Whatever political colours they wear, anyone who stands to be a councillor takes a huge leap of faith, putting themselves in the hands of the electorate to be judged. We make no assumptions and take no seat for granted.
We are grateful to everyone who put their faith in Labour last night. We will continue to repay that trust and work hard for you and your ward, and also in the areas where we have no Labour representatives as we strive to make Sunderland an even greater place to live, work and play.
Labour has suffered some difficult defeats in wards we have long served. We have lost some hardworking councillors, and we have seen some really strong Labour candidates fail to get over the line and be returned as members.
We take the results of this election on board as a party. We will prove to residents that we are listening to their priorities, delivering on their agenda and making a genuinely positive difference to Sunderland.