# 2004 Sunderland City Council election

The 2004 Sunderland City Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Sunderland City Council Council in Tyne and Wear, England. The whole council was up for election following boundary changes since the last election in 2003. The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Campaign

Every seat was contested in the election for the first time since 1982. Labour held a big majority before the election with 63 seats, but almost a quarter of Labour's councillors stood down at the election. Labour was the only party to field a full 75 candidates, while the next largest number of candidates was from the Conservative party who fielded 54 candidates. Candidates in the election also included 25 from the British National Party after the party failed to win any seats in the 2003 election but came second in 6 wards.
Labour described their record in control of the council as being positive and that they were making progress, but the Conservatives described Labour as being "arrogant and remote". The Conservatives targeted wards in the town of Washington as well as Millfield, St Chad's and St Peters, while Barnes ward was seen as being a three-way battle between Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
At the election count anti-Nazi demonstrators had a scuffle with British National Party supporters when the candidates entered the building, with one British National Party candidate being arrested on suspicion of assault.

## Election result

The results saw Labour hold control of the council with a large majority, but the Conservatives made some gains in Barnes, Fulwell and St Michael's. This meant Labour ended with 61 seats, while the Conservatives were up three on 12 seats. The Liberal Democrats took two seats, while the British National Party failed to win any seats. Overall turnout was 40.26%, down on the 47.47% in 2003 but up on the 22% at the 2002 election before all postal voting was used.
Sunderland Local Election Result 2004 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 61 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 81.3 | 55.4 | 103,550 | 2.9 |
| Conservative | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16.0 | 28.9 | 54,119 | 6.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 14,886 | 0.7 |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 | 12,398 | 7.2 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.9 | 1,638 | 1.8 |
| Liberal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 429 | 0.2 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 63 | 61 |
| | Conservatives | 9 | 12 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | 2 |
| | Liberal | 1 | 0 |
| | Independent | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 75 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 51 | 47 |

