Date for Stocksbridge and Upper Don by-election in Sheffield is set
A by-election for the Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward in Sheffield will take place on June 26, following the resignation of Councillor Julie Grocutt.
Ms Grocutt, who stepped down from Sheffield City Council a few weeks ago, triggered the by-election after two local government electors from the area formally requested it in writing — the requirement for such a vote to be held.
A former police officer with 33 years of service in South Yorkshire Police, Grocutt began her political career in 2015 on Stocksbridge Town Council. She was elected to Sheffield City Council in 2019 as a Labour representative.
In 2023, she was one of seven councillors who left the Labour Party to form the Sheffield Community Councillors Group after being suspended for defying the party line during a vote on the city’s Local Plan.
Stocksbridge and Upper Don has a diverse political history. In 2021, it gained attention citywide when Lewis Chinchen became Sheffield’s first Conservative councillor — although he has since left the council.
Over the years, the ward has seen shifts in political leanings: the Liberal Democrats had a strong presence in the 2000s, UKIP gained ground between 2014 and 2016, and Labour has traditionally been dominant.
The deadline for candidate nominations is Friday, May 30.