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]
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One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council 38 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Map of the 2006 Sunderland City Council election results. Labour in red, Conservatives in blue, and Liberal Democrats in yellow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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]
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 76.0 | 40.5 | 27,546 | 14.9 | |
Conservative | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 | 28.4 | 19,280 | 0.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 15.7 | 10,683 | 7.7 | |
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.6 | 9,948 | 8.0 | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 449 | 0.2 | |
Monster Raving Loony | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 48 | 0.1 |
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
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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
- ^ "Local elections: Sunderland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ^ "Local elections 2006: Results in full". The Guardian. 6 May 2006. p. 20.
- ^ a b "Stakes are high in authorities around the North". The Journal. 18 April 2006. p. 8.
- ^ Administrator, journallive (10 August 2006). "Councillor `treated like a pariah'". journallive. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- ^ Young, Peter (4 April 2006). "Tories miss election boat". Evening Chronicle. p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e "Sunderland". The Journal. 5 May 2006. p. 4.
- ^ "Cast your vote early". Evening Chronicle. 11 April 2006. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Lib Dems' grip on city strengthened". Evening Chronicle. 5 May 2006. p. 4.
- ^ a b "All smiles as Labour comes through unscathed". Sunderland Echo. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2010.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Labour keep control of Sunderland". BBC News Online. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ^ "Councillor criticises his own party". The Journal. 10 May 2006. p. 15.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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 |