## Ward by ward results

Barnes (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Stephen Daughton | 1,557 | |
| | Conservative | Lee Martin | 1,495 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Arnott | 1,427 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Greenfield | 1,296 | |
| | Labour | Ian Galbraith | 1,171 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Pryke | 1,016 | |
| | Labour | Anne Morrison | 1,011 | |
| | Labour | Iain Key | 938 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Taylor | 884 | |
| | BNP | Paul Humble | 427 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,222 | 48.5 |
Castle (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Thomas Foster | 1,655 | |
| | Labour | Leslie Mann | 1,543 | |
| | Labour | Robert Symonds | 1,449 | |
| | BNP | Ian McDonald | 687 | |
| | Conservative | Gillian Connor | 513 | |
| | Conservative | Alice Mclaren | 443 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,290 | 36.3 |
Copt Hill (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joan Carthy | 1,805 | |
| | Labour | Juliana Heron | 1,642 | |
| | Labour | Robert Heron | 1,551 | |
| | Conservative | Jane Wilson | 1,161 | |
| | BNP | Anthony James | 508 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,667 | 37.2 |
Doxford (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | George Blyth | 1,543 | |
| | Labour | Michael Tansey | 1,494 | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Gibson | 1,463 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Elliot-West | 918 | |
| | Conservative | George Brown | 909 | |
| | Conservative | Stephen Sinclair | 843 | |
| | BNP | Debra Hiles | 496 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,666 | 38.9 |
Fulwell (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Norman Bohill | 2,978 | |
| | Conservative | John Walton | 2,394 | |
| | Conservative | George Howe | 2,263 | |
| | Labour | Rosalind Copeland | 884 | |
| | Labour | Norman Dent | 864 | |
| | Labour | Gordon Higgins | 819 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Ryder | 665 | |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 417 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,284 | 51.7 |
Hendon (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Brynley Sidaway | 1,142 | |
| | Labour | Thomas Martin | 1,123 | |
| | Labour | Mary Smith | 1,015 | |
| | Conservative | Janice Morrissey | 647 | |
| | Conservative | John Cowley | 627 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Walters | 578 | |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Vickers | 507 | |
| | BNP | David Guynan | 504 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tafazzal Hussain | 456 | |
| | Liberal | Winifred Lundgren | 429 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,028 | 36.0 |
Hetton (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Blackburn | 1,670 | |
| | Labour | Florence Anderson | 1,663 | |
| | Labour | Richard Tate | 1,413 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Dowell | 920 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Galley | 676 | |
| | BNP | John Richardson | 442 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,784 | 37.2 |
Houghton (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Joseph Lawson | 2,054 | |
| | Labour | Kathryn Rolph | 1,944 | |
| | Labour | Dennis Richardson | 1,864 | |
| | Conservative | William Lewis | 783 | |
| | BNP | Louise Smith | 518 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,163 | 38.3 |
Millfield (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Hollern | 893 | |
| | Labour | Colin Anderson | 846 | |
| | Labour | Keith Adshead | 824 | |
| | Labour | Louise Farthing | 728 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Jackson | 629 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Dixon | 579 | |
| | Conservative | Patricia Francis | 570 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sham Vedhara | 557 | |
| | Conservative | Gordon Newton | 530 | |
| | BNP | Jason Dent | 360 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,516 | 35.9 |
Pallion (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Amy Wilson | 1,350 | |
| | Labour | Paul Watson | 1,333 | |
| | Labour | Robert Kirby | 1,148 | |
| | Conservative | Gwennyth Gibson | 802 | |
| | Conservative | Dorreen Storey | 754 | |
| | BNP | James Davison | 647 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,034 | 36.0 |
Redhill (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Bryan Charlton | 1,804 | |
| | Labour | Richard Bell | 1,594 | |
| | Labour | Paul Stewart | 1,521 | |
| | BNP | Ian Leadbitter | 716 | |
| | Conservative | Terence Docherty | 499 | |
| | Conservative | James McIntosh | 441 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,575 | 36.5 |
Ryhope (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ronald Bainbridge | 1,433 | |
| | Labour | Aileen Handy | 1,268 | |
| | Labour | David Wares | 1,218 | |
| | Conservative | Audrey Casson | 859 | |
| | BNP | William Brown | 585 | |
| | Conservative | Tariq Al-Dulaymi | 549 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,912 | 37.6 |
Sandhill (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Scott | 1,515 | |
| | Labour | David Forbes | 1,411 | |
| | Labour | David Allan | 1,238 | |
| | Conservative | Ronald Drayton | 894 | |
| | BNP | Christopher Lathan | 530 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,588 | 36.7 |
Shiney Row (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Anne Hall | 1,817 | |
| | Labour | John Scott | 1,491 | |
| | Labour | Melville Speding | 1,417 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Grundy | 994 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Forster | 846 | |
| | Conservative | Douglas Middlemiss | 664 | |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Cowe | 582 | |
| | BNP | Sharon Leadbitter | 423 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,234 | 38.8 |
Silksworth (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Patricia Smith | 1,811 | |
| | Labour | Peter Gibson | 1,773 | |
| | Labour | John Donnelly | 1,578 | |
| | Conservative | Dionne Ross | 941 | |
| | Conservative | Norman Rosemurgey | 922 | |
| | BNP | Joseph Dobbie | 647 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,672 | 43.2 |
Southwick (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Margaret Higgins | 1,680 | |
| | Labour | Maureen Ambrose | 1,398 | |
| | Labour | Norma Wright | 1,344 | |
| | Conservative | John Brown | 762 | |
| | Conservative | John Calvert | 701 | |
| | BNP | Alan Brettwood | 698 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,583 | 37.8 |
St Annes (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Susan Watson | 1,300 | |
| | Labour | Patricia Bates | 1,252 | |
| | Labour | Thomas Wright | 1,189 | |
| | Conservative | Marjorie Matthews | 593 | |
| | Conservative | Norman Oliver | 508 | |
| | BNP | Treena Smith | 490 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,332 | 35.1 |
St Chads (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Leslie Scott | 1,762 | |
| | Labour | John Porthouse | 1,466 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Oliver | 1,341 | |
| | Conservative | Paula Wilkinson | 1,323 | |
| | Labour | Cecilia Gofton | 1,240 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Morrissey | 1,145 | |
| | BNP | Carol Dobbie | 430 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,707 | 46.4 |
St Michaels (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Margaret Forbes | 2,072 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Wood | 1,997 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Maddison | 1,918 | |
| | Labour | Garry Dent | 1,045 | |
| | Labour | Barbara McClennan | 861 | |
| | Labour | Phillip Gibson | 821 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Pryke | 656 | |
| | BNP | Pauline Smith | 302 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,672 | 48.3 |
St Peters (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Lilian Walton | 1,679 | |
| | Conservative | Graham Hall | 1,609 | |
| | Labour | Christine Shattock | 1,414 | |
| | Conservative | Alistair Newton | 1,336 | |
| | Labour | Linda Mitchell | 1,261 | |
| | Labour | David Errington | 1,069 | |
| | BNP | Derek Wright | 604 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,972 | 45.2 |
Washington Central (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Derek Sleightholme | 1,880 | |
| | Labour | Eric Timmins | 1,725 | |
| | Labour | Denis Whalen | 1,621 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Griffin | 860 | |
| | Conservative | Jacqueline Atkinson | 797 | |
| | Conservative | Olwyn Bird | 777 | |
| | Conservative | Kathleen Irvine | 635 | |
| | BNP | Andrew Galloway | 400 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,695 | 40.2 |
Washington East (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Young | 1,445 | |
| | Labour | Bryan Williams | 1,360 | |
| | Labour | Neil Macknight | 1,284 | |
| | Conservative | Kathryn Chamberlin | 882 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Avril Grundy | 821 | |
| | Conservative | Ian Cuthbert | 727 | |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 657 | |
| | BNP | Duncan Matthews | 322 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,498 | 37.0 |
Washington North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | James Walker | 1,876 | |
| | Labour | Peter Walker | 1,500 | |
| | Labour | Pamela Baggaley | 1,478 | |
| | Independent | John Bedlington | 969 | |
| | Conservative | Russell Bloxsom | 589 | |
| | BNP | Richard Templton | 431 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,843 | 36.6 |
Washington South (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Linda Williams | 1,135 | |
| | Labour | Joan Grey | 994 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Owen Dumpleton | 972 | |
| | Conservative | Justin Garrod | 851 | |
| | Labour | Robert Bowman | 848 | |
| | Conservative | Jill Martin | 731 | |
| | Independent | Walter Scott | 669 | |
| | BNP | Gordon Pace | 411 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,611 | 36.9 |
Washington West (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | William Stephenson | 1,585 | |
| | Labour | Henry Trueman | 1,487 | |
| | Labour | Dennis Haworth | 1,392 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Bannister | 969 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Griffin | 874 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Sharp | 762 | |
| | BNP | Frank Butterfield | 403 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,472 | 37.5 |