Lib Dems set out vision for Sunderland after 'excellent' election night

At the latest round of local elections on Thursday, May 4, a total of 24 seats were contested, with the Labour Party being the biggest winner of the night after gaining three seats.

Following the election of Malcolm Bond in Fulwell last year, Liberal Democrats were successful again taking a second seat from the Conservatives in the ward.

The Liberal Democrat gain saw Peter Walton elected with 1,879 votes, an 843-vote majority over Conservative candidate David Sinclair.

It means the Liberal Democrat Group is the largest it has ever been on the council, holding 15 of the 75 seats, as well as becoming the council’s official ‘majority party in opposition’.

Cllr Niall Hodson, Liberal Democrat Group leader, said this was “excellent news”, adding the results show Sunderland is a “Labour-Lib Dem contest”.

In areas like Fulwell, Cllr Hodson said consistent work in communities had allowed the Lib Dems to have a “distinctive campaigning voice” on issues such as transport and sewage discharges to sea.

Cllr Hodson added: “Things that people can associate with the Lib Dems are things that we’re making a noise about and have been doing over months and years outside of election time.

“With Malcolm and Peter you have got people who have been figureheads in local campaigns, sticking up for local issues and local people, and it’s evidently recognised”.

Fulwell’s new Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Walton said he was “very pleased” with the result and credited local campaigners and Lib Dem councillors as a reason for his election.

Cllr Walton said: “It’s a team with Malcolm Bond and clearly he got elected last May and the voters have seen a Lib Dem councillor in action and have seen how hardworking he has been and it’s a major part of me getting elected.

“The second part of it is having a Lib Dem cohort of experienced councillors, members and supporters who have worked very very hard as well and they’re just as equally important in me getting elected in Fulwell.”

Liberal Democrats pledged to remain a “strong opposition voice” on the council and to continue raising the profile of national issues, such as sewage discharges to sea, on areas like Fulwell.

Cllr Walton added it was important that development along the seafront was managed in a way that “takes residents along” and that “residents’ needs are met” around local issues such as parking.

Cllr Walton continued: “I think that [with the Liberal Democrats] there’s that regular contact.

“People feel that if you have a problem, that has been demonstrated by Cllr Bond, that he will respond and do his best to sort out the day-to-day problems that residents have.

“Whether that’s to do with dog fouling, resurfacing of roads, uneven pavements. These are the sort of things that are important to people.

“These are the sort of things that Lib Dems have spent time trying to address”.

As well as making a gain in Fulwell, Liberal Democrat councillors held control of seats in Millfield, Pallion, Sandhill and Doxford.

Councillor Martin Haswell, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, held his Pallion seat with 1,659 votes, a 944-vote majority over Labour candidate and former Labour councillor, Karen Noble.

Councillor Stephen O'Brien, one of the first Lib Dem councillors elected to the current Liberal Democrat Group back in 2017, defended his Sandhill seat to serve for another term.

Cllr O’Brien won in the ward with 1,457 votes, with a 900-vote majority over Labour’s Keith Lakeman.

Sunderland City Council’s overall make-up is now 45 Labour councillors, 15 Liberal Democrats, 13 Conservatives and one Reform UK.

There also remains one vacancy in the Hendon ward due to the death of a candidate ahead of the election, which will be contested later this year.