2006 Sunderland City Council election

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2006 Sunderland City Council election
← 2004 4 May 2006 2007 →
One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council
38 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Seats before 60 12 2
Seats won 19 5 1
Seats after 59 13 2
Seat change Decrease1 Increase1 Steady0
  Fourth party
 
Party Independent
Seats before 1
Seats won 0
Seats after 1
Seat change Steady0
Sunderland 2006 election map.png
Map of the 2006 Sunderland City Council election results. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue, and Liberal Democrats in yellow.
Majority party before election

Labour

 Majority party after election

Labour

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.[1][2]

Campaign[]

Before the election the council was composed of 60 Labour, 12 Conservative, 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 independent councillors.[3] 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.[4]

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.[5] Other candidates included 22 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.[6] 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.[3]

Sunderland was one of 4 local councils which had early polling stations available so voters could vote up to 2 weeks before the election.[7]

Election results[]

The results saw Labour keep a strong majority on the council after finishing just one seat down with 59 councillors.[6] 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.[6][8] The other Labour loss was to the Liberal Democrats in Millfield, but Labour also gained Washington South from the Liberal Democrats.[8][9] This meant the Conservatives had 13 seats, the Liberal Democrats 2 and 1 independent.[6] Meanwhile, the British National Party failed to win any seats, but did win almost 15% of the vote.[9][10] 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.[6][10]

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.[11]

Sunderland Local Election Result 2006[12][13]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 19 1 2 Decrease1 76.0 40.5 27,546 Decrease14.9
  Conservative 5 1 0 Increase1 20.0 28.4 19,280 Decrease0.5
  Liberal Democrats 1 1 1 Steady0 4.0 15.7 10,683 Increase7.7
  BNP 0 0 0 Steady0 0 14.6 9,948 Increase8.0
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady0 0 0.7 449 Decrease0.2
  Monster Raving Loony 0 0 0 Steady0 0 0.1 48 Increase0.1

This resulted in the following composition of the Council:

Party Previous Council New Council
Labour 60 59
Conservatives 12 13
Liberal Democrats 2 2
Independent 1 1
Total 75 75
Working majority  45   43 

Ward by ward results[]

Barnes[12]
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 761 23.0
Turnout 3,305 37.3 -11.2
Conservative hold Swing
Castle[12]
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 688 28.4
Turnout 2,420 28.4 -7.9
Labour hold Swing
Copt Hill[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Heron 1,372 50.7
Conservative David Wilson 898 33.2
BNP Michael Webb 438 16.2
Majority 474 17.5
Turnout 2,708 29.8 -7.4
Labour hold Swing
Doxford[12]
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 262 10.0
Turnout 2,607 32.5 -6.4
Labour hold Swing
Fulwell[12]
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 1,019 26.6
Turnout 3,824 42.7 -9.0
Conservative hold Swing
Hendon[12]
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 528 20.8
Turnout 2,533 31.4 -4.6
Labour hold Swing
Hetton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Tate 1,364 56.8
BNP John Richardson 544 22.6
Conservative George Brown 494 20.6
Majority 820 34.1
Turnout 2,402 27.4 -9.8
Labour hold Swing
Houghton[12]
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 836 32.3 -6.0
Turnout 2,592 29.6
Labour hold Swing
Millfield[12]
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 196 9.4
Turnout 2,087 29.2 -6.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Pallion[12]
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 560 24.0
Turnout 2,331 29.7 -6.3
Labour hold Swing
Redhill[12]
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 626 24.4
Turnout 2,568 29.7 -6.8
Labour hold Swing
Ryhope[12]
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 337 12.9
Turnout 2,615 32.6 -5.0
Labour hold Swing
Sandhill[12]
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 456 18.8
Turnout 2,422 29.0 -7.7
Labour hold Swing
Shiney Row[12]
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 925 31.3
Turnout 2,956 30.5 -8.3
Labour hold Swing
Silksworth[12]
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 654 22.2
Turnout 2,948 34.9 -8.3
Labour hold Swing
Southwick[12]
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 527 20.9
Turnout 2,522 30.8 -7.0
Labour hold Swing
St Annes[12]
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 537 25.0
Turnout 2,147 27.7 -7.4
Labour hold Swing
St Chads[12]
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 726 22.5
Turnout 3,228 41.0 -5.4
Conservative hold Swing
St Michaels[12]
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 1,040 32.9
Turnout 3,164 38.5 -9.8
Conservative hold Swing
St Peters[12]
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 342 11.0
Turnout 3,108 38.1 -7.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Washington Central[12]
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 641 22.4
Turnout 2,865 32.4 -7.8
Labour hold Swing
Washington East[12]
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 98 3.4
Turnout 2,881 33.2 -3.8
Labour hold Swing
Washington North[12]
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 888 36.2
Turnout 2,451 28.1 -8.5
Labour hold Swing
Washington South[12]
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 35 1.4
Turnout 2,547 30.9 -6.0
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Washington West[12]
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 817 30.0
Turnout 2,723 30.5 -7.0
Labour hold Swing

References[]

  1. ^ "Local elections: Sunderland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Local elections 2006: Results in full". The Guardian. 6 May 2006. p. 20.
  3. ^ a b "Stakes are high in authorities around the North". The Journal. 18 April 2006. p. 8.
  4. ^ Administrator, journallive (10 August 2006). "Councillor `treated like a pariah'". journallive. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. ^ Young, Peter (4 April 2006). "Tories miss election boat". Evening Chronicle. p. 6.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Sunderland". The Journal. 5 May 2006. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Cast your vote early". Evening Chronicle. 11 April 2006. p. 13.
  8. ^ a b "Lib Dems' grip on city strengthened". Evening Chronicle. 5 May 2006. p. 4.
  9. ^ a b "All smiles as Labour comes through unscathed". Sunderland Echo. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2010.[dead link]
  10. ^ a b "Labour keep control of Sunderland". BBC News Online. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Councillor criticises his own party". The Journal. 10 May 2006. p. 15.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Results of Poll". Sunderland City Council. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  13. ^ "Local elections". The Times. 6 May 2006. p. 64.
Preceded by
2004 Sunderland City Council election 		Sunderland City Council elections Succeeded by
2007 Sunderland City Council election
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