Sheffield City Council elections
Sheffield City Council elections usually take place by thirds, three years out of every four. Each of Sheffield's 28 wards is represented by three positions on the council, meaning there are usually 28 seats contested in each local election. 1967, 1973, 2004 and 2016 saw new ward boundaries and therefore all seats were contested.
Political control[]
Party in control | Years |
---|---|
Labour | 1973–1999 |
Liberal Democrats | 1999–2002 |
No overall control | 2002–2003 |
Labour | 2003–2007 |
No overall control | 2007–2008 |
Liberal Democrats | 2008–2010 |
No overall control | 2010–2011 |
Labour | 2011–2021 |
No overall control | 2021–Present |
Council elections[]
Before 1974, elections were by thirds annually for a three-year term, with Aldermen elected from the body of councillors every three years. In 1974, Aldermen were abolished, and elections to Sheffield City Council are by thirds, in three years of every four, for a four-year term.
For twenty years from 1846, Isaac Ironside's Central Democratic Association was a force on the council. It then returned to typical Conservative–Liberal rivalry. Labour made little impact in its early years; by 1918, there were only three Labour councillors (and two Liberal-Labour, plus one Lib-Lab alderman). That all changed in 1919; Labour won almost all the seats up for election that year, giving them 12 and their coalition partners the Co-operative Party two. In response to their losses, the Conservative and Liberal groups merged to form the Citizens Association, retaining control with 32 councillors and 15 aldermen. The Lib-Labs remained unchanged in numbers and politically between the two groups.[1]
Year | Conservative | Liberal | Liberal Unionist | Lib-Lab | Labour | Others[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1881 | 34 | 30 | - | - | - | - |
1882 | 34 | 30 | - | - | - | - |
1883 | 36 | 28 | - | - | - | - |
1884 | 34 | 30 | - | - | - | - |
1885 | 33 | 31 | - | - | - | - |
1886 | 31 | 29 | 4 | - | - | - |
1887 | 30 | 30 | 4 | - | - | - |
1888 | 29 | 30 | 5 | - | - | - |
1889 | 30 | 30 | 5 | - | - | - |
1890 | 29 | 31 | 4 | - | - | - |
1891 | 30 | 31 | 3 | - | - | - |
1892 | 31 | 30 | 3 | - | - | - |
1893 | 36 | 25 | - | 3 | - | - |
1894 | 37 | 24 | - | 3 | - | - |
1895 | 39 | 22 | - | 3 | - | - |
1896 | 38 | 22 | - | 4 | - | - |
1897 | 36 | 23 | - | 6 | - | - |
1898[3] | 32 | 25 | - | 5 | - | - |
1899 | 34 | 25 | - | 5 | - | - |
1900 | 35 | 23 | - | 6 | - | - |
1901 | 29 | 29 | - | 6 | - | - |
1902 | 32 | 26 | - | 6 | - | - |
1903[3] | 32 | 26 | - | 5 | - | - |
1904 | 34 | 24 | - | 6 | - | - |
1905 | 30 | 26 | - | 7 | 1 | - |
1906 | 30 | 25 | - | 6 | 3 | - |
1907 | 31 | 24 | - | 5 | 4 | - |
1908 | 35 | 22 | - | 4 | 3 | - |
1909 | 35 | 22 | - | 4 | 3 | - |
1910[3] | 33 | 23 | - | 5 | 2 | - |
1911 | 29 | 30 | - | 4 | 1 | - |
1912 | 31 | 30 | - | 3 | - | - |
1913 | 32 | 27 | - | 3 | 2 | - |
1919 | 26 | 22 | - | - | 13 | 3 |
1920 | 24 | 21 | - | - | 13 | 6 |
Labour continued to advance at the expense of the Citizens Association. By 1922, there were 18 Labour councillors and one alderman; by 1925, 22 councillors and one alderman. At the 1926 elections, Labour rose to 29 councillors. A majority on the council and a large number of retiring aldermen finally enabled them to take 8 positions on the aldermanic bench.[1]
The seats were redistributed into 24 wards in 1930, and the Citizens Association renamed itself the Progressive Party, and a further seat was added for Norton in 1934, taking the total number of positions to 75 councillors and 25 aldermen. That year, Labour briefly lost control, but regained it in 1934, with an increased majority of 12. This rose to 14 the following year. In 1945, Labour had 59 total seats to the Progressive's 39, one independent and one Communist. Labour continued to build its majority, to 34 in 1952 and 42 by 1958.[1] However, it lost control to the Conservative Party, again standing on its own, in 1968-9.
