Sheffield City Council
Encyclopedia
Sheffield City Council is the city council
for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield
in South Yorkshire
, England
. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under Labour
control and led by Julie Dore
.
). In 1889 it attained county borough
status and in 1893 city status
. In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972
, reconstituted the City Council as a metropolitan district council of South Yorkshire
, governed also by South Yorkshire County Council. It established a system of 90 councillors, three to each of 30 wards. This was reduced in 1980 with the merger of the Attercliffe and Darnall wards to 87 councillors in 29 wards.
The abolition of metropolitan county councils
in 1986 saw Sheffield City Council effectively regain its county borough status.
In 2004, the wards were completely reorganised, producing 28 new wards and 84 councillors.
See Sheffield local elections
for more detail.
For twenty years from 1846, Isaac Ironside
's Central Democratic Association
was a force on the council. It then returned to typical Conservative
-Liberal
rivalry. Labour made little impact in its early years; by 1918, there were only three Labour councillors (and two Liberal-Labour
, plus one Lib-Lab alderman
). That all changed in 1919; Labour won almost all the seats up for election that year, giving them 12 and their coalition partners the Co-operative Party
two. In response to their losses, the Conservative and Liberal groups merged to form the Citizens Association, retaining control with 32 councillors and 15 aldermen. The Lib-Labs remained unchanged in numbers and politically between the two groups.
Labour continued to advance at the expense of the Citizens Association. By 1922, there were 18 Labour councillors and one alderman; by 1925, 22 councillors and one alderman. At the 1926 elections, Labour rose to 29 councillors. A majority on the council and a large number of retiring aldermen finally enabled them to take 8 positions on the aldermanic bench.
The seats were redistributed into 24 wards in 1930, and the Citizens Association renamed itself the Progressive Party, and a further seat was added for Norton in 1934, taking the total number of positions to 75 councillors and 25 aldermen. That year, Labour briefly lost control, but regained it in 1934, with an increased majority of 12. This rose to 14 the following year. In 1945, Labour had 59 total seats to the Progressive's 39, one independent and one Communist
. Labour continued to build its majority, to 34 in 1952 and 42 by 1958. However, it lost control to the Conservative Party
, again standing on its own, in 1968-9.
The council remained Labour through its reorganisation under the Local Government Act 1972
, from 1973 to 1999, when the Liberal Democrats took control of the council. It shifted to No Overall Control
in 2002, with Labour
taking leadership of the council. They took an absolute majority at the 2003 election, but lost it again in 2007. The Liberal Democrats controlled the council for the following 4 years, with Labour winning it again in 2011.
* Defection of Lib Dem Councillor to Labour in September 2010
Services and employees are organised into 5 'portfolios':
Other functions are performed by partners and contractors of the council:
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
control and led by Julie Dore
Julie Dore
Julie Dore is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Leader of Sheffield City Council since May 2011, on which she represents Arbourthorne.- References :...
.
History
The council was founded as the Corporation of Sheffield in 1843, when Sheffield was incorporated (see History of SheffieldHistory of Sheffield
The history of Sheffield, a city in South Yorkshire, England, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the River Sheaf in the second half of the 1st millennium AD...
). In 1889 it attained county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
status and in 1893 city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
. In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, reconstituted the City Council as a metropolitan district council of South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, governed also by South Yorkshire County Council. It established a system of 90 councillors, three to each of 30 wards. This was reduced in 1980 with the merger of the Attercliffe and Darnall wards to 87 councillors in 29 wards.
The abolition of metropolitan county councils
Local Government Act 1985
The Local Government Act 1985 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Its main effect was to abolish the county councils of the metropolitan counties that had been set up in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, along with the Greater London Council that had been established in 1965.The...
in 1986 saw Sheffield City Council effectively regain its county borough status.
In 2004, the wards were completely reorganised, producing 28 new wards and 84 councillors.
Political control
Elections to Sheffield City Council are by thirds, in three years of every four. 2004 saw new boundaries and therefore all seats were contested.See Sheffield local elections
Sheffield local elections
Sheffield local elections usually take place by thirds, three years out of every four. Each of Sheffield's 28 wards is represented by three positions on the council, meaning there are usually 28 seats contested in each local election...
for more detail.
For twenty years from 1846, Isaac Ironside
Isaac Ironside
Isaac Ironside was a British Chartist and socialist politician.-Early years:Born near Masbrough, Rotherham, Ironside grew up in Sheffield, the son of Samuel Ironside, a Wesleyan lay preacher, and Mary Bradbury...
's Central Democratic Association
Central Democratic Association
The Central Democratic Association, also known as the Democratic Association or the Democrats, was a political party of Chartists which was prominent in Sheffield in the mid-nineteenth century.-Establishment:...
was a force on the council. It then returned to typical Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
-Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
rivalry. Labour made little impact in its early years; by 1918, there were only three Labour councillors (and two Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour (UK)
The Liberal–Labour movement refers to the practice of local Liberal associations accepting and supporting candidates who were financially maintained by trade unions...
