With the local elections just around the corner, we take a look at the battleground wards where candidates will be fighting hard to win seats.
The local elections will be taking place tomorrow (Thursday, May 2) at polling stations across the borough. Labour have held Kirklees Council since 2018 after years of no overall control. Going into this year’s elections, Labour have a slim majority holding 35 of all 69 seats.
Despite consolidating their grip on the council after last year’s elections, the Labour Party faced a wave of defections last year when a number of councillors broke away from the party over differing stances on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Last year, some seats were decided by just a handful of voters. Batley East was the closest call, with 14 votes deciding the Labour victory. Some other wards separated by very narrow scrapes were Denby Dale, won by a five percent margin, Golcar and Holme Valley North, both won by four percent, and Holme Valley South and Mirfield being separated by just three percent.
In what could be a very interesting year for Kirklees’ political landscape, here are where some of the key battles for control of the council will take place.
Almondbury
Almondbury’s Conservative councillor Bernard McGuin has decided to step down at this election, leaving the community open to a new challenger. McGuin has been very vocal about issues in his ward, such as the closure of the Tolson Museum and care homes in the area, meaning there will be a big pair of boots to fill in Almondbury.
Aside from McGuin, the two other Almondbury seats are held by Lib Dems Cllr Alison Munro and Cllr Paola Davies.
Batley East
Batley East has seen a turbulent 12 months, with a by-election being won by Ebrahim Dockrat last August after former councillor Fazila Loonat was jailed. Cllr Dockrat was swiftly suspended by the Labour Party amid alleged anti-Semitism claims before he moved to the Kirklees Community Independents group.
Last year’s election saw a nail-biting finale for the Batley East ward in which several recounts proved that a mere 14 votes separated Labour and the Conservatives, with Labour’s Habiban Zaman clinching victory.
Denby Dale
This ward has changed hands frequently in recent years. Last year, just five percent of the vote separated the victorious Labour from the second-place Conservatives. This year, candidates will be looking to challenge the Conservatives’ Cllr Tim Bamford.
Dewsbury West
In Dewsbury West, Tanisha Bramwell is mounting a challenge to Labour’s Cllr Mussarat Pervaiz. Bramwell has been a leading organiser in the protests against the waves of council cuts over the last 12 months. Dewsbury West is also the ward of Ammar Anwar, who began the wave of defections from the Labour party in January, which may have influenced voters in this corner of Kirklees.
Holme Valley North
Local independent councillor Charles Greaves will be looking to keep hold of his seat in the face of a growing Conservative presence. The Holme Valley has previously been a stronghold of independents, but last year’s vote resulted in a Conservative victory despite a very strong showing from independent Richard Noon. Labour also held onto 29 percent of the vote that year.
Lindley
Adam Gregg (Conservative) is another councillor stepping down this time around. The councillor is due to stand in the next general election, hoping to become the MP for Spen Valley. Robert McGuinn is standing as Gregg’s successor, facing stiff competition in a ward that has a strong Liberal Democrat presence. Current Mayor Cahal Burke and fellow Lib Dem Anthony Smith hold the other two seats in the ward.
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