# 2006 Sunderland City Council election

The 2006 Sunderland Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Sunderland City Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party stayed in overall control.

## Campaign

Before the election the council was composed of 60 Labour, 12 Conservative, 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 independent councillors. In the period since the previous local elections in May 2004, there had been two by-elections, in Barnes Ward and Millfield Ward (with seats held by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats respectively), and Doxford councillor Mike Tansey had left the Labour Party to sit as an Independent.
In total 99 candidates stood in the election for the 25 seats that were being contested, with the Labour Party, Conservative Party and British National Party contesting every seat. Other candidates included 22 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. The council was safe for Labour, but the Conservatives were hoping to make gains in the wards of Doxford, St Peters, Washington East and Washington South.
Sunderland was one of 4 local councils which had early polling stations available so voters could vote up to 2 weeks before the election.

## Election results

The results saw Labour keep a strong majority on the council after finishing just one seat down with 59 councillors. The Labour leader of the council, Robert Symonds, was among those to hold his seat in Castle ward, but the party did lose 2 seats including St Peters to the Conservatives. The other Labour loss was to the Liberal Democrats in Millfield, but Labour also gained Washington South from the Liberal Democrats. This meant the Conservatives had 13 seats, the Liberal Democrats 2 and 1 independent. Meanwhile, the British National Party failed to win any seats, but did win almost 15% of the vote. Overall turnout was 32.2%, with 1,436 voters having used the early voting scheme, while 30,304 people used postal voting, which was 67.54% of those registered to vote by post.
Following the election the leader of the Conservative group, Peter Wood, was challenged for the leadership by Lee Martin, but held on by one vote.
Sunderland Local Election Result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 76.0 | 40.5 | 27,546 | 14.9 |
| Conservative | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 | 28.4 | 19,280 | 0.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 15.7 | 10,683 | 7.7 |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.6 | 9,948 | 8.0 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 449 | 0.2 |
| Monster Raving Loony | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 48 | 0.1 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous Council | New Council |
| | Labour | 60 | 59 |
| | Conservatives | 12 | 13 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 75 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 45 | 43 |

## Ward by ward results

Barnes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Arnott | 1,540 | 46.6 | |
| | Labour | David Errington | 779 | 23.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Taylor | 652 | 19.7 | |
| | BNP | Jason Dent | 334 | 10.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 761 | 23.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,305 | 37.3 | −11.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Symonds | 1,203 | 49.7 | |
| | BNP | Ian McDonald | 515 | 21.3 | |
| | Independent | Stephen Hanratty | 449 | 18.6 | |
| | Conservative | Alice Mclaren | 253 | 10.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 688 | 28.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,420 | 28.4 | −7.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Copt Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Heron | 1,372 | 50.7 | |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 898 | 33.2 | |
| | BNP | Michael Webb | 438 | 16.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 474 | 17.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,708 | 29.8 | −7.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Doxford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Gibson | 1,020 | 39.1 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Elliot-West | 758 | 29.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Major | 438 | 16.8 | |
| | BNP | Peter Swain | 391 | 15.0 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 262 | 10.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,607 | 32.5 | −6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Fulwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Howe | 1,996 | 52.2 | |
| | Labour | Robert Price | 977 | 25.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leslie Wascoe | 459 | 12.0 | |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 392 | 10.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,019 | 26.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,824 | 42.7 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Hendon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Smith | 1,062 | 41.9 | |
| | BNP | David Guynan | 534 | 21.1 | |
| | Conservative | Alistair Newton | 528 | 20.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Jackson | 361 | 14.3 | |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Rosalyn Warner | 48 | 1.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 528 | 20.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,533 | 31.4 | −4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hetton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Tate | 1,364 | 56.8 | |
| | BNP | John Richardson | 544 | 22.6 | |
| | Conservative | George Brown | 494 | 20.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 820 | 34.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,402 | 27.4 | −9.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Houghton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dennis Richardson | 1,312 | 50.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Avril Snowball | 476 | 18.4 | |
| | Conservative | Jane Wilson | 428 | 16.5 | |
| | BNP | Lesley Dathan | 376 | 14.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 836 | 32.3 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,592 | 29.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Millfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Maddison | 856 | 41.0 | |
| | Labour | Kevin O'Connor | 660 | 31.6 | |
| | Conservative | Leslie Dobson | 313 | 15.0 | |
| | BNP | Christopher Lathan | 258 | 12.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 9.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,087 | 29.2 | −6.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Pallion :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cecilia Gofton | 1,013 | 43.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Hollern | 453 | 19.4 | |
| | BNP | James Davison | 441 | 18.9 | |
| | Conservative | Gwennyth Gibson | 424 | 18.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 560 | 24.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,331 | 29.7 | −6.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Redhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Stewart | 1,313 | 51.1 | |
| | BNP | Ian Leadbitter | 687 | 26.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Griffin | 302 | 11.8 | |
| | Conservative | Gillian Connor | 266 | 10.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 24.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,568 | 29.7 | −6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Ryhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Wares | 1,077 | 41.2 | |
| | Conservative | Stephen Daughton | 740 | 28.3 | |
| | BNP | William Brown | 415 | 15.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Walters | 383 | 14.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 337 | 12.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,615 | 32.6 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Sandhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Allan | 1,033 | 42.7 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Vardy | 577 | 23.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gary Hollern | 439 | 18.1 | |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 373 | 15.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 456 | 18.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,422 | 29.0 | −7.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shiney Row :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Melville Speding | 1,477 | 50.0 | |
| | Conservative | Douglas Middlemiss | 552 | 18.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Forster | 548 | 18.5 | |
| | BNP | Sharon Leadbitter | 379 | 12.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 925 | 31.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,956 | 30.5 | −8.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Silksworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Tye | 1,345 | 45.6 | |
| | Conservative | Paula Wilkinson | 691 | 23.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sandra Hall | 479 | 16.2 | |
| | BNP | Anthony James | 433 | 14.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 654 | 22.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,948 | 34.9 | −8.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Southwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Norma Wright | 1,063 | 42.1 | |
| | Conservative | Terence Docherty | 536 | 21.3 | |
| | BNP | Alan Brettwood | 532 | 21.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Griffin | 391 | 15.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 527 | 20.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,522 | 30.8 | −7.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Annes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Wright | 977 | 45.5 | |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Matthews | 440 | 20.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Pryke | 368 | 17.1 | |
| | BNP | John Boyd | 362 | 16.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 537 | 25.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,147 | 27.7 | −7.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Chads :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Oliver | 1,743 | 54.0 | |
| | Labour | Alan Whitwham | 1,017 | 31.5 | |
| | BNP | Carol Dobbie | 250 | 7.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Lambton | 218 | 6.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 726 | 22.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,228 | 41.0 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Michaels :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Maddison | 1,680 | 53.1 | |
| | Labour | Garry Dent | 640 | 20.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lesley Dixon | 523 | 16.5 | |
| | BNP | Ian Sayers | 321 | 10.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,040 | 32.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,164 | 38.5 | −9.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Peters :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Shirley Leadbitter | 1,289 | 41.5 | |
| | Labour | Christine Shattock | 947 | 30.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Pryke | 470 | 15.1 | |
| | BNP | John McCaffrey | 402 | 12.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 342 | 11.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,108 | 38.1 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Washington Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Whalen | 1,263 | 44.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Keogh | 622 | 21.7 | |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Atkinson | 576 | 20.1 | |
| | BNP | Kevin Lathan | 404 | 14.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 641 | 22.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,865 | 32.4 | −7.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Neil MacKnight | 1,103 | 38.3 | |
| | Conservative | Ian Cuthbert | 1,005 | 34.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Avril Grundy | 487 | 16.9 | |
| | BNP | Derek Wright | 286 | 9.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 98 | 3.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,881 | 33.2 | −3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jill Fletcher | 1,343 | 54.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Hillman | 455 | 18.6 | |
| | Conservative | Russell Bloxsom | 354 | 14.4 | |
| | BNP | David Laing | 299 | 12.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 888 | 36.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,451 | 28.1 | −8.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graeme Miller | 786 | 30.9 | |
| | Conservative | Kathyrn Chamberlin | 751 | 29.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Boyce | 720 | 28.3 | |
| | BNP | Deborah Boyd | 290 | 11.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,547 | 30.9 | −6.0 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Washington West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jean Stephenson | 1,400 | 51.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Bannister | 583 | 21.4 | |
| | Conservative | Olwyn Bird | 448 | 16.5 | |
| | BNP | Frederick Donkin | 292 | 10.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 817 | 30.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,723 | 30.5 | −7.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |