 2021, and just one in 2022, Cllr Miller said he was hopeful the Labour Party would continue to regain the confidence of more residents in future.

The council leader added national issues had also had an impact on the local results and turnout figures.

Cllr Miller continued: “It’s cost of living, it’s food, it’s mortgage and rents, it’s putting fuel in the car.

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“We have had issues on the door regarding our green credentials, what are we doing with trees or with bulky waste and we have addressed them.

“So I think definitely is those national issues that are plaguing everyone”.

Notable gains for the Labour Party on the night included Ehthesham Haque in the Barnes ward with a 142-vote majority over Conservative Kevin Leonard.

In Ryhope, Lindsey Leonard was also victorious taking a seat previously held by outgoing independent councillor Steven Bewick.

The Labour Group also gained a seat in St Anne’s ward, with candidate Catherine Hunter emerging victorious with a 287-vote majority over Conservative Pam Mann.

Although the Liberal Democrats only made one gain on the night through the election of new councillor Peter Walton in Fulwell, the party successfully defended seats in Millfield, Pallion, Sandhill and Doxford.

Cllr Niall Hodson, Liberal Democrat Group leader, said the results mean his party is now the official opposition on the city council.

Cllr Hodson said: “Excellent news for the Liberal Democrats, we have become the majority opposition on Sunderland City Council.

“So it’s quite clear now that Sunderland is a Labour-Lib Dem contest”.

Cllr Antony Mullen, leader of the Sunderland Conservatives, said the results had been influenced by national issues, as well as impacts on voter turnout.

Cllr Mullen added: “It’s obviously a bad night for the Conservatives as I suspected it was going to be nationally, we didn’t lose as many [seats] as I thought we were going to lose.

“I had prepared based on our feedback on the doorstep to lose four and we lost three, so in line with but not quite with what I expected.

“Clearly the story of the night is not that Conservative voters have turned Labour, it’s that they haven’t turned out at all and we have seen huge drops in our support simply because Conservatives haven’t voted.

“So in my ward (Barnes) for example, Labour actually got fewer votes than they did last year and won, we lost 500 because those people didn’t turn out at all.

“So I think the drop in turnout across the city is Conservatives who have decided that they have no enthusiasm to vote for us but equally, they have no enthusiasm to go elsewhere either”.

However the Sunderland Conservatives leader said the party would still continue to provide opposition to Labour and was hopeful the party’s fortunes would improve in future contests, including in future ‘all-out’ council elections.

Reform UK, which stood candidates in the majority of wards, and the Green Party, did not see any councillors elected on May 4.

Now the council’s overall make-up is 45 Labour councillors, 15 Liberal Democrats, 13 Conservatives and one Reform UK.

There also remains one vacancy in the Hendon ward due to the death of a candidate ahead of the election, which will be contested later this year.
You can find out which councillor won in your ward here:

Barnes – Labour GAIN
Alan Bilton (Reform UK) 296
Tim Ellis-Dale (Liberal Democrat) 248
Ehthesham Haque (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,272
Kevin Leonard (Conservative Party) 1,130
Mark Tyers (Green Party)  212
Turnout: 38.4%

Castle – Labour HOLD
Paul Burke (Conservative Party) 258
Mia Coupland (Liberal Democrat) 125
Stephen Foster (Labour Party) 1,235
Peter Middleton (Reform UK) 196
Gary Ogle (Green Party) 87
Turnout: 23.5%

Copt Hill – Labour HOLD
Nana Boddy (Liberal Democrat) 83
Philip John Dowell (Independent) 564
Pat Francis (Conservative Party) 364
Andrew Robertson (Green Party) 122
Sheila Samme (Reform UK) 98
Melanie Thornton (Labour Party) 1,273
Turnout: 27.6%

Doxford – Lib Dem HOLD
Heather Fagan (Liberal Democrat) 1,788
Dawn Hurst (Reform UK) 146
Auburn Langley (Green Party) 67
Andrew Rowntree (Labour and Co-operative Party) 719
John Wiper (Conservative Party) 301
Turnout: 37.2%

Fulwell – Lib Dem GAIN
Liam Dufferwiel (Green Party) 108
Lisa Hilton (Reform UK) 126
Jumping Jack Flash Jack (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 40
David Sinclair (Conservative Party) 1,036
Andy Stafford (Labour Party) 718
Peter Walton (Liberal Democrat) 1,879
Turnout: 43.9%

Hetton – Labour HOLD
Ian Ellis (Liberal Democrat) 89
David Geddis (Independent) 812
Rachel Lowe (Green Party) 101
Iain Scott (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,117
Connor Sinclair (Conservative Party) 210
Sam Woods-Brass (Reform UK) 157
Turnout: Around 22%

Houghton – Labour HOLD
Sharon Boddy (Liberal Democrat) 128
Juliana Heron (Labour Party) 1,625
Steve Holt (Reform UK) 206
Alyson Kordbarlag (Green Party) 113
Craig Morrison (Conservative) 363
Donna Thomas (Independent) 269
Turnout: 26.2%

