2022 Sutton London Borough Council election

Result of the 2018 borough election

The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.[1]

After its formation, Sutton was under Conservative control until 1986. After a brief period of no overall control, the Liberal Democrats gained a majority on the council and have maintained overall control since. In the most recent council election in 2018, the Liberal Democrats won 33 seats with 38.8% of the vote while the Conservatives won 18 seats with 36.3% of the vote across the borough. The remaining three seats were won by independent candidates.[2] One of the independents was a former Liberal Democrat opposed to plans to build an incinerator.[3]

A Conservative councillor for Belmont ward, Patrick McManus, resigned in September 2018.[4] The by-election in October 2018 was held for the Conservatives by Neil Garratt, a former councillor and deputy leader of the Conservative group who had lost his seat in the May 2018 council election. The Liberal Democrats came second, reducing the Conservative majority compared to May.[5] Joyce Melican, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Wallington North, resigned in February 2019 for health reasons. She had served as a councillor since 2010.[6] The Liberal Democrat candidate Barry Lewis won the seat in the 29 March 2019 by-election with a reduced majority against the Conservatives.[7]

As with most London boroughs, Sutton will be electing its councillors under new boundaries decided by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which it produced after a period of consulation. The number of councillors will rise from 54 to 55 and the commission produced new boundaries following a period of consulation, with fifteen three-member wards and five two-member wards.[8]