Sheffield City Council elections: who is going to replace Peter Price in Shiregreen and Brightside?

Cllr Peter Price – of the Labour Party up until the last couple of months when his whip was suspended due to alleged anti-semitic posts on social media – was the longest-serving councillor in Sheffield City Council with serving more than 50 years in the chamber.

He has decided to step down and now his seat in Shiregreen and Brightside is up for grabs.

The Labour Party (and Co-Operative Party) is sending Mark Rusling to try and replace Cllr Price.

He said: “As a school teacher, I taught hundreds of North Sheffield children. My passion is helping these children start life well. We have wonderful community groups in Shiregreen, Wincobank, Brightside and Grimesthorpe – I have already been working with them.

“I will fight for you and make no promises I can’t keep. Sheffield Labour is under new leadership, with an ambitious plan for our city. In this set of local elections, people have an opportunity to vote for a better, brighter future for our communities.

“I’ll help with the cost of living, doing all I can to put more money in your pocket. I’ll help give every child the best start in life. I’ll work to bring back buses under public control as we have with the tram. I’ll bang the drum for our high streets and green spaces, so everyone can have pride in our area, and support our local businesses.”

The Liberal Democrats will have Rachel Barker to challenge him.

She said: “I am pleased to be one of the 29 Liberal Democrat candidates standing across our city. No matter where anyone lives in Sheffield, they have the opportunity to vote for the team fighting for a fair deal for our city.

“We are the party that is challenging Labour’s leadership in the town hall. After a year of defections and drama, we are now just two councillors behind them. A vote for me is a vote for change in Sheffield.

“We want to shift the focus from the corridors of the Town Hall to the streets of our communities. We want to rebuild our council from the ground up and show that we trust Sheffield by putting people’s voice at the core of the council. I hope that you will support me on May 2.”

The Green Party is sending Joel Gilbert.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “As a cover primary school teacher my main passion and priority is education. I work regularly in schools in this area and know the difference good-quality, supportive and engaging learning environments can have on children’s lives.

“My other priorities include ensuring people have adequate access to local services, such as opticians, dentists and decent public transport, so everybody is able to receive the treatment, care and opportunities we deserve.

“Everyone should be able to feel safe and take pride in our local area, whether this is through reducing anti-social behaviour or improving the street scenes we see every day. As your local councillor, I will work as hard as I can to make sure these priorities are realised in Shiregreen and Brightside.”

Ward members will also be able to cast their vote for Roger Barnsley (Conservative Party), Tracy Booker (Independent) and Patricia Prystupa (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition).