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]
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. [2] 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. [3]
| Election | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrat [4] | Independent | UKIP | Green | Reform UK | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 21 | 56 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1975 | 23 | 52 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1976 | 26 | 49 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1978 | 27 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1979 | 24 | 53 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1980 | 18 | 58 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 1982 | 15 | 49 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1983 | 14 | 52 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1984 | 13 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1986 | 11 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1987 | 10 | 61 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1988 | 9 | 63 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1990 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1991 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1992 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1994 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1995 | 5 | 67 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1996 | 4 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1998 | 4 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 1999 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2000 | 10 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2002 | 11 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2003 | 9 | 63 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2004 | 12 | 61 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2006 | 13 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2007 | 17 | 53 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2008 | 22 | 48 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2010 | 18 | 52 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2011 | 14 | 56 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2012 | 8 | 64 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2014 | 8 | 63 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2015 | 6 | 66 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2016 | 6 | 67 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2018 | 8 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2019 | 12 | 51 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75 |
| 2021 | 18 | 42 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2022 | 18 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| 2023 | 13 | 45 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75 |
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. [5]
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Anthony Morrissey | 1,139 | 50.8 |  15.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Taylor | 547 | 24.4 |  4.7 | |
| Labour | Ian Galbraith | 489 | 21.8 | 4.5 | |
| BNP | Ian Leadbitter | 67 | 3.0 | 6.6 | |
| Majority | 592 | 26.4 | |||
| Turnout | 2,242 | 25.5 | 23 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 10.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Dixon | 566 | 43.5 | 10.2 | |
| Labour | Shirley Waldron | 397 | 30.5 | 1.1 | |
| Conservative | Leslie Dobson | 260 | 20.0 | 1.6 | |
| BNP | James Davison | 79 | 6.0 | 7.4 | |
| Majority | 169 | 13.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,302 | 18.2 | 17.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 5.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Angela Cuthbert | 1,196 | 49.9 | 9.8 | |
| Labour | Dianne Snowdon | 994 | 41.5 | 2.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | David Snowball | 206 | 8.6 | 5.6 | |
| Majority | 202 | 8.4 | |||
| Turnout | 2,396 | 27.6 | 8.3 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Gemma Taylor | 1,418 | 47.1 | 1.3 | |
| Independent | John Ellis | 1,124 | 37.3 | 37.3 | |
| UKIP | Edward Coleman-Hughes | 302 | 10 | ||
| Conservative | George Brown | 111 | 3.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Sue Sterling | 55 | 1.8 | 0.5 | |
| Majority | 294 | 9.8 | |||
| Turnout | 3,010 | 33.3 | 2.5 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | 19.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jacqui Gallagher | 945 | 48.1 | 24 | |
| UKIP | Aileen Casey | 555 | 28.2 | 28.2 | |
| Conservative | Tony Morrissey | 345 | 17.6 | 3.6 | |
| Green | Emily Blyth | 120 | 6.1 | 5 | |
| Majority | 390 | 19.8 | |||
| Turnout | 1,965 | 23.2 | 4.8 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | 26.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Tony Taylor | 775 | 38.3 | 3 | |
| Conservative | Hilary Johnson | 595 | 29.4 | 4.1 | |
| UKIP | Alistair Baxter | 506 | 25 | 1.1 | |
| Green | Tony Murphy | 93 | 4.6 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen O'Brien | 52 | 2.6 | 2.2 | |
| Majority | 180 | 8.9 | |||
| Turnout | 2,021 | 23.4 | 10.9 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | 3.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen O'Brien | 824 | 45.0 | 41.5 | |
| Labour | Gary Waller | 458 | 25.0 | 29.9 | |
| UKIP | Bryan Foster | 343 | 18.7 | 7.2 | |
| Conservative | Gavin Wilson | 184 | 10.0 | 5.7 | |
| Green | Helmut Izaks | 23 | 1.3 | ||
| Majority | 366 | 20.0 | |||
| Turnout | 1,832 | 23.8 | 4.8 | ||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | 35.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Haswell | 1,251 | 53.8 | 49.5 | |
| Labour | Gordon Chalk | 807 | 31.7 | 25.9 | |
