Dear readers – welcome to your Monday briefing. In today’s edition, we examine the success of Reform in areas with particularly high voter turnout, pass on gossip from local Labour activists about who’s in the running to be the new leader, and provide you with a lovely calendar of social events to attend.
Speaking of events, this week, The Tribune turns five years old, which means it is now legally compulsory for us to be attending school.
We’ll be celebrating with a birthday party in Leah’s Yard next Thursday 21 May and we’d love you to come along – there’ll be drinks, conversation and gossip about some of the biggest stories we’ve worked on. Tickets are £7, but move fast, as they won’t be around for long.
Leading jewellers and silversmiths showcase their work in the Steel City
This June, Goldsmiths North returns to the majestic Cutlers Hall for their annual show. Goldsmiths North welcomes attendees to meet the jewellers and silversmiths, learn about their processes and buy directly from them. With over 50 of the finest independent makers from across the UK and Europe showcasing their work, there is something for every taste and price point.
If you want to see the next stage in Sheffield’s long history of metalworking, come along to meet the makers breathing new life and creativity into the city’s key historical industry. To purchase your tickets, click below.
In case you missed it
For our weekend read, Dan headed down on Friday morning to the local election count, where he had a front row seat for Labour’s worst performance in living memory. As one Labour supporter put it: “We knew it would be bad, but this is the bad end of bad.” You can read that piece here.
On Tuesday, Dan tried his hand at some nature reporting, after spending last week on the hunt for a new form of local wildlife, most often seen in your nearest sunny pub garden: the Steel City skiver. “Thanks for such an upbeat story,” wrote Martin Taylor. “Lovely to see folk enjoying life and helping keep pubs in business.” On Thursday, Tribune contributor Daniel Dylan Wray wrote a piece about his new book: Groovy, Laidback and Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield. “Just reading this I can smell that semi-outdoor dance pit at The Cremorne circa 2007,” wrote Rachael Gore.
The big picture: Pride of Yorkshire 🦁
All 150 lions from The Children’s Hospital Charity’s forthcoming Pride of Yorkshire sculpture trail were seen together for the first time at Sheffield Arena last week. The lions, which have all been decorated by local artists, will go on display around the county from 8 June. For lots more photos from the night, see the Steel City Snapper's Instagram page. For more details about the trail, see this BBC piece.
The big story: ‘The voters of Sheffield have told us to get lost’
Top line: After the turbulence of last week’s elections, many local councillors admit they’re feeling exhausted. Unfortunately, it’s far from a restful week for any of them.
Recap: After last week’s high drama, Labour remains the city’s largest party with 25 councillors to the Lib Dems’ 22. (Before the election, Labour had 34, and the Lib Dems 27.) The Greens are close behind with 20 seats, an increase from 14. And Reform has surged to 13 seats, from just one previously.
What happens now? Sheffield city council operates on a “committee system” – instead of a small group of senior councillors making the most important decisions in the city, power is more widely shared across the city’s main political parties. But within that broad framework, there’s still a lot of scope for parties to make alliances and cut deals over the city’s future. The parties have until Thursday 21 May to inform senior council officers of the working arrangement they’ve agreed on. The smart money is on another instalment of the Lab-Lib-Green pact being agreed upon in the corridors of power. But it’s not certain.
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