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Hannah Graham

Sunderland City Council elections 2022: The candidates, seats to watch and key issues for voters

Here's the key information about the local elections vote in Sunderland in 2022, including all the candidates standing this year.

This article was published in advance of the local elections but the winning candidates are indicated in bold below. Full results by ward including how every candidate scored are here.

Wearside is likely once again to come under national scrutiny as commentators watch to see if the impact of recent scandals in the Conservative government will slow the steady loss of Labour seats in the city over recent years.

You can see the full results from election night here.

How many councillors are standing in the 2022 local election?

There were 25 seats on the council being contested, a third of the total. The city is made up of 25 wards with three seats each, and Sunderland goes to the polls three years out of every four, with one of the three councillors of each ward facing election (plus any vacant seats). However, this year, due to the death of candidate Reg Coulson, the Copt Hill vote will not go ahead as expected.

Who currently controls the council?

The Labour Party has controlled Sunderland City Council since it was formed in 1974. However, in recent years the party's hold on the city has loosened. A loss of 10 seats in 2019 and another nine in 2021 reduced the party's overall majority significantly, now holding on to the lead by only six seats.

Nonetheless, they remain by far the largest party, holding 43 out of 75 seats. The Conservatives are the second-largest party with 19 seats, while the Liberal Democrats have 12. The Green Party lost its single seat to the Conservatives in 2021.

Following the collapse of the UKIP vote in the city, last year Sunderland's three UKIP councillors quit the party, leaving it no longer a force on the council. Ryhope councillor Steven Bewick became an independent, while St Ann's councillor Pam Mann joined the Conservatives. Redhill's Keith Jenkins stood down and was replaced in March this year by Labour's John Usher.

Sunderland City Council leader, Graeme Miller, at the local elections count in May 2019 (Copyright Unknown)

Who is the current council leader?

The council has been led by Graeme Miller, of Washington South Ward, since 2018.

What are the key seats and big issues?

One important seat to watch will be that of the leader, Coun Miller. In last year's elections one of the seats in Washington South, the leader's ward, fell to the Conservative Party and it's likely that's one area where they'll concentrate their efforts in a bid to oust him.

On a city-wide level, Sunderland is likely, once again, to become a focus of national interest. Ever since the city became the predictor of the national Brexit vote in 2016, it's come to be seen as something of a political weathervane - although unlike parts of County Durham and Northumberland, the city didn't gain Tory MPs amid the 2019 fall of the 'Red Wall'.

It's now being touted in the national press as a potential bombshell for Labour, with Sunderland Conservative leader Antony Mullen suggesting the party could lose overall control of the authority. Having lost nine and 10 seats in the previous local council elections, a similar loss would put the party out of control.

However, it's worth noting a significant difference in the polls between this year and last. On May 6 2021, Labour trailed, with one poll predicting a 34% vote share to the Tories 43%. At time of writing, the positions had almost reversed, 40% to Labour and 35% to the ruling party.

Whatever happens, it's likely to be a close-fought battle, and with Sunderland famed for declaring results early, could set the tone for the rest of election night.

When is the deadline for registering to vote?

The last date to register to vote is Thursday, April 14, at midnight. Postal vote applications must be received by Tuesday, April 19, at 5pm. Proxy vote applications must be received by Tuesday, April 26, at 5pm.

Full results of Sunderland's 2022 local elections:

