This site holds publicly available information about the councillors on Sheffield City Council, and responses to surveys sent to them when the stood for election. Each year, in the run up to a Local Election, we update the website with the candidates standing and their survey responses.

We’re a group of Sheffielders who wanted to know more about who we could vote for as our local councillors, tried Googling, and realised there was nowhere that pulled information about the candidates’ positions, policies, parties, priorities and ideas together for Sheffield. We wanted to make it possible to compare candidates in the Sheffield Local Elections. The project is volunteer-run and entirely non-party political.

Any improvement which strengthens the representation of citizens and tackles inequalities is a good thing. We believe information is important for increasing voter engagement, critical thinking and meaningful interaction with our democratic system.

It provides voters with the opportunity to understand who and what they are voting for, and compare their options. 

It offers candidates an opportunity to clarify your beliefs and communicate these to voters.

It enables campaigners to connect with people who can help and support their ideas.

The Questions

The questions asked of candidates in the Sheffield Local Election were developed to present their ideas and positions on topics relevant to Sheffield in the coming years. We’ve tried to pinpoint key debates in national policy which matter to voters, and to identify the upcoming decisions to be made by Sheffield City Council.

In future, we hope this site will enable citizens of Sheffield to raise questions and issues important to them, for inclusion in the surveys of councillors and candidates.

None of the questions have been suggested by political parties, and are not intended to represent any party’s position.

Who we are

Nigel Slack

Nigel is on the Steering Group of Sheffield For Democracy, and has worked with the Electoral Reform Society and associated Universities on the Citizens Assembly on Devolution. He has given evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees on local political powers and voter engagement, and is a Tutor on politics for the WEA. Recently he has been part of delivering the ‘Big City Conversation’ for SCC and contributing to the Transition development for the new committee structure.

Eleanor Holmshaw

Eleanor is studying Human Geography at the University of Sheffield following working for Opus Independents, The Poetry Business and And Other Stories. In her spare time she co-ordinates the Common Thread Clothes Exchange.

Matt Hill

Matt co-ordinates Union St in Sheffield city centre, working to build an accessible space where individuals and groups from a wide range of backgrounds can meet, work and collaborate.