Elections website predicts big losses for Labour on Sheffield City Council
A national election tracker is predicting losses in six wards for Labour in the May 7 Sheffield City Council polls – including for council leader Tom Hunt.
The website www.pollcheck.co.uk has predicted that Labour will go down from 36 to 30 seats, just two above the LibDems on 28.
Labour’s lost seats would mainly be to the Greens, plus one to the LibDems and one to independents. The Greens and Reform UK would each win one LibDem seat.
The Greens would win four new seats and retain six to put their total numbers up to 16 councillors. They are predicted to take Tom Hunt’s seat in Walkley.
Under this scenario, the council would remain under no overall control, which has been the case since May 2021. Currently it is run by a joint administration of Labour, LibDem and Green councillors.
The parties will contest 30 seats in total on May 7. Each of the 28 wards on the council has three seats and one in three come up for election each time.
Vacancies
There are also two casual vacancies as Labour’s Nikki Belfield has stood down in Firth Park and LibDem Ann Woolhouse has decided not to stand again in Beighton.
Poll Check predicts that Labour will retain both Firth Park seats and win in Birley, Richmond, Park & Arbourthorne and Southey wards. They would also win in Manor Castle, where Terry Fox of the Sheffield Community Group of ex-Labour councillors is standing down.
Labour would lose Crookes & Crosspool to the LibDems. The winners would also retain their two seats in Beighton, plus both East and West Ecclesfield, Graves Park, Mosborough, Stannington, Beauchief & Greenhill, Fulwood and Dore & Totley.
The LibDems would have their narrowest victory in West Ecclesfield and their easiest win in Dore & Totley, currently held by group leader Martin Smith.
Labour would have their tightest winning margin in Birley and their biggest success in Firth Park, where deputy leader Fran Belbin is standing.
As well as Walkley, the Greens are predicted to win Nether Edge & Sharrow and Burngreave wards from Labour. They would also take Ecclesall from the LibDems, where ex-group leader Shaffaq Mohammed has stood down as he is now in the House of Lords.
Comfortable
They are predicted to retain their seats in Gleadless Valley, Hillsborough, City and Broomhill & Sharrow Vale.
The Greens are said to have comfortable wins in all their seats with margins rising to more than 46% in both City and Broomhill and Sharrow Vale wards.
Reform UK are predicted to take Woodhouse from the LibDems in what the poll says would be a comfortable win. They would also take Stocksbridge & Upper Don from Labour, where they already have councillor John Booker following a by-election.
It will become clear when nominations are announced tomorrow (April 10) whether Reform UK will face opposition in its fancied seats from far right rivals Restore Britain or Advance UK. There have been well-publicised splits in the city.
Independent
On the left, the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has announced that it is standing in 26 wards as an anti-war, anti-austerity grouping backed by Your Party.
TUSC will stand aside for Community Independent candidates Abdullah Okud in Burngreave and Asif Ahmed in Darnall. Independent Qais Al-Ahdal pulled off a sensational win over Labour in Darnall in 2024.
The poll predicts Labour will lose their Darnall seat to an independent.
Shiregreen & Brightside ward, held by Garry Weatherall for Sheffield Community Group, has been named “too close to call” by Poll Check.