2011 Sunderland City Council election

The 2011 Sunderland Council election took place on 5 May 2011 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.[1][2]

2011 Sunderland City Council election
5 May 2011
One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Independent
Seats before 52 18 4
Seats won 21 3 1
Seats after 56 14 4
Seat change Increase4 Decrease4 Steady0
  Fourth party
 
Party Liberal Democrats
Seats before 1
Seats won 0
Seats after 1
Seat change Steady0
Map of the 2011 Sunderland City Council election results. Labour in red, Independents in grey and Conservatives in blue.
Majority party before election

Labour

 Majority party after election

Labour

Campaign

Before the election Labour ran the council with 52 seats, compared to 18 Conservatives, 1 Liberal Democrat and 4 independents, with 1 of the 4 independents being described as an "Independent Conservative".[3] 26 seats were being contested in the election with 2 seats being available in Sandhill ward, after councillor Jim Scott stood down from the council.[3]

Labour were hopeful of making gains due to a backlash against the national Conservative led government and rising unemployment.[3] However the Conservatives hoped the national council tax freeze and pension increases would help the party do well and blamed the previous Labour government for the economic situation.[3] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats said they would focus on local issues and targeted Millfield ward.[3]

Other candidates included 7 from the Green Party and 3 from the United Kingdom Independence Party.[3] However the British National Party did not put up any candidates, after contesting every seat in some previous elections.[3]

Election results

The results saw Labour increase their majority on the council after gaining 4 seats from the Conservatives to have 56 councillors.[4][5] The gains came in the wards of St Chad's, St Peter's, Washington East and Washington South and left the Conservatives with 14 seats.[4][5] The Liberal Democrats had a bad election, coming fourth in many seats, after a drop in their share of the vote.[5] Meanwhile, independent Colin Wakefield held his seat in Copt Hill by 428 votes over Labour.[5] Neither the Green Party or the United Kingdom Independence Party won any seats, but the Greens came third in 6 of the 7 seats they had contested and the United Kingdom Independence Party came second in Hetton.[6] Overall turnout in the election was 35.1%.[4]

Sunderland kept up its position as a quick counter of results, with the first result in Pallion being declared at 10.53pm, after the polls had closed at 10pm.[5] The council was also the first to finish counting with the final results being declared at 1am.[7] The Labour leader of the council Paul Watson held the seat in Pallion and put Labour's success down to the cuts being made by the national government[5] and as an endorsement of the city council.[6] The Conservative group leader Paul Morrissey meanwhile said his party had suffered due to being in government nationally.[6]

Sunderland Local Election Result 2011[8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 22 4 0 Increase4 84.6 60.3 49,898 Increase11.3%
  Conservative 3 0 4 Decrease4 11.5 25.7 21,303 Increase0.5%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 Steady0 0 5.1 4,185 Decrease13.2%
  Independent 1 0 0 Steady0 3.8 4.6 3,782 Increase0.6%
  Green 0 0 0 Steady0 0 2.4 1,979 Increase2.1%
  UKIP 0 0 0 Steady0 0 2.0 1,654 Increase2.0%

This resulted in the following composition of the Council:

Party Previous Council New Council
Labour 52 56
Conservatives 18 14
Independent 4 4
Liberal Democrats 1 1
Total 75 75
Working majority  29   37 