Barnes - Conservative HOLD

Tim Ellis (Liberal Democrat) - 264

Rachel Sara Featherstone (Green) - 212

Abul Bakkar Ehthesham Haque (Labour) - 1,329

Antony Mullen (Conservative) - 1,637

Castle - Labour HOLD

Paul James Anthony Burke (Conservative) - 505

Allison Chisnall (Labour) - 1,308

Alison Margaret Ogle (Green) 223

Doxford - Liberal Democrat GAIN from Labour

Richard Peter Bradley (Green) - 115

Allen Curtis (Liberal Democrat) - 1,511

Tom Cuthbertson (Conservative) - 565

Steven Hanson (Labour) - 851

Fulwell - Liberal Democrat GAIN

Malcolm John Bond (Liberal Democrat) - 2,193

Sandra Boyers (Conservative) - 1,254

Liam Dufferwiel (Green) - 93

Iain William Kay (Labour) - 648

Hendon - Labour HOLD

Syed Ajmol Ali (Conservative) - 281

Helmut Izaks (Green) - 104

Tom Livingstone (Liberal Democrat) - 909

Dale Michael Mordey (Labour) - 1087

Hetton - Labour HOLD

Adelle Burnicle (Conservative) - 339

David William Geddis (Independent) - 991

John Anthony Lennox (Liberal Democrat) - 168

Claire Marilyn Rowntree (Labour) - 1,230

Houghton - Labour HOLD

Mark Burrell (Labour) - 1,655

Craig Morrison (Conservative) - 681

Emma Robson (Green) - 169

Donna Sarah Thomas (Independent) - 466

Millfield - Liberal Democrat HOLD

Gwennyth Gibson (Conservative) - 250

Gary Ogle (Green) - 64

Kingsley Osahon Okojie (Labour Party) - 923

Julio Romero Johnson (Communist Party of Britain) - 30

Andrew Michael Wood (Liberal Democrat) - 1,227

Pallion - Liberal Democrat HOLD

Dorothy Lynch (Green) -79

Karen Patricia Noble (Labour) - 723

Judith Ann Porter (Conservative) - 266

George Thomas Smith (Liberal Democrat) - 1,227

Redhill - Labour HOLD

Steven Boyd Donkin (Liberal Democrat) - 411

Billy Scott Howells (Green) - 89

Sue Leishman (Conservative) - 326

Paul Stewart (Labour) - 1,065

Ryhope - Labour HOLD

Martyn Preston Herron (Labour) - 1,311

Kevin Leonard (Conservative) - 1,283

Robert Welsh (Green) - 277

Sandhill - Liberal Democrat HOLD

Margaret Gillian Crosby (Liberal Democrat) - 1,274

Laura Ann Hind (Green) - 71

Christine Mary Reed (Conservative) - 249

Debra Waller (Labour) - 800

Shiney Row - Labour HOLD

Michael Anthony Kennedy (Freedom Alliance) - 120

Thomas Alexander Mower (Green) - 345

Mel Speding (Labour) - 1,658

Richard Steven Vardy (Conservative) - 882

Silksworth - Labour HOLD

Christopher Crozier (Green) - 337

Jack Paul Simm (Conservative) - 923

Phil Tye (Labour) - 1,618

Southwick - Labour HOLD

Alex Samuels (Labour) - 1,309

Morgan Joseph Seed (Green) - 280

John Scott Wiper (Conservative) - 623

St Anne's - Labour HOLD

Bryan George Foster (Conservative) - 840

Raymond John Moore (Green) - 273

Susan Watson (Labour) - 1,061

St Chad's - Conservative HOLD

Simon John Ayre (Conservative) - 1,453

Alyson Kordbarlag (Green) - 114

Martin Old (Labour) 977

Anthony Usher (Liberal Democrat) - 145

St Michael's - Conservative HOLD

John Leonard Appleton (Green) - 231

Michael Dixon (Conservative) - 1,832

Chris Smith (Labour) - 1,201

Colin Andrew Wilson (Liberal Democrat) - 139

St Peter's - Conservative HOLD

Auburn Langley (Green) - 250

Tom Newton (Labour) - 1,068

Lynn Vera (Conservative) - 1,567

Peter Arnold Walton (Liberal Democrat) - 280

Washington Central - Labour HOLD

Emma Cutting (Green) - 267

Derek Dunn (Conservative) - 883

Linda Williams (Labour Party) -1,683

Washington East - Labour HOLD

Michal Chantkowshi (Green) - 239

Chris Eynon (Conservative) - 883

Logan Guy (Labour) - 1,683

Washington North - Labour HOLD

Scott Andrew Burrows (Green) - 298

Jill Elaine Fletcher (Labour) - 1,349

Hilary Johnson (Conservative) - 552

Washington South - Labour HOLD

Graeme Ferguson Miller (Labour) - 1,454

Peter James Noble (Conservative) - 1,310

Sean Terry (Liberal Democrat) - 303

Washington West - Labour HOLD

Sam Cosgrove (Conservative) - 878

Paul Andrew Leonard (Green) - 280

Dorothy Trueman (Labour Party) - 1,641

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