Greens strengthen presence in Sheffield, but so does Reform

The Green Party has gained six councillors in Sheffield, while Reform has gained 12. Labour, on the other hand, has lost its council leader. And because Labour and the Liberal Democrats have lost 13 and five councillors respectively, it very much looks like the busy electoral field has benefited Reform.

A recount confirmed that Green candidate Andrew Davies had beaten Sheffield Labour leader Tom Hunt in Walkley by 73 votes. The Sheffield Star called this:

one of the biggest upsets in the local elections so far.

The Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley, Louise Haigh, called the results “absolutely devastating“. In the past, Haigh has received tens of thousands of pounds in support from controversial right-wing group Labour Together.

‘Big majorities’ for Green Party — a message to Labour — a warning about Reform

Sheffield City Council will remain under no overall control, because 43 seats are necessary for an overall majority. Labour now has 25, the Lib Dems 22, and the Greens 20.

Greens dominated with big majorities in wards like Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, Hillsborough, City, Manor Castle, Gleadless Valley, Nether Edge and Sharrow, Ecclesall. And they came a very close second to the Liberal Democrats in Fulwood.

In some areas, however, parties to the left of Reform that truly want to defeat it will need to discuss how to mount a real challenge to it going forwards, and how to stop it gaining more seats.

Why? Because there were some places (like West Ecclesfield, Stannington, and Beauchief and Greenhill) where Reform came a very close second. And there were other places (like Southey, Shiregreen and Brightside, Richmond, Birley) where Reform dominated.

Like many former industrial giants in the north of England, Sheffield has suffered with the deep economic scars of industrial decline in recent decades. And in 2017, a report showed the city was a national leader in low pay. As Now Then reported:

This state of affairs has been attributed by a subsequent academic study to “a combination of deindustrialisation, financialisation and austerity”.

With this in mind, people in Sheffield are rightfully clamouring for change. But as this election has shown, the type of change people are opting for can be very different.

Featured image via SheffieldGreens