Year | Labour | Citizens' Association / Municipal Progressive |
Ind. Conservative | Ind. Liberal | Ind. Labour Party | Communist | Others[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1921 | 19 | 38 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
1922 | 20 | 40 | - | 2 | - | - | 6 |
1923 | 22 | 40 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 2 |
1924 | 24 | 38 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - |
1925 | 24 | 39 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
1926 | 38 | 25 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
1927 | 39 | 24 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
1928 | 41 | 23 | ? | - | - | - | 1 |
1929 | 63 | 22 | 9 | ? | - | - | ? |
1930 | 57 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1931 | 49 | ? | ? | ? | 1 | - | ? |
1932 | 41 | ? | ? | ? | 1 | - | ? |
1933 | 50 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1934 | 56 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1935 | 57 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1936 | ? | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1937 | ? | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1938 | 53 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1945 | 59 | 39 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
1946 | 63 | 36 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
1947 | 68 | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
1949 | 64 | 36 | ? | ? | - | - | ? |
Year | Labour | Liberal | Conservative | Independent | Ratepayers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | 64 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
1951 | 63 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
1952 | 67 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
1953 | 68 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
1954 | 70 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
1955 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1956 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1957 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1958 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1959 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1960 | 67 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
1961 | 67 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
1962 | 67 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
1963 | 73 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
1964 | 73 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
1965 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1966 | 72 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
1967 | 59 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 0 |
1968 | 52 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 |
1969 | 57 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
1970 | 63 | 1 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
1971 | 80 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
1972 | 84 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
Boundary changes took place for the 2004 election which reduced the number of seats by 3, leading to the whole council being elected in that year.
Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal and SDP (before 1990) Liberal Democrat (after 1990) |
Greens | Independent | UKIP | ||||||
1973 | 69 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1975 | 66 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1976 | 63 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1978 | 60 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1979 | 62 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1980 | 60 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1982 | 60 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1983 | 60 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1984 | 61 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1986 | 63 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1987 | 65 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1988 | 66 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1990 | 69 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1991 | 70 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1992 | 67 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1994 | 56 | 8 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1995 | 58 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1996 | 55 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1998 | 50 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
1999 | 39 | 1 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2000 | 37 | 1 | 49 | 0 | 1 (Liberal) | 0 | ||||||
2002 | 43 | 2 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2003 | 49 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2004 | 44 | 2 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2006 | 44 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2007 | 41 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
2008 | 36 | 0 | 45 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2010 | 39 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
2011 | 50 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2012 | 60 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
2014 | 59 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
2015 | 59 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
2016 | 57 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
2018 | 53 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
2019 | 49 | 0 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
2021 | 41 | 1 | 29 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Borough result maps[]
1967 results map
1968 results map
1970 results map
1971 results map
1972 results map
1980 results map
1982 results map
1983 results map
1984 results map
1986 results map
1987 results map
1988 results map
1990 results map
1991 results map
1992 results map
1994 results map
1995 results map
1996 results map
1998 results map
1999 results map
2000 results map
2002 results map
2003 results map
2004 results map
2006 results map
2007 results map
2008 results map
2010 results map
2011 results map
2012 results map
2014 results map
2015 results map
2016 results map
2018 results map
2019 results map
2021 results map
By-election results[]
By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of recent by-elections; full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.
By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ecclesall by-election | 28 January 1977 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
Nether Edge by-election | 28 January 1977 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
Manor by-election | 12 August 1977 | Labour | Labour | ||
Brightside by-election | 8 October 1992 | Labour | Liberal Democrats | ||
Dore by-election | 8 October 1992 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
Walkley by-election | 26 November 1992 | Labour | Liberal Democrats | ||
Walkley by-election | 14 January 1993 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Park by-election | 14 January 1999 | Labour | Liberal Democrats | ||
Chapel Green by-election | 7 July 1999 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Park by-election | 19 October 2000 | Labour | Labour | ||
Southey Green by-election | 19 October 2000 | Labour | Labour | ||
Birley by-election | 5 May 2005 | Labour | Labour | ||
East Ecclesfield by-election | 30 April 2009 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Woodhouse by-election | 26 August 2010 | Labour | Labour | ||
Manor Castle by-election | 21 October 2010 | Labour | Labour | ||
Fulwood by-election | 2 May 2013 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
Arbourthorne by-election | 6 February 2014 | Labour | Labour | ||
Mosborough by-election | 8 September 2016 | Labour | Liberal Democrats | ||
Southey by-election | 4 May 2017 | Labour | Labour | ||
Nether Edge and Sharrow by-election | 22 June 2017 | Labour | Labour | ||
Beighton by-election | 12 October 2017 | Labour | Labour | ||
Firth Park by-election | 16 September 2021 | Labour | Labour |
See also[]
- Sheffield City Council
References[]
- ^ a b c J. Mendelson, W. Owen, S. Pollard and V. M. Thornes, The Sheffield Trades and Labour Council 1858 - 1958
- ^ Discharged Soldiers and Sailors Association, , National Democratic and Labour Party and one candidate elected in 1920 after the formation of the Citizen's Association.
- ^ a b c Some seats were vacant during this session.
- ^ Discharged Soldiers and Sailors Association, and National Democratic and Labour Party in the 1920s and some independents later.
External links[]
- Sheffield City Council elections
- Politics of Sheffield
- Council elections in South Yorkshire
- Local government in Sheffield
- Metropolitan borough council elections in England