, plus one Lib-Lab alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
). That all changed in 1919; Labour won almost all the seats up for election that year, giving them 12 and their coalition partners the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
two. In response to their losses, the Conservative and Liberal groups merged to form the Citizens Association, retaining control with 32 councillors and 15 aldermen. The Lib-Labs remained unchanged in numbers and politically between the two groups.
| Year | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... | Liberal Unionist Liberal Unionist Party The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule... | Lib-Lab Liberal-Labour (UK) The Liberal–Labour movement refers to the practice of local Liberal associations accepting and supporting candidates who were financially maintained by trade unions... | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 34 | 30 | |
| 1882 | 34 | 30 | |
| 1883 | 36 | 28 | |
| 1884 | 34 | 30 | |
| 1885 | 33 | 31 | |
| 1886 | 31 | 29 | 4 |
| 1887 | 30 | 30 | 4 |
| 1888 | 29 | 30 | 5 |
| 1889 | 30 | 30 | 5 |
| 1890 | 29 | 31 | 4 |
| 1891 | 30 | 31 | 3 |
| 1892 | 31 | 30 | 3 |
| 1893 | 36 | 25 | |
| 3 | |||
| 1894 | 37 | 24 | |
| 3 | |||
| 1895 | 39 | 22 | |
| 3 | |||
| 1896 | 38 | 22 | |
| 4 | |||
| 1897 | 36 | 23 | |
| 6 | |||
| 1898 | 32 | 25 | |
| 5 | |||
| 1899 | 34 | 25 | |
| 5 | |||
| 1900 | 35 | 23 | |
| 6 | |||
| 1901 | 29 | 29 | |
| 6 | |||
| 1902 | 32 | 26 | |
| 6 | |||
| 1903 | 32 | 26 | |
| 5 | |||
| 1904 | 34 | 24 | |
| 6 | |||
| 1905 | 30 | 26 | |
| 7 | 1 | ||
| 1906 | 30 | 25 | |
| 6 | 3 | ||
| 1907 | 31 | 24 | |
| 5 | 4 | ||
| 1908 | 35 | 22 | |
| 4 | 3 | ||
| 1909 | 35 | 22 | |
| 4 | 3 | ||
| 1910 | 33 | 23 | |
| 5 | 2 | ||
| 1911 | 29 | 30 | |
| 4 | 1 | ||
| 1912 | 31 | 30 | |
| 3 | |||
| 1913 | 32 | 27 | |
| 3 | 2 | ||
| 1919 | 26 | 22 | |
| 13 | 3 | ||
| 1920 | 24 | 21 | |
| 13 | 6 |
Labour continued to advance at the expense of the Citizens Association. By 1922, there were 18 Labour councillors and one alderman; by 1925, 22 councillors and one alderman. At the 1926 elections, Labour rose to 29 councillors. A majority on the council and a large number of retiring aldermen finally enabled them to take 8 positions on the aldermanic bench.
The seats were redistributed into 24 wards in 1930, and the Citizens Association renamed itself the Progressive Party, and a further seat was added for Norton in 1934, taking the total number of positions to 75 councillors and 25 aldermen. That year, Labour briefly lost control, but regained it in 1934, with an increased majority of 12. This rose to 14 the following year. In 1945, Labour had 59 total seats to the Progressive's 39, one independent and one Communist
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. Labour continued to build its majority, to 34 in 1952 and 42 by 1958. However, it lost control to the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, again standing on its own, in 1968-9.
| Year | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Citizens' Association / Municipal Progressive | Ind. Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Ind. Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... | Ind. Labour Party Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave... | Communist Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:... | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 19 | 38 | 1 | 2 | |
| 8 | |||||
| 1922 | 20 | 40 | |||
| 2 | |||||
| 6 | |||||
| 1923 | 22 | 40 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | |||||
| 1924 | 24 | 38 | 3 | 3 | |
| 1925 | 24 | 39 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1926 | 38 | 25 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1 | |||||
| 1927 | 39 | 24 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1 | |||||
| 1928 | 41 | 23 | ? | ||
| 1 | |||||
| 1929 | 63 | 22 | 9 | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1930 | 57 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1931 | 49 | ? | ? | ? | 1 |
| ? | |||||
| 1932 | 41 | ? | ? | ? | 1 |
| ? | |||||
| 1933 | 50 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1934 | 56 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1935 | 57 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1936 | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1937 | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1938 | 53 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1945 | 59 | 39 | |||
| 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1946 | 63 | 36 | |||
| 1 | |||||
| 1947 | 68 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? | |||||
| 1949 | 64 | ? | ? | ? | |
| ? |
The council remained Labour through its reorganisation under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, from 1973 to 1999, when the Liberal Democrats took control of the council. It shifted to No Overall Control
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
in 2002, with Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
taking leadership of the council. They took an absolute majority at the 2003 election, but lost it again in 2007. The Liberal Democrats controlled the council for the following 4 years, with Labour winning it again in 2011.
| Year | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Liberal Democrats | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Green Green Party of England and Wales The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including... | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 69 | 3 | 18 | ||
| 1975 | 68 | 4 | 18 | ||
| 1976 | 67 | 5 | 18 | ||
| 1978 | 66 | 6 | 18 | ||
| 1979 | 66 | 6 | 18 | ||
| 1980 | 60 | 9 | 18 | ||
| 1982 | 60 | 9 | 18 | ||
| 1983 | 60 | 9 | 18 | ||
| 1984 | 61 | 9 | 17 | ||
| 1986 | 65 | 9 | 13 | ||
| 1987 | 65 | 9 | 13 | ||
| 1988 | 66 | 9 | 12 | ||
| 1990 | 69 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1 | |||||
| 1991 | 70 | 6 | 11 | ||
| 1992 | 69 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1994 | 56 | 22 | 8 | ||
| 1 | |||||
| 1995 | 58 | 25 | 4 | ||
| 1996 | 55 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 1998 | 50 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 1999 | 39 | 47 | 1 | ||
| 2000 | 37 | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2002 | 43 | 42 | 2 | ||
| 2003 | 49 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2004 | 44 | 37 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 44 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | 41 | 39 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | 36 | 45 | |||
| 3 | |||||
| 2010 | 39(40*) | 42(41*) | |||
| 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2011 | 49 | 32 | |||
| 2 | 1 |
Leaders
A list of leaders of Sheffield City Council from 1901.- 1901: William CleggWilliam Clegg-External links:****...
(Liberal) - 1903: Herbert Hughes (Conservative)
- 1905: William CleggWilliam Clegg-External links:****...
(Liberal) - 1907: Herbert Hughes (Conservative)
- 1911: William CleggWilliam Clegg-External links:****...
(Liberal, Citizens from 1920) - 1926: Ernest Rowlinson (Labour)
- 1932: Arthur Blanchard (Municipal Progressive)
- 1933: Ernest Rowlinson (Labour)
- 1941: William Asbury (Labour)
- 1942: Frank Thraves (Labour)
- 1946: J. H. Bingham (Labour)
- 19??: Grace Tebbutt (Labour)
- 1966: Ron Ironmonger (Labour)
- 1968: Harold Hebblethwaite (Conservative)
- 1969: Ron Ironmonger (Labour)
- 1974: George Wilson (Labour)
- 1980: David BlunkettDavid BlunkettDavid Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
(Labour) - 1986: Clive BettsClive BettsClive James Charles Betts is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1992 to 2010, when he became Member of Parliament for Sheffield South East.- Early life :...
(Labour) - 1992: Mike Bower (Labour)
- 1997: Jan WilsonJan WilsonJan Wilson CBE was a Labour councillor in Sheffield and formerly the leader of Sheffield City Council. She became leader of the opposition in 2008 when the Liberal Democrats took control of the Council....
(Labour) - 1999: Peter Moore (Lib Dem)
- 2002: Jan WilsonJan WilsonJan Wilson CBE was a Labour councillor in Sheffield and formerly the leader of Sheffield City Council. She became leader of the opposition in 2008 when the Liberal Democrats took control of the Council....
(Labour) - 2008: Paul Scriven (Lib Dem)
- 2011: Julie DoreJulie DoreJulie Dore is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Leader of Sheffield City Council since May 2011, on which she represents Arbourthorne.- References :...
(Labour)
Council as service provider and employer
Sheffield City Council provides approximately 550 services to its citizens. It is also a major employer in the city, with more than 18,000 employees, including all state school staff in its role as Local Education Authority (LEA).Services and employees are organised into 5 'portfolios':
- Deputy Chief Executive's Portfolio - responsible for legal and governance, public health, communications, policy and performance
- Resources Portfolio - responsible for corporate resources and organisational development
- Children, Young People and Families's Portfolio - equivalent to an LEA and responsible for early years, primary, secondary and special schools, children and families' social care, looked-after children and youth offending
- Place Portfolio - responsible for planning, housing, environmental regulation, parks and countryside, street maintenance and cleanliness, and cultural activities
- Communities Portfolio - responsible for libraries, local governance, community safety and adult social services, including physical disability, learning disability and older people
Other functions are performed by partners and contractors of the council:
- Sheffield Homes manages the social housing stock
- Kier Sheffield maintains and repairs the social housing stock
- Veolia manages household waste disposal
- Capita provides HR, payroll and IT services for council employees