| Conservative | Grant Shearer | 126 | 5.4 | 4.2 | |
| UKIP | Steven Bewick | 97 | 4.2 | 24.7 | |
| Green | Craig Hardy | 39 | 1.7 | 1.8 | |
| Majority | 444 | 19.1 | |||
| Turnout | 2,324 | 31.7 | 2.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | 37.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Iain Scott | 661 | 31.6 | 1.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Lennox | 634 | 30.3 | 30.3 | |
| Independent | David Geddis | 386 | 18.5 | 3.1 | |
| Conservative | Adelle Burnicle | 303 | 14.5 | 8.8 | |
| Independent | Maurice Allen | 67 | 3.2 | 3.2 | |
| Green | Justine Merton-Scott | 41 | 2 | 1.8 | |
| Majority | 27 | 1.3 | 3.3 | ||
| Turnout | 2,092 | 22.5 | 10.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | 16 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Usher | 709 | 46.9 | 9.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Steven Donkin | 386 | 25.5 | 25.5 | |
| Conservative | Sue Leishman | 296 | 19.6 | 5.5 | |
| UKIP | Ian Lines | 85 | 5.6 | 35.4 | |
| Green | Helmut Izaks | 35 | 2.3 | 5.0 | |
| Majority | 323 | 21.4 | |||
| Turnout | 1,511 | ||||
| Labour gain from UKIP | Swing | ||||
At the time of resignation, incumbent Keith Jenkins was an independent. [10]
Sunderland, also known as the City of Sunderland, is a metropolitan borough with city status in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Sunderland, spanning a far larger area, including nearby towns including Washington, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring, as well as the surrounding villages and hamlets. The district also forms a large majority of Wearside which includes Chester-le-Street in County Durham.
Camden London Borough Council in London, England is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2022, 55 councillors have been elected from 20 wards.
Sunderland City Council is the local authority of Sunderland, a metropolitan borough with city status in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. It is one of five such councils in Tyne and Wear and one of 36 in England. It provides the majority of local government services in Sunderland.
Durham City Council elections were generally held every four years between the reforms of 1974 and the council's abolition in 2009. Durham was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.
South Tyneside Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. South Tyneside Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 54 councillors are elected, 3 from each of the 18 wards.
Thanet District Council elections are held every four years to elect Thanet District Council in Kent, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 56 councillors representing 23 wards.
The 2004 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003 reducing the number of seats by 6. The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2007 Sunderland Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2008 Sunderland Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2010 Sunderland Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council. The election took place on the same day as the 2010 General Election.
North Tyneside Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is one of five such councils in Tyne and Wear, and one of 36 in England. It provides the majority of local government services in North Tyneside.
The 2014 Sunderland City Council Election took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England, as part of the wider 2014 United Kingdom local elections. A third of the council were up for election, the Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2018 Sunderland City Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Sunderland City Council in England. The election took place on the same day as other local elections.
The 1973 Tyne and Wear County Council election was held on 12 April 1973 as part of the first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales. 104 councillors were elected from 95 electoral divisions across the region's five boroughs. Each division returned either one or two county councillors each by First-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The election took place ahead of the elections to the area's metropolitan borough councils, which followed on 10 May 1973.
The 2019 Sunderland City Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of Sunderland City Council in England. The election took place on the same day as other local elections.
The 2022 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council election took place as of 5 May 2022. Due to boundary changes, all 60 councillors were elected at the same time. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
The 2022 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. Due to boundary changes, all 48 councillors were elected at the same time, with the council moving to a system of all-out elections every four years. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
The 2022 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors — 15 out of 45 — on Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council were elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
The 2022 Newcastle City Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors — 26 out of 78 — on Newcastle City Council were elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
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.
 Council elections in Tyne and Wear | |
|---|---|
| Gateshead | |
| Newcastle | |
| North Tyneside | |
| South Tyneside | |
| Sunderland | |
| North of Tyne mayor | |
| Tyne and Wear CC | |
| |