Millfield – Lib Dem HOLD
Hardip Barad (Conservative Party) 134
Richard Bradley (Green Party) 71
David Craig (Reform UK) 59
Kingsley Okojie (Labour) 872
Julia Potts (Liberal Democrat) 1,497
Julio Romero Johnson (Communist Party) 27
Turnout: 34.6%

Pallion – Lib Dem HOLD
Gwennyth Gibson (Conservative Party) 93
Martin Haswell (Liberal Democrat) 1,659
Raymond Lathan (Reform UK) 75
Dorothy Lynch (Green Party) 39
Karen Noble (Labour Party) 715
Turnout: 33.4%

Redhill – Labour HOLD
Steven Dale (Liberal Democrat)  133
Neil Farrer (Reform UK) 262
Sue Leishman (Conservative Party) 215
Justine Merton-Scott (Green Party) 87
John Usher (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,015
Turnout: 21.9%

Ryhope – Labour GAIN
Helen Douglas (Conservative Party) 596
Janice Ellis (Liberal Democrat) 442
Micheal Harker (Green Party) 166
Lindsey Leonard (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,348
Tony Thompson (Reform UK) 368
Turnout: 30.2%

Sandhill – Lib Dem HOLD
Martha Bradley (Green Party) 60
Ciera Hudspith (Reform UK) 100
Keith Lakeman (Labour Party) 557
Stephen O’Brien (Liberal Democrat) 1,457
Christine Reed (Conservative Party) 104
Turnout: 29.7%

Shiney Row – Labour HOLD
Lynsey Gibson (Independent) 74
Thomas Mower (Green Party) 310
Michael Peacock (Liberal Democrat) 137
Morgan Proud (Reform UK) 177
David Snowdon (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,501
Richard Vardy (Conservative Party) 592
Turnout: 29.7%

Silksworth – Labour HOLD
Mauro Amatosi (Liberal Democrat) 78
Christopher Crozier (Green Party) 346
Michael Ellis (Reform UK) 218
Joanne Laverick (Labour Party) 1,459
Owen Snaith (Conservative Party) 493
Turnout: 32.8%

Southwick – Labour HOLD
Michael Butler (Labour Party) 1,256
Hélder Costa (Liberal Democrat) 84
Emma Cutting (Green Party) 136
Liam Ritchie (Conservative Party) 359
Paul Watt (Reform UK) 250
Turnout: 26.3%

St Anne’s – Labour GAIN
Simon Hughes (Green Party) 131
Catherine Hunter (Labour and Co-operative Party) 981
Pam Mann (Conservative Party) 694
Elaine Rumfitt (Liberal Democrat) 216
Turnout: 25.9%

St Chad’s – Conservative HOLD
Scott Burrows (Green Party) 124
Graham Hurst (Reform UK) 64
Dominic McDonough (Conservative Party) 1,296
Martin Old (Labour Party) 888
Anthony Usher (Liberal Democrat) 112
Turnout: 35.6%

St Michael’s – Conservative HOLD
John Appleton (Green Party) 201
Chris Eynon (Reform UK) 273
Adele Graham-King (Conservative Party) 1,432
Chris Smith (Labour Party) 1,378
Colin Wilson (Liberal Democrat) 110 
Turnout: 40%

St Peter’s – Conservative HOLD
Rachel Featherstone (Green Party) 193
John Lennox (Liberal Democrat) 254
Josh McKeith (Conservative Party) 1,348
David Newey (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,160
Keith Samme (Reform UK) 152
Turnout: 39.3%

Washington Central – Labour HOLD
Dean Hilton (Reform UK) 158
Audrey Jaitay (Conservative Party) 505
Beth Jones (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,806
Raymond Moore (Green Party) 145
Linda Wood (Liberal Democrat) 99
Turnout: 32.7%

Washington East – Labour HOLD
Lynda Alexander (Reform UK) 210
Richard Bond (Liberal Democrat) 122
Michal Chantkowski (Green Party) 166
Hilary Johnson (Conservative Party) 780
Fiona Miller (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,651
Turnout: 33.1%

Washington North – Labour HOLD
Graeme Arnott (Liberal Democrat) 108
Elizabeth Brown (Reform UK) 163
Kevin Lynch (Green Party) 131
Svetlana Rakhimova (Conservative Party) 275
Peter Walker (Labour Party) 1,455
Turnout: 26.9%

Washington South – Labour HOLD
Joanne Chapman (Labour and Co-operative Party) 1,311
Deborah Lorraine (Reform UK) 229
Peter Noble (Conservative Party) 1,210
Sean Terry (Liberal Democrat) 114
Robert Welsh (Green Party) 142
Turnout: 39.5%

Washington West – Labour HOLD
Andrew Bex (Liberal Democrat) 220
Kathryn Brown (Reform UK) 147
Samantha Cosgrove (Conservative Party) 570
Paul Leonard (Green Party) 228
Harry Trueman (Labour Party) 1,534
Turnout: 31.5%