Ward by ward results
Barnes[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lee Martin 1,989 49.1 +13.1
Labour Rebecca Atkinson 1,896 46.8 +5.6
Liberal Democrats Anthony Usher 170 4.2 -13.9
Majority 93 2.3
Turnout 4,055 45.7 -16.9
Conservative hold Swing
Castle[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Foster 2,202 84.6 +33.3
Conservative Geoff Scott 294 11.3 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Paul Hillman 108 4.1 -7.8
Majority 1,908 73.3 +40.3
Turnout 2,604 30.4 -19.6
Labour hold Swing
Copt Hill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Colin Wakefield 1,961 56.1 +14.3
Labour Juliana Heron 1,533 43.9 -1.1
Majority 428 12.2
Turnout 3,494 39.6 -15.6
Independent hold Swing
Doxford[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Errington 1,906 59.7 +7.7
Conservative Hilary Johnson 946 29.6 -0.2
Green Caroline Robinson 296 9.3 +9.3
Liberal Democrats Matt MacDonald 46 1.4 -16.9
Majority 960 30.1 +7.9
Turnout 3,194 40.5 -20.2
Labour hold Swing
Fulwell[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Wiper 1,992 47.3 +2.1
Labour Paul Middleton 1,799 42.7 +7.0
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Pryke 423 10.0 -9.2
Majority 193 4.6 -4.9
Turnout 4,214 46.5 -21.9
Conservative hold Swing
Hendon[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Martin 1,781 68.1 +15.4
Conservative Debbie Lorraine 535 20.4 -6.1
Green Sam May 301 11.5 +11.5
Majority 1,246 47.6 +21.4
Turnout 2,617 29.9 -14.8
Labour hold Swing
Hetton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Florence Anderson 1,940 58.8 +2.7
UKIP John Defty 956 29.0 +29.0
Conservative Pat Francis 239 7.2 -5.9
Liberal Democrats Philip Dowell 167 5.1 -16.9
Majority 984 29.8 -4.3
Turnout 3,302 37.6 -12.8
Labour hold Swing
Houghton[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kath Rolph 1,820 52.3 +5.2
Independent John Ellis 1,660 47.7 +11.8
Majority 160 4.6 -6.7
Turnout 3,480 38.6 -16.1
Labour hold Swing
Millfield[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynda Scanlan 1,363 53.8 +15.2
Liberal Democrats Paul Edgeworth 585 23.1 -12.0
Conservative Vijaya Das 289 11.4 -5.0
Independent Rod MacPherson 161 6.4 +2.6
Green Jack McGlen 134 5.3 +5.3
Majority 778 30.7 +27.2
Turnout 2,532 33.1 -14.9
Labour hold Swing
Pallion[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Watson 1,688 63.8 +12.4
Conservative Peter O'Connor 506 19.1 -1.2
Green David Campbell 451 17.1 +17.1
Majority 1,182 44.7 +13.7
Turnout 2,645 35.1 -13.6
Labour hold Swing
Redhill[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Bell 2,104 87.6 +18.1
Conservative Martin Anderson 299 12.4 -5.4
Majority 1,805 75.1 +23.4
Turnout 2,403 29.9 -15.3
Labour hold Swing
Ryhope[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ellen Ball 2,022 64.2 +1.5
Conservative Shaun Cudworth 1,129 35.8 -1.5
Majority 893 28.3 +2.9
Turnout 3,151 39.0 -19.1
Labour hold Swing
St Annes[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lisa Smiles 1,908 71.4 +12.6
Conservative Paula Wilkinson 436 16.3 -0.7
Green Emily Blyth 238 8.9 +5.0
Liberal Democrats Kathy Walker 90 3.4 -16.9
Majority 1,472 55.1 +16.6
Turnout 2,672 31.2 -15.1
Labour hold Swing
St Chads[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stuart Porthouse 1,851 52.9 +12.6
Conservative Michael Dixon 1,647 47.1 -0.1
Majority 204 5.8
Turnout 3,498 44.6 -14.3
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
St Michaels[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Wood 1,962 50.8 +8.4
Labour David Owens 1,364 35.3 +3.0
Green John Appleton 285 7.4 +4.2
Liberal Democrats Andrew Wood 248 6.4 -12.0
Majority 598 15.5 +5.4
Turnout 3,859 42.8 -21.4
Conservative hold Swing
St Peters[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barry Curran 1,755 49.6 +12.4
Conservative Graham Hall 1,521 43.0 +7.2
Liberal Democrats Diana Matthew 259 7.3 -12.8
Majority 234 6.6 +5.2
Turnout 3,535 41.7 -18.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Sandhill (2)[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Gallagher 1,783
Labour Debra Waller 1,637
Conservative Paul Tweddle 456
Conservative Juliette Muca 440
Liberal Democrats Susan Wilson 241
Turnout 4,557 33.7 -12.8
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Shiney Row[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Scott 2,423 64.9 +10.6
Conservative Malcolm Vardy 1,035 27.7 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Carol Attewell 278 7.4 -12.4
Majority 1,388 37.2 +8.8
Turnout 3,736 37.5 -18.6
Labour hold Swing
Silksworth[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Gibson 2,227 66.7 +9.0
Conservative Dominic McDonough 709 21.2 -2.5
Green Joella Lynch 274 8.2 +8.2
Liberal Democrats Andy Bex 130 3.9 -14.7
Majority 1,518 45.4 +11.4
Turnout 3,340 39.6 -17.1
Labour hold Swing
Southwick[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christine Shattock 1,930 69.7 +15.6
Conservative Terence Docherty 691 24.9 +3.3
Liberal Democrats Anne Griffin 149 5.4 -10.1
Majority 1,239 44.7 +12.3
Turnout 2,770 33.8 -14.9
Labour hold Swing
Washington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Len Lauchlan 2,240 61.9 +8.8
Conservative Tracy Young 706 19.5 -4.3
UKIP Erland Polden 443 12.2 +12.2
Liberal Democrats John McLelland 230 6.4 -16.7
Majority 1,534 42.4 +13.1
Turnout 3,619 40.5 -19.7
Labour hold Swing
Washington East[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Fiona Miller 1,935 53.9 +8.9
Conservative Ian Cuthbert 1,201 33.4 +1.6
UKIP Linda Hudson 255 7.1 +7.1
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Bannister 201 5.6 -13.1
Majority 734 20.4 +7.2
Turnout 3,592 40.9 -19.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Washington North[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Walker 2,253 76.3 +19.1
Conservative Joyce Wake 469 15.9 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Kevin Morris 232 7.9 -11.8
Majority 1,784 60.4 +22.9
Turnout 2,954 34.0 -17.2
Labour hold Swing
Washington South[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Thompson 2,126 60.5 +19.1
Conservative Martin Talbot 1,102 31.3 -0.5
Liberal Democrats David Griffin 288 8.2 -18.6
Majority 1,024 29.1 +19.5
Turnout 3,516 43.0 -17.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Washington West[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Trueman 2,412 69.7 +20.3
Conservative Olwyn Bird 710 20.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Irene Bannister 340 9.8 -15.2
Majority 1,702 49.2 +24.9
Turnout 3,462 38.3 -20.1
Labour hold Swing

References
  1. "England council elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  2. "Election results 2011: English council summary results". guardian.co.uk. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  3. Robertson, Russ (5 April 2011). "BNP will not contest Sunderland Council election". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  4. "Sunderland Council elections - Results - Labour gains from Tories". Sunderland Echo. 5 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  5. Unwin, Bruce (6 May 2011). "Labour hold Sunderland and South Tyneside". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  6. "Labour celebrates a night of success". Sunderland Echo. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  7. "Labour takes back Newcastle from Lib Dems". BBC News Online. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  8. "Results of Poll". Sunderland City Council. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
Preceded by
2010 Sunderland City Council election		 Sunderland City Council elections Succeeded by
2012 Sunderland City Council election
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