Labour fearful of losing Sheffield Council in May, as party braces itself for 'one of worst' local election results in recent history

A leaked document from the national Labour Party says it should brace itself for ‘one of its worst’ local election results in recent history - and Sheffield is among the councils which could fall.
Labour Party candidates from the 2019 local election campaignLabour Party candidates from the 2019 local election campaign
Labour Party candidates from the 2019 local election campaign

An internal party document says in a ‘worst-case scenario’, Labour risks losing 315 seats nationally and control of historic strongholds such as Sheffield.

Although Sheffield is seen by the national party as a ‘bastion’ Labour’s control of the city has been broken before now.

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The Lib Dems won the council in 1999 before it shifted back to Labour in 2002. The Lib Dems then seized it again from 2008 until 2011.

The document says the party is facing ‘one of our worst local election performances in recent history’ in England and should brace itself for the loss of ‘hard working councillors’ across the country.

It looks at three different scenarios, based on varying polling methods and takes into account Labour's general election performance.

In every scenario, Labour would lose control of Plymouth, Harlow in Essex, Amber Valley in Derbyshire and West Lancashire.

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In two scenarios Southampton would be lost and in the “worst-case scenario’, Sheffield would also fall.

Council Leader Julie Dore has already announced she will stand down as a councillor in May’s local elections. But she will remain as Leader until then and take her party into the election campaign.

Labour currently holds 49 seats on Sheffield Council - it needs 43 for a majority - and it is well aware of the task ahead.

Last year, Labour held Walkley by just 41 votes but lost long-standing wards Mosborough and Beighton to the Lib Dems.

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It also has the Green Party snapping at its heels as they took Nether Edge and Sharrow, and Gleadless. And there are wards such as West Ecclesfield, East Ecclesfield and Stocksbridge which can be very variable.

A national Labour Party spokesperson said: "We recognise the scale of the challenge we face on May 7 and we will be fighting for every vote in the local elections."