Tom Hunt is up for reelection in Walkley
04:00, 27 Apr 2026
Cllr Tom Hunt is the leader of Sheffield City Council
Parking, public transport, crime and flag wars which have mired a Sheffield suburb are among the biggest issues locals are thinking about as they prepare to head to the polls.
The incumbent leader of the council – who represents Walkley – is among the the candidates plying for people’s vote as they head to the polls on May 7. Sheffield City Council leader Tom Hunt is up for reelection as the councillor for the always hotly contested Walkley.
Walkley has been a battle between the Green Party and Labour in recent elections. While the last two elections have been won by more than 1,000 votes in Labour’s favour, the ward is regularly won by just a handful of votes by one of the city’s two main left-wing parties, including when Cllr Hunt was elected in 2022 by fewer than 100 votes.
It is a varied, tightly packed suburb, and there are many issues on which the political parties must convince local residents.
Sian Life, who moved to Walkley a year ago and says she loves the area, believes the primary concerns of voters are “the normal things people care about”. The cost of living, road safety, anti-social behaviour, and public transport. From speaking with candidates, campaigners and residents, these are the touchpoints that keep on reappearing in conversation.
Robert Coulson, 78, said he wants to see a crossing on Walkley Road as people dangerously come onto and off the road “very fast”. “There are a lot of people travelling who are not keeping to the limits,” he added.
Another prominent issue is the environment, one Labour campaigner who has lived in the area for 20 years says. “The environment is another big issue,” Alice said. “There is a belief that Labour doesn’t do anything for it, so people join the Greens, but that’s not true.”
The ward itself is hugely diverse and varied. Further up the hill, there are tight terraces filled with academics, young families and likely Green and Labour-voting liberal individuals. In Upperthorpe and Netherthorpe, there is a larger Asian community, more deprivation and a greater focus on crime.
Andy Davies, the Green Party candidate, is keen to focus on these problems. “There is poverty in places and high levels of immigration, which massively changes how people think and feel and what their priorities are,” he said. “There is low voter turnout among the poorer areas. These are the people who most need our attention.”
Upperthorpe has seen a spate of gun and gang-related incidents in recent months, and Andy says there is a growing awareness of such crime. “One of my key priorities is tackling crime and anti-social behaviour,” he said. “What we need to do is drag people out of poverty, give them a sense of belonging and provide them with a community to belong to.”
One issue everyone seems united on is the flags. Walkley was at the heart of Sheffield’s flag wars for several weeks last year as a group of people erected St George and Union Jack flags on lampposts on South Street and the surrounding roads. Roger called the police on the right-wing protestors after someone reported being racially abused.
“I would call the police again, now I know that they shouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s a gross offence to a lot of people who live in Walkley. They claim they had local support, but I never recognised one of the faces.
“They claimed to have 20 locals asking them to come, but I could find at least 200 locals who would be against them being here quite easily. If you believe in democracy as you claim to, you should take the message and act accordingly.”
“It doesn’t represent the ward,” Cllr Hunt said as he strongly rebutted their presence. “There is massive opposition to Reform in Walkley,” Andy added.
Cllr Hunt, who was named council leader in May 2023 when he succeeded Terry Fox as the leader of the Sheffield Labour Party, says people want a hard-working councillor who understands the needs of the community. He points to his work in helping to bring in publicly owned buses and trams, investment into the Zest Centre, and building homes at nearby Furnace Hill as examples of what he has done for Walkley.
When the question of losing his seat is put to Cllr Hunt by Yorkshire Live, he says he believes in the work he has done as a local councillor. “I think people will look at my track record and see that I have a history of getting things done for Walkley,” he said. “A lot of this has been as a result of working with our local MP and the Labour government.”
Cllr Hunt has lived in Walkley for 20 years. His passion for the area is clear, and even his critics admit he is a hard-working local councillor. “This is my home. I put myself forward because I live in the ward. I love it and I want to help do what I can to make it a better place,” he said. “I am proud of my track record as a local councillor.”
Nevertheless, there are key issues in Walkley amid a national picture that increasingly discredits Labour, putting him in an unstable position.
Andy says people on the doorstep are leaning towards the Greens, something that was seen in the Gorton and Denton byelection earlier this year. “We have had a lot of people leaning towards us and away from Labour, and a lot of that is sending a message that, especially the national party but also the local Labour party, just isn’t what they want representing them,” he said.
On the prospect of unseating Cllr Hunt, Andy was hopeful, if not complacent. “There have been very close elections in the past, and when you look at the national picture, Labour are so unpopular and the Greens are on a massive surge, so I certainly don’t want to get my hopes up, but it is a realistic possibility that I have to be prepared for,” he said.
A spokesperson for Sheffield Conservatives said: “Walkley is a vibrant and independent-minded community, and the issues residents raise most often are very practical ones: the condition of roads and pavements, cleaner and safer streets, protecting local services, sensible planning decisions, and helping people with the rising cost of living. Residents want a council focused on delivering basics properly.
“On the so-called ‘flag wars’, our view is that most people in Walkley are far more interested in strong communities than divisive political gestures. Walkley has a proud tradition of tolerance and civic spirit, and local politics should be about bringing people together, not fuelling unnecessary division.
“At this election, we are standing for practical local improvements — better-maintained streets and public spaces, support for local businesses, stronger community safety, and more accountable local government that listens to residents and spends money wisely. Our focus is on competent representation and improving day-to-day life for people in Walkley.”
A spokesperson for a group of Sheffield independents aligned with Restore Britain said the flags were placed in position as part of a city-wide celebration for Remembrance Day. “We recently visited Walkley for our campaigning and received a great reception from the majority of its residents,” they added.
Harry Crawley is their representative in Walkley. The group’s policies include removing the clean air zone, protecting the city’s green belt, and improving the standard of Sheffield’s roads, particularly the tramtrack beds.
How the Walkley election unfolds in May remains to be seen. But it is sure to be a tight-run race between Labour and the Greens. Could it lead to a historic unseating of the council leader? Only time will tell.
Here is a list of all the candidates for the Walkley ward:
- Harry Crawley – Independent
- Andy Davies, Green Party
- Isabelle Amy France, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
- Michael Lawrence Ginn, The Conservative Party
- Kim Vivien Hanson, Reform UK
- Tom Hunt, Labour Party
- Alex Purvis, Liberal Democrats
Yorkshire Live contacted the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats but has not received a response by the time of publication.
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