# 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.

## 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". 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.
Labour were hopeful of making gains due to a backlash against the national Conservative led government and rising unemployment. 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. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats said they would focus on local issues and targeted Millfield ward.
Other candidates included 7 from the Green Party and 3 from the United Kingdom Independence Party. However the British National Party did not put up any candidates, after contesting every seat in some previous elections.

## Election results

The results saw Labour increase their majority on the council after gaining 4 seats from the Conservatives to have 56 councillors. 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. The Liberal Democrats had a bad election, coming fourth in many seats, after a drop in their share of the vote. Meanwhile, independent Colin Wakefield held his seat in Copt Hill by 428 votes over Labour. 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. Overall turnout in the election was 35.1%.
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. The council was also the first to finish counting with the final results being declared at 1am. 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 and as an endorsement of the city council. The Conservative group leader Paul Morrissey meanwhile said his party had suffered due to being in government nationally.
Sunderland Local Election Result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 22 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 84.6 | 60.3 | 49,898 | 11.3% |
| Conservative | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11.5 | 25.7 | 21,303 | 0.5% |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | 4,185 | 13.2% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3,782 | 0.6% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 1,979 | 2.1% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1,654 | 2.0% |
This resulted in the following composition of the Council:
| Party | Party | Previous Council | New Council |
| | Labour | 52 | 56 |
| | Conservatives | 18 | 14 |
| | Independent | 4 | 4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 75 | 75 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 29 | 37 |

## Ward by ward results

Barnes :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 93 | 2.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,055 | 45.7 | −16.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Castle :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,908 | 73.3 | +40.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,604 | 30.4 | −19.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Copt Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Colin Wakefield | 1,961 | 56.1 | +14.3 |
| | Labour | Juliana Heron | 1,533 | 43.9 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 428 | 12.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,494 | 39.6 | −15.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Doxford :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 960 | 30.1 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,194 | 40.5 | −20.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Fulwell :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 193 | 4.6 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,214 | 46.5 | −21.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Hendon :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,246 | 47.6 | +21.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,617 | 29.9 | −14.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Hetton :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 984 | 29.8 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,302 | 37.6 | −12.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Houghton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kath Rolph | 1,820 | 52.3 | +5.2 |
| | Independent | John Ellis | 1,660 | 47.7 | +11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 | 4.6 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,480 | 38.6 | −16.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Millfield :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 778 | 30.7 | +27.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,532 | 33.1 | −14.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Pallion :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,182 | 44.7 | +13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,645 | 35.1 | −13.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Redhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Bell | 2,104 | 87.6 | +18.1 |
| | Conservative | Martin Anderson | 299 | 12.4 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,805 | 75.1 | +23.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,403 | 29.9 | −15.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Ryhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ellen Ball | 2,022 | 64.2 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Shaun Cudworth | 1,129 | 35.8 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 893 | 28.3 | +2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,151 | 39.0 | −19.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Annes :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,472 | 55.1 | +16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,672 | 31.2 | −15.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Chads :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stuart Porthouse | 1,851 | 52.9 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Michael Dixon | 1,647 | 47.1 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 204 | 5.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,498 | 44.6 | −14.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Michaels :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 598 | 15.5 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,859 | 42.8 | −21.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Peters :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 234 | 6.6 | +5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,535 | 41.7 | −18.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Sandhill (2) :
| Party | 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 | Turnout | Turnout | 4,557 | 33.7 | −12.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shiney Row :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,388 | 37.2 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,736 | 37.5 | −18.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Silksworth :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,518 | 45.4 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,340 | 39.6 | −17.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Southwick :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,239 | 44.7 | +12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,770 | 33.8 | −14.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington Central :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,534 | 42.4 | +13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,619 | 40.5 | −19.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington East :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 734 | 20.4 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,592 | 40.9 | −19.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Washington North :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,784 | 60.4 | +22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,954 | 34.0 | −17.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Washington South :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,024 | 29.1 | +19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,516 | 43.0 | −17.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Washington West :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,702 | 49.2 | +24.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,462 | 38.3 | −20.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |