• Labour gain 'first ever' Bitterne Park seat
  
• Labour hold in Portswood
• Lib Dems win city seat

Labour has regained control of Southampton City Council in Thursday’s (May 5) local elections after a year of Conservative control, with local Tony Bunday, pictured, gaining a seat for the party in Bitterne Park, and Lisa Mitchell fending off the Greens to hold her Labour seat in Portswood.

 ▶ Bunday ‘first ever’ Labour councillor for Bitterne Park

 

The full make-up of the council is now:
Labour 26
Conservative 21
Liberal Democrats 1.

Seventeen out of 48 seats were up for election, one in each of the city’s 16 wards, together with an additional seat in Shirley ward.

Tony Bunday secured a 255 majority in Bitterne Park for Labour, beating Rob Harwood, who was defending for the Conservatives.

There was a 38% turnout.

Labour has taken control of Southampton City Council.

The party now has 26 seats. The Conservative Party previously had a majority and now has 21 seats. The Liberal Democrats gained one seat.

Read more: https://t.co/nXpijLXxfD pic.twitter.com/Ubq3x2xokK

— ITV News Meridian (@itvmeridian) May 6, 2022

Harwood had held the seat, previously occupied by fellow Tory John Inglis, since 2018 - and Conservatives appear to have won at each council election in the ward since 2002, when the Liberal Democrats were still winning here.

▶ Bunday ‘first ever’ Labour councillor for Bitterne Park

Congratulations to @bitternepark newly-elected @sotonitchenlab councillor, Tony Bunday, and also to members who’ve worked constantly for months. ????

— Wyn Jeffery (@wyn_jeffery) May 6, 2022

In Portswood, Lisa Mitchell, pictured, fended off Green candidate Katherine Barbour, retaining her seat with a 314 majority.

No Lib Dem candidate was standing in Portswood, with the party urging supporters to vote Green instead. Likewise Greens stood down in Bassett ward in favour of the Lib Dem candidate – where the strategy appears to have worked, electing Richard Blackman as the only Lib Dem on the council. It's reportedly their first council seat for 11 years.

Full results in Bitterne Park and Portswood wards were:

Bitterne Park
BUNDAY, Anthony Wyatt, Labour and Co-operative Party, 1828 - Elected
FILEMAN, Vanessa Antonia, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 61
HARWOOD, Robert Craig, Local Conservatives, 1573
MAKRAKIS, Helen Mary, Green Party, 394

Electorate: 10259
Turnout: 37.79%

Portswood
BARBOUR, Katherine Jane, Green Party, 1435
CHENG, Wai Kee, Local Conservatives, 456
MITCHELL, Lisa, Labour Party, 1749 - Elected
TWINE, Derek Anthony, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 47

Electorate: 9364
Turnout: 39.56%

Great to see @LisaNaomi held her seat in Portswood. The people who voted Green there can be reassured, now we have a council who can deliver a greener city.

— Southampton Test CLP (@SotonTestCLP) May 6, 2022

Results for all city wards are available from the council [pdf]

Updated at various points with additional information and material