# 2007 Sunderland City Council election

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.

## Background

Before the election the council had 57 Labour, 13 Conservative, 4 independent and 1 Liberal Democrat councillors. In the period since the previous local elections in May 2006, three councillors had left their parties to sit as Independents: Peter Maddison leaving the Liberal Democrat Group in July 2006, and Bryn Sidaway (Hendon) and George Blyth (Doxford) leaving the Labour Group in November 2006. Blyth's ward colleague Mike Tansey had previously left the Labour Group to sit as an Independent in November 2005, and stood for re-election as an Independent candidate in this election.
25 seats were contested in the 2007 elections with a total of 111 candidates standing. These included a full 25 each from the Labour, Conservative and British National Party, as well as 16 independents, 15 Liberal Democrats, 2 Respect, 2 British First Party and 1 from the United Kingdom Independence Party.
As at the 2006 election this election saw Sunderland have three polling stations open for 10 days before election day in an attempt to make voting more convenient for voters.

## Election results

The results had Labour stay in control of the council but with a smaller majority. The Conservatives gained 3 seats from Labour in St Chads, Washington East and Washington South to hold 16 seats compared to 54 for Labour. The 2 Conservative gains in Washington were the first time the party had won seats in the town since it became part of Sunderland council. Labour also lost one seat to an independent in Copt Hill, but regained another in Doxford where the sitting independent councillor, Mike Tansey, had originally been elected for the Labour Party. This meant there remained 4 Independents on the council, as well as 1 Liberal Democrat who was not defending a seat in the election. Overall turnout in the election was 34%, up on 32% at the 2006 election.
Sunderland local election result 2007 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 68 | 43.3 | 31,148 | 2.8% |
| Conservative | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 28.1 | 20,223 | 0.3% |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8.3 | 5,992 | 7.6% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 | 7,653 | 4.0% |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 | 6,293 | 7.0% |
| British First Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 335 | 0.5% |
| Respect | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 224 | 0.3% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 72 | 0.1% |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous Council | New Council |
| | Labour | 58 | 54 |
| | Conservatives | 13 | 16 |
| | Independent | 3 | 4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 75 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 41 | 33 |

## Ward by ward results
### Barnes ward

Barnes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lee Martin | 1,767 | 53.7 | +7.1 |
| | Labour | Helmut Izaks | 747 | 22.7 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Boyce | 492 | 14.9 | −4.8 |
| | BNP | John McCaffrey | 287 | 8.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,020 | 31.0 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,293 | 37.7 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Castle ward

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denny Wilson | 1,675 | 66.0 | +16.3 |
| | BNP | Ian McDonald | 395 | 15.6 | −5.7 |
| | Independent | Ronald McQuillan | 276 | 10.9 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative | Martin Anderson | 191 | 7.5 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,280 | 50.5 | +22.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,537 | 30.0 | +1.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Copt Hill ward

Copt Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Colin Wakefield | 1,382 | 42.9 | +42.9 |
| | Labour | Juliana Heron | 1,146 | 35.6 | −15.1 |
| | Conservative | Richard Vardy | 358 | 11.1 | −22.1 |
| | BNP | Michael Webb | 176 | 5.5 | −10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Gibbons | 159 | 4.9 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 236 | 7.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,221 | 36.0 | +6.2 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Doxford ward

Doxford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Errington | 1,041 | 35.8 | −3.3 |
| | Independent | Mike Tansey† | 924 | 31.8 | +31.8 |
| | Conservative | Alistair Newton | 701 | 24.1 | −5.0 |
| | BNP | Lesley Dathan | 243 | 8.4 | −6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 117 | 4.0 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,909 | 36.2 | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
†Mike Tansey had been elected in 2004 as a Labour candidate, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent councillor. The result was technically a hold for Labour although Tansey, the incumbent, lost his seat.

### Fulwell ward

Fulwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Walton | 2,077 | 53.9 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | Bob Price | 968 | 25.1 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geofrey Pryke | 507 | 13.1 | +1.1 |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 304 | 7.9 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,109 | 28.8 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,856 | 42.7 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Hendon ward

Hendon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Thomas Martin | 1,045 | 43.0 | +1.1 |
| | Independent | Sammy Doran | 453 | 18.6 | +18.6 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Lorraine | 442 | 18.2 | −2.6 |
| | BNP | David Guynan | 362 | 14.9 | −6.2 |
| | Respect | Tafazzal Hussain | 129 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 592 | 24.4 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,431 | 30.2 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Hetton ward

Hetton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Florence Anderson | 1,506 | 55.3 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Dowell | 489 | 17.9 | +17.9 |
| | BNP | John Richardson | 402 | 14.8 | −7.8 |
| | Conservative | George Brown | 328 | 12.0 | −8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,017 | 37.3 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,725 | 31.3 | +3.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Houghton ward

Houghton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kath Rolph | 1,496 | 50.7 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | John Finn | 544 | 18.4 | +18.4 |
| | Conservative | Douglas Middlemiss | 338 | 11.5 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Avril Snowball | 326 | 11.1 | −7.3 |
| | BNP | Peter Swain | 246 | 8.3 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 952 | 32.3 | +0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,950 | 33.8 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Millfield ward

Millfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin O'Connor | 754 | 32.9 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jim Major | 698 | 30.5 | −10.5 |
| | Conservative | Gwennyth Gibson | 306 | 13.4 | −1.6 |
| | BNP | Christopher Lathan | 198 | 8.7 | −3.7 |
| | Independent | Rachel Moore | 166 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| | Respect | Keith Adshead | 95 | 4.2 | +4.2 |
| | UKIP | Pauline Featonby-Warren | 72 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 56 | 2.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,289 | 31.8 | +2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Pallion ward

