Sheffield Local Elections 2022: The key seats to keep an eye on

Labour Council Leader Bob Johnson lost his seat in a shock win by the Green Party and in some wards there were just a handful of votes between the candidates.

New Labour Council Leader Terry Fox joined in coalition with the Greens and a co-operative has led the council since.

Here, we look at the key seats to keep an eye on during this year’s local elections.

Beauchief & Greenhill

Once a Lib Dem stronghold, the party managed to retain this seat last year with just 37 votes.

The Lib Dems will be hoping for a more secure victory this year with long standing councillor Simon Clement-Jones, who is seeking re-election.

He’ll be challenged by Lisa Banes (Labour), Elizabeth Finney (Conservatives) and Graham Marsden (Greens).

Beighton

Another slim majority was Beighton, where the Lib Dems won by 42 votes.

Labour stalwart Chris Rosling-Josephs is standing down this year and new candidate Julie Gledhill will be hoping she can keep the seat for Labour.

Also standing are Kurtis Crossland (Lib Dems), Anthony Naylor (Greens) and Robert Prior (Conservatives).

East Ecclesfield

This was the slimmest majority in the city in 2021. Lib Dem Alan Woodcock won the seat by just 20 votes, snatching it from Labour.

This year it will be too close to call. Candidates are Adam Allcroft (Conservatives), Craig Gamble-Pugh (Labour), Kate Guest (Lib Dems) and Ashley Routh (Greens).

Sitting Labour councillor Moya O’Rourke is standing down.

Firth Park

Labour had a comfortable win in the local elections when long standing councillor Alan Law held the seat with a 1,086 majority.

But just a couple of months later, Coun Law had to stand down due to ill health, prompting a by-election.

This time, Labour’s majority was just 41 over the Lib Dems. By-elections are often a blip with low turnouts but it will be interesting to watch.

The candidates are Irshad Akbar (Lib Dems), Joydu Al-Mahfuz (Greens), Alexander Brown (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), sitting councillor Abtisam Mohamed (Labour), Steve Toone (Conservatives) and April Worrall (Social Democratic Party).

Hillsborough

It was the shock result of 2021 when Labour Council Leader Bob Johnson was ousted by the Greens.

The Greens will be hoping to capitalise on that win as their candidate Henry Nottage goes head to head with sitting Labour councillor Josie Paszek.

Other candidates standing are Joe Hibbert (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), Theresa Morrison (Conservatives) and Will Sapwell (Lib Dems).

Stannington

The Lib Dems were always assured of a majority which would comfortably top 1,200 but that changed last year when they held the seat by just 163 votes.

That slim win has put the spotlight on sitting Lib Dem councillor Vickie Priestley.

The other candidates are Bridget Kelly (Labour), Ian McHugh (Greens), Stuart Shepherd (Independent), Michael Virgo (UKIP) and Ben Woollard (Conservatives).

Stocksbridge and Upper Don

Council seats have swung from Lib Dem to UKIP to Labour in the past decade.

Conservative councillor Lewis Chinchen won by a comfortable majority of 497 last year and his father David will be hoping for another win as the Tory candidate this year.

Sitting Labour councillor Fran Johnson is standing down. The candidates are Susan Davidson (Lib Dems), Janet Ridler (Labour) and David Willington (Greens).