Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt gives his view after he was ousted
18:38, 08 May 2026Updated 07:42, 09 May 2026
Tom Hunt shaking Andy Davies hand after he lost his seat in Walkley(Image: Andrew Dowdeswell / YorkshireLive)
A leader of a Yorkshire council who lost his seat in the local elections admitted the Labour Party always knew this was going to be a difficult election.
Cllr Tom Hunt, the leader of Sheffield City Council, lost to Green Party candidate Andy Davies in Walkley by 73 votes as the results of a dramatic local election in Sheffield were announced today (Friday, May 8).
An obviously downhearted Mr Hunt spoke to the media afterwards, and admitted that many in the Labour Party knew this local election was a challenge. “We’ve always known that this was going to be a difficult set of elections for the Labour Party in Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, and across the whole country,” he said. “As votes are being counted today, it looks like that has certainly been the case. National parties in government often find that local elections are difficult, and today is no exception.”
It was a dreadful day for Labour, which won just four of the 12 seats they were defending. It leaves the party with just 26 councillors across Sheffield, marginally clear of the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. The big winners were Reform UK, who secured 12 seats and now have 13 councillors.
Mr Hunt said he was concerned about the rise of Reform in Sheffield(Image: Andrew Dowdeswell / YorkshireLive)
Mr Hunt said he was “incredibly disappointed” when he realised he lost, but admitted he was proud of his work as a councillor. He added: “I put myself forward four years ago to represent the community that I live in, because I care about it, and I was frustrated that this city was not fulfilling its potential, that we were getting hammered by the then Tory government, and I wanted to roll up my sleeves and do something about it. And for the last four years, I feel proud that that’s what I’ve done.
“Voters have had their say. They’ve had their democratic right to have their say on my record as a local councillor and on others across the city, and I respect that judgement, but I am very proud of my local track record, and I will continue to serve our city in whatever way I can, because we’re moving forward, and we can’t afford to go back.”
Stay up to date with the latest election results news in Sheffield with the live blog here. Check who has won in your area with the full list of elected councillors here.
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On the rise of Reform, Mr Hunt said he was “concerned” about the party’s increased presence in the political landscape in Sheffield. He said: “Reform do not have the right answers for our communities. Nigel Farage is on record saying he thinks we should move to a US-style insurance system for our NHS. I think that their politics will lead to potentially more division at a time when we need to be coming together. These are not the issues that I think the people of Sheffield are going to be supported by by Reform. I respect the decisions that people have made, and I hope the parties now come together to keep this city moving forward.”
As for what comes next, Mr Hunt said he will take a break after a long and hard campaign, before reassessing his options.
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