Pallion :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Watson | 1,061 | 44.7 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Michael Leadbitter | 445 | 18.7 | +0.5 |
| | Independent | Fred Dove | 314 | 13.2 | +13.2 |
| | BNP | James Davison | 279 | 11.7 | −7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Hollern | 277 | 11.7 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 616 | 25.9 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,376 | 30.5 | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Redhill ward

Redhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Bell | 1,426 | 56.1 | +5.0 |
| | BNP | Ian Leadbitter | 585 | 23.0 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Paula Wilkinson | 275 | 10.8 | +0.4 |
| | Independent | Lesley Dixon | 176 | 6.9 | +6.9 |
| | British First Party | Julie Potter | 78 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 841 | 33.1 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,540 | 29.9 | +0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Ryhope ward

Ryhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ellen Ball | 1,194 | 41.3 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Fairs | 872 | 30.2 | +1.9 |
| | Independent | Patrick Lavelle | 443 | 15.3 | +15.3 |
| | BNP | Frederick Donkin | 383 | 13.2 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 322 | 11.1 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,892 | 36.1 | +3.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Sandhill ward

Sandhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Forbes | 1,420 | 56.8 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Newton | 674 | 26.9 | +3.1 |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 408 | 16.3 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 746 | 29.8 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,502 | 30.4 | +1.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Shiney Row ward

Shiney Row :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Scott | 1,656 | 54.2 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Eddie Wake | 740 | 24.2 | +5.5 |
| | Independent | George Parkin | 353 | 11.5 | +11.5 |
| | BNP | Sharon Leadbitter | 309 | 10.1 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 916 | 30.0 | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,058 | 31.7 | +1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Silksworth ward

Silksworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Gibson | 1,637 | 55.3 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Patricia Francis | 929 | 31.4 | +8.0 |
| | BNP | Anthony James | 395 | 13.3 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 708 | 23.9 | +1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,961 | 35.6 | +0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Southwick ward

Southwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Christine Shattock | 1,193 | 44.8 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Terence Docherty | 541 | 20.3 | −1.0 |
| | BNP | Alan Brettwood | 463 | 17.4 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne Griffin | 278 | 10.4 | −5.1 |
| | Independent | Stephen Hanratty | 190 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 652 | 24.5 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,665 | 32.9 | +2.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St Anne's ward

St Anne's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sylvia Old | 1,172 | 50.4 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Matthews | 399 | 17.2 | −3.3 |
| | BNP | Deborah Boyd | 260 | 11.2 | −5.7 |
| | British First Party | John Martin | 257 | 11.0 | +11.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leslie Wascoe | 238 | 10.2 | −6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 773 | 33.2 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,326 | 29.0 | +1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St Chad's ward

St Chad's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Dixon | 1,563 | 46.9 | −7.1 |
| | Labour | Stuart Porthouse | 1,348 | 40.4 | +8.9 |
| | BNP | Carol Dobbie | 248 | 7.4 | −0.3 |
| | Independent | Chain Gill | 175 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 6.4 | −16.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,334 | 42.6 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### St Michael's ward

St Michael's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Wood | 1,928 | 59.4 | +6.3 |
| | Labour | Michael Mordey | 827 | 25.5 | +5.3 |
| | Independent | Martin Quinn | 293 | 9.0 | +9.0 |
| | BNP | Ian Sayers | 196 | 6.0 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,101 | 33.9 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,244 | 39.3 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### St Peter's ward

St Peter's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Graham Hall | 1,361 | 43.8 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Linda Mitchell | 968 | 31.2 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Matthew | 417 | 13.4 | −1.7 |
| | BNP | Derek Wright | 275 | 8.9 | −4.0 |
| | Independent | Robbie Menzies | 86 | 2.8 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 393 | 12.6 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,107 | 37.7 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Washington Central ward

Washington Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Eric Timmins | 1,522 | 48.6 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Jackie Atkinson | 727 | 23.2 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Snowball | 556 | 17.7 | −4.0 |
| | BNP | Clive Thompson | 329 | 10.5 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 795 | 25.4 | +3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,134 | 35.7 | +3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Washington East ward

Washington East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Cuthbert | 1,245 | 40.1 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Bryan Williams | 1,220 | 39.3 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Bannister | 441 | 14.2 | −2.7 |
| | BNP | David Laing | 195 | 6.3 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 0.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,101 | 35.9 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Washington North ward

Washington North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Walker | 1,567 | 58.0 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Hillman | 441 | 16.3 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Irvine | 441 | 16.3 | +1.9 |
| | BNP | Lynne Hudson | 254 | 9.4 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,126 | 41.7 | +5.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,703 | 31.3 | +3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Washington South ward

Washington South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Kathryn Chamberlin | 1,066 | 37.1 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Louise Farthing | 1,019 | 35.4 | +4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Griffin | 444 | 15.4 | −12.9 |
| | BNP | William Ramshaw | 222 | 7.7 | −3.7 |
| | Independent | Walter Scott | 124 | 4.3 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 47 | 1.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,875 | 34.8 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Washington West ward

Washington West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Trueman | 1,540 | 52.9 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Bannister | 530 | 18.2 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative | Olwyn Bird | 509 | 17.5 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | Jason Dent | 239 | 8.2 | −2.5 |
| | Independent | Ian Snowball | 93 | 3.2 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,010 | 34.7 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,911 | 33.1 | +2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |