Voters in Kirklees go to the polls on Thursday May 2 with 108 candidates contesting 23 seats across the district.

Earlier this year, the ruling Labour group was hit by four resignations and a new group, Kirklees Community Independents, was formed which cut Labour’s overall majority to just one.

The current make-up of the council is: Labour (35 seats), Conservative (18), Liberal Democrat (eight), Kirklees Community Independents Group (four), Green Party (three) and there’s one other Independent.

Councillors Jo Lawson and Imran Safdar (both Crosland Moor and Netherton) and Ammar Anwar (Dewsbury West) and Ebrahim Dockrat (Batley East) quit Labour in protest at the national party’s stance on Gaza and amid allegations about the Labour leadership on Kirklees Council.

Clr Dockrat is stepping down and not seeking re-election while the Kirklees Community Independents Group is supporting independent candidate Tanisha Bramwell in Dewsbury West. Ms Bramwell runs a Dewsbury-based food bank and has stood for election before.

The group says it decided against fielding a candidate in Netherton and Crosland Moor so as not to split the “anti-Labour” vote. The group is also supporting other independent candidates in North Kirklees.

As well as Clr Dockrat another six councillors are not seeking re-election this year. They are: Clr Bernard McGuin (Con, Almondbury); Clr Naheed Mather (Lab, Dalton); Clr Elizabeth Reynolds (Lab, Golcar); Clr Donald Firth (Con, Holme Valley South); Clr Adam Gregg (Con, Lindley); and Clr Melanie Stephen (Con, Liversedge and Gomersal). Clr Firth has served on the council for over 30 years.

Of the 23 seats up for election this year, Labour hold 11, Conservative 8, Liberal Democrats 1, Kirklees Community Independents Group 1, Independent 1 and Green 1.

To vote in May’s local elections, you need to be registered to vote. The deadline to apply is midnight on Tuesday April 16 2024. For more information see Kirklees Council’s website.

Voters across the country will need to show photographic ID when voting at polling stations. Kirklees residents are being urged to make sure they are ready to vote on Thursday May 2 by checking they have an accepted form of ID.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Information, including the full list of accepted ID, along with more information about the new requirement and details of how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate can be found on the council’s website. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on April 24 2024.

If voters don’t want to or can’t visit a Polling Station to vote this year, they can apply to vote by post www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. The deadline to submit a completed application form to vote by post is 5pm on Wednesday April 17 2024.

Voters can apply for somebody to vote on their behalf, also known as a proxy vote – www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote. The deadline to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Wednesday April 24 2024.

New rules for 2024 mean that postal votes will be rejected if not returned correctly. It is important to post postal votes back as soon as possible to ensure it is delivered in time.

The easiest way to return postal votes is by posting it in a Royal Mail post box using the pre-paid envelope provided.

If voters have missed the post, they can still hand their vote in at a polling station, or at High Street Buildings, 3-5 Albion Street, Huddersfield, before 10pm on polling day but they will be required to complete a form.

Voters can also hand deliver their own and no more than five other postal votes per election. Campaigners can only hand in their own postal vote, and those of close relatives or people for whom they provide regular care.

For all details around postal votes visit www.kirklees.gov.uk/postalvoting.

The election count will be taking place on Friday May 3 and all the results are expected to be in by 3pm.

Steve Mawson, the council’s chief executive and election returning officer, said: “We are well prepared to deliver the elections on May 2 and we are urging residents to be prepared for the elections and apply early for a voter certificate if needed.

“We want to make sure that everyone who is eligible and wants to vote can do so. Ensure that you’re registered to vote and if not apply as soon as possible so you don’t miss the deadline. 

“We’ll continue to update voters as we approach polling day and we encourage everyone to use their right to vote.” 

Here’s a full list of candidates. Candidates in bold denotes defending party.

