2024 Sunderland City Council election explained

Election Name:2024 Sunderland City Council election
Country:England
Flag Image:Coat_of_arms_of_Sunderland_City_Council.png
Type:Parliamentary
Party Colour:yes
Previous Election:2023 Sunderland City Council election
Previous Year:2023
Election Date:2 May 2024
Next Election:2026 Sunderland City Council election
Next Year:2026
Seats For Election:25 of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council
Majority Seats:38
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Leader1:Graeme Miller
Seats Before1:47
Seats1:18
Seats After1:53
Seat Change1:6
Party2:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Leader2:Paul Edgeworth
Seats Before2:12
Seats2:4
Seats After2:12
Seat Change2:-
Party3:Conservative Party (UK)
Leader3:Antony Mullen
Seats Before3:13
Seats3:3
Seats After3:10
Seat Change3:3
Party4:Reform UK
Seats Before4:1
Seats4:0
Seats After4:0
Seat Change4:1
Party5:Independent politician
Seats Before5:2
Seats5:0
Seats After5:0
Seat Change5:2
Map Size:400px
Leader
Posttitle:Leader after election
Before Election:Graeme Miller
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Michael Mordey
After Party:Labour Party (UK)

The 2024 Sunderland City Council election took place on 2 May 2024 to elect members of Sunderland City Council. 25 of the 75 seats of the council were up for election. The election took place at the same time as other local elections across England.

The Labour Party remained in control of the council and the Liberal Democrats returned as the largest opposition party.[1] After the election Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) appointed Michael Mordey as group leader, replacing Gramme Miller who had led the council since 2018. The Lib Dem group leader Paul Edgeworth said it was "bad news" for Sunderland, adding: "Labour’s London and Newcastle HQs have clearly imposed a yes man for Keir Starmer and a yes man for Kim McGuinness."[2] Michael Mordey was formally confirmed as leader of the council at a council meeting on 20 May 2024.[3]

Background

25 of the 75 seats will be up for election, the last time councillors will be elected using the boundaries set in 2004.[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 the Liberal Democrats. The seats up for election this year were last elected in 2021. In that election, Labour lost 9 seats, the Conservatives gained 6 and the Liberal Democrats gained 4.

Since the last election, three councillors defected from the Liberal Democrats, two to Labour and one became an independent. A Labour councillor (elected as a Conservative) now sits as an independent councillor after being accused of forcing a woman to marry.[6]

Results by ward

An asterisk next to a candidate's name denotes an incumbent councillor.

Washington West

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sunderland result - Local Elections 2024 . 3 May 2024 . BBC News.
  2. Web site: 2024-05-16 . Sunderland's likely new leader 'not a Starmer yes man' . 2024-05-16 . BBC News . en-GB.
  3. News: Marko . Nic . New Sunderland City Council leader begins first day at the job after official vote takes place . 9 June 2024 . Sunderland Echo . 21 May 2024.
  4. Web site: Election timetable in England . 9 April 2022 . GOV.UK . en.
  5. Web site: Sunderland City Council Election Results 1973-2012 . 15 April 2022 . Elections Centre.
  6. News: Kelly . Karon . 2023-11-14 . Sunderland councillor to stand trial accused of forcing woman to marry .