Gains for Lib Dems and Greens: Local election sees losses for Labour

The Green Party and the Liberal Democrats have emerged as the biggest winners from Thursday's local elections in Sheffield.

The ruling Labour group have had their majority cut from 52 to 49.

The Liberal Democrats have gained 4 seats, taking their total to 26. The Green Party have gained 2 seats, increasing their total to 8. UKIP have lost 2 seats to Labour, leaving them with just 1 councillor.

The Greens have gained a Nether Edge & Sharrow seat from incumbent Labour councillor Mohammad Maroof, who attracted criticism in December when he accidentally sent pornography to women campaigning about knife crime on a WhatsApp group.

I don't really know that much about Maroof other than that he's incapable of using WhatsApp

The winning Green candidate in Nether Edge & Sharrow, Peter Garbutt, has faced criticism for a series of tweets which have been widely condemned by Sheffield's LGBT community as transphobic.

"I have yet to read any science that convinces me that trans women don't have an advantage over women in sport," he tweeted in March.

"I didn't feel that I could vote for someone TERFish like Peter Garbutt, and the Labour council's handling of tree protests has been terrible," one Nether Edge voter who spoiled their ballot told Now Then.

"I don't really know that much about Maroof other than that he's incapable of using WhatsApp."

TERF stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

It is obvious that the people of Sheffield are not happy with Labour

Only a third of the council chamber's seats were up for re-election, meaning that a change in control was extremely unlikely.

The Greens have retained a seat in Broomhill & Sharrow Vale, with Angela Argenzio taking over from outgoing Lord Mayor Magid Magid.

Magid and Nether Edge councillor Alison Teal are the Green Party's lead candidates in European elections, currently due to take place on 23 May.

Lib Dem councillor Mohammed Mahroof tweeted: "It is obvious that the people of Sheffield are not happy with Labour."

Sam Gregory