Almondbury

IBOR, Collins Eni – Conservative Party

LONGSTAFF, David Alan – Liberal Democrats

TAYLOR, Peter Harvey – Green Party

Ashbrow

GREEN, Daniel James – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

HOMEWOOD, James Richard – Labour Party

RIDGWAY, David – Liberal Democrats

ROBERTS, Ian Andrew – Conservative Party

SMITHSON, Brenda – Green Party

Batley East

BLOOM, Jon – Liberal Democrats

DAJI, Aziz – Independent

DUFFY, Simon – Green Party

LUCITT, Phillip Anthony – Labour Party

MAYMAN, Neil – Conservative Party

Batley West

BIRD, Stephen John – Liberal Democrats

KAHUT, Zahid – Independent

PANDOR, Shabir – Labour and Co-operative Party

PHILLIPS, John Lydon – Green Party

RIAZ, Fatima – Conservative Party

Birstall and Birkenshaw

AKRAM, Tahir – Green Party

SMITH, Julie Margaret – Labour Party

THOMPSON, Mark Stephen – Conservative Party

WALSH, Louise Mary – Liberal Democrats

Cleckheaton

BRIGGS, Piers John – Conservative Party

PINNOCK, Kathryn Mary – Liberal Democrats

PRICE, Martin – Green Party

WHITE, Jessica – Labour Party

Colne Valley

BARNETT, Isaac Oliver – Conservative Party

MARCHINGTON, Harry – Liberal Democrats

MCLOUGHLIN, Matthew Paul – Labour and Co-operative Party

MILLEA, Tim – Yorkshire Party

NORMAN, Julia Frances – Green Party

Crosland Moor and Netherton

BARRACLOUGH, Suzanne – Liberal Democrats

BELLAMY, Trevor – Conservative Party

FINCH, Mark John – Independent

KAUSHIK, Manisha Roma – Labour Party

VICKERS, Alex – Green Party

Dalton

AHMED, Munir – Labour Party

BLACK, Dominic James David – Liberal Democrats

HIRST, Glenn Andrew Richard McCallum – Conservative Party

HOLDEN, Clare – Independent

WALTERS, Clare – Green Party

Denby Dale

BAMFORD, Timothy Vincent – Conservative Party

BANKS, Michelle – Labour Party

CARROLL, Lynne – Independent

SHAW, Michael Matthew – Green Party

WILKINSON, James Andrew – Liberal Democrats

Dewsbury East

COWAN, John – Conservative Party

FIRTH, Eric – Labour and Co-operative Party

HULLOCK, Dennis – Liberal Democrats

RICHARDS, Gideon Barry – Green Party

WHARTON, Michael – Independent

Dewsbury South

BECK, Richard – Independent

DARWAN, Hanifa – Independent

DISKEN, Bernard Thomas – Liberal Democrats

GUY, Sean David – Conservative Party

MADDOX, Shaun – Independent

RAMSAY, Jackie – Labour and Co-operative Party

WHITTINGHAM, Nicholas Eugene – Green Party

Dewsbury West

BRAMWELL, Tanisha – Independent

COPE, Simon John – Green Party

HUSSAIN, Sajid – Conservative Party

PERVAIZ, Mussarat Shaheen – Labour Party

ROSSINGTON, John Edward – Liberal Democrats

Golcar

CROMPTON, Matthew James Andrew – Conservative Party

PEACOCK, Heather Louise – Green Party

SEWELL, Angela Pamela – Labour Party

TURNER, Nicola Jane – Liberal Democrats

Greenhead

JAWAID, Maryam – Green Party

NAEEM, Waseem – Independent

SINGH, Manjit – Liberal Democrats

SPEED, Rob – Conservative Party

ULLAH, Sheikh Noor – Labour Party

Heckmondwike

ARSHAD, Ali – Independent

HALL, Steve – Labour Party

HUSSAIN, Amin – Conservative Party

PUGSLEY, Josie – Liberal Democrats

SIMPSON, Graham – Green Party

Holme Valley North

COHEN, Howard – Liberal Democrats

FISHER, Jayne Elizabeth – Labour Party

GREAVES, Charles Roger – Independent

HEATHCOTE, David Michael – Conservative Party

MIDGLEY, Samuel Adrian – Green Party

Holme Valley South

BROOK, Damian Craig – Conservative Party

GOULD, Darryl Paul Anthony – Green Party

GRIFFITHS, Ellen – Liberal Democrats

RYLAH, Jane Elizabeth – Labour Party

Kirkburton

BOWEN, Edward John – Labour Party

FINCH, Miri – Independent

SCOTT, Andy – Green Party

SMITH, James Richard – Conservative Party

WILES, Craig – Liberal Democrats

Lindley

BURTON, Richard Andrew John – Green Party

DURRANS-CROSS, Tom – Labour Party

MCGUIN, Robert William Anthony – Conservative Party

PARRY, Helen Mary – Heritage Party

ROBINSON, Ashleigh Victoria – Liberal Democrats

Liversedge and Gomersal

AMENDE, Erica Susan – Labour Party

HOLT, Caroline Jane – Conservative Party

SIMMONS, Linda Elizabeth – Green Party

SNEE, David Peter – Liberal Democrats

Mirfield

BOLT, Martyn – Conservative Party

GRIFFITH-JONES, Sam – Reform UK

KERNAN, Geoff – Labour Party

LONG, Stephen James – Liberal Democrats

WHITTINGHAM, Catherine Helen – Green Party

Newsome

ANWAR, Waheed – Liberal Democrats

BELLAMY, Kath – Conservative

COOPER, Andrew Varah – Green Party

MORRIS, Mark – Labour Party