Existing Labour councillor to stand for election in outgoing council leader's Sheffield seat

Coun Sophie Wilson is moving from her current Beighton ward to be Labour’s candidate in Park and Arbourthorne in May’s local elections.

Beighton is precarious as Labour lost there last year when long-standing councillor Ian Saunders was ousted by Liberal Democrat Coun Bob McCann.

Coun Wilson said: "I'm proud that Labour Party members in Park and Arbourthorne have put their trust in me to be their council candidate in the upcoming local elections.

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“I understand the issues facing the ward, being brought up on a Darnall council estate and living close to the area all my life.

“Austerity has hit residents in the ward hard and we've seen the consequences of that in the recent rise in violent crime. I will do my best to stand up for residents and do everything in my power to make sure that the area is prioritised and not looked over."

Coun Julie Dore announced last week that she is standing down in May and won’t seek re-election. She says she will remain as Council Leader until then.

Coun Wilson resigned from a Cabinet role last year in protest against her Leader. She was one of five councillors who all quit their Cabinet positions in one weekend.

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She stood as Labour’s Rother Valley candidate in the general election in December but lost to Conservative MP Alexander Stafford.

The Labour councillor in Crookes and Crosspool, Coun Anne Murphy, is also switching seats. She is moving to the safer Labour seat of Manor Castle, which has been vacated by long-standing councillor Pay Midgley.

There’s also a Labour vacancy in neighbouring Walkey as sitting councillor Olivia Blake will stand down to concentrate on her new career as MP for Sheffield Hallam.

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