Huddersfield has a new MP for the first time in 45 years – and also its first ever female MP.

Harpreet Uppal, born and raised in Fartown, never dreamed growing up she would be MP for her hometown.

Harpreet, 41, was elected as the town’s MP with a 4,500 majority on a night that brought a landslide victory for new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

In Huddersfield the Tories slipped to third place with Andrew Cooper, the Green group leader on Kirklees Council, coming second with more than 10,000 votes.

As Labour swept to power, Holme Valley South Labour councillor Paul Davies defeated former Tory MP Jason McCartney in Colne Valley while Labour’s Kim Leadbeater won the new Spen Valley seat, which includes Kirkheaton and Upper Heaton.

Tory Mark Eastwood, meanwhile, lost to Labour’s Jade Botterill in the new Ossett and Denby Dale constituency, which includes Kirkburton, Skelmanthorpe and Shepley.

There was a blow to Sir Keir in the new Dewsbury & Batley seat where Independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed harnessed the Muslim vote in a protest against the Labour leader’s stance on Gaza.

The Independents inflicted major damage on Labour at May’s local elections, costing the party control of Kirklees Council.

 

 

Harpreet, a former student at Fartown High School, replaces Barry Sheerman, 83, who had served the town since 1979 and took the decision in 2021 not to stand again.

Harpreet said: “I cannot tell you how much it means to be elected MP for Huddersfield. It’s my home town and where I still live. It feels amazing.”

Harpreet wanted to thank Barry for his service and added: “Barry’s energy was on another level. I certainly don’t expect to last 45 years!”

Harpreet became the first female Sikh councillor in Kirklees when she was elected for Ashbrow in 2018.

She is the daughter of textile worker Lamber Singh Uppal and his late wife Satvinder. Mr Uppal came to the UK from India in 1962.

Harpreet pledged to be a role model for girls and young women to follow and promised to fight for opportunities for young people.

“It is important that we support young people in Huddersfield,” she said. “I was able to get those opportunities because of a Labour government and I want that for our young people today.

“I want to make sure young people can believe in those opportunities because right now it feels like all hope is gone.”

Harpreet also promised to listen and rebuild trust between the public and politicians.

“There are issues around apathy and trust,” she added. “We have a job to do on that to build up trust between citizens and politicians.

“I need to look at how I am engaging with people and I want to make sure they know politicians are normal too, that we come from the same backgrounds.”

Town centre investment was one of Harpreet’s first priorities and she said: “It’s my job to ensure the town centre is prioritised by the Government so we can build our infrastructure and also have the skills to benefit from that new infrastructure.”

She also pledged to push hard to ensure Kirklees Council received fair funding from the new government.

 

Gallery of images from election night in Huddersfield by: MIKE CLARK

 

In the Colne Valley Jason McCartney lost by almost 5,000 votes to Labour’s Paul Davies, the former deputy leader of Kirklees Council.

Jason, first elected in 2010, served for 11 years as the Colne Valley’s MP, winning three elections. He was out of Parliament for two years after he lost to Labour’s Thelma Walker in 2017.

Clr Davies, a former mine worker from South Wales, said: “I recognise that there will be many people who have voted for Labour for the first time in this election and I thank them for doing so.

“And I reassure them that I will do everything I can to deliver the change the people have voted for.

“Of course, there will be those of you who have not voted for me and to all of you I assure you that I will work tirelessly in your interests as well and be a voice and representative for the whole of Colne Valley, Holme Valley and Lindley, in Westminster.”

 

Paul Davies

 

The Spen Valley is a new seat which covers Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike and Mirfield but also parts of the Dalton ward including Kirkheaton, Upper Heaton and Bog Green.

Labour’s Kim Leadbeater switched over from the defunct Batley & Spen seat and comfortably saw off Reform UK candidate Sarah Wood, who edged the Tories out of second place.

Tory challenger Laura Evans was parachuted in as a late replacement for former Lindley councillor Adam Gregg who pulled out on nomination day.

Kim said she hoped the election would “draw a line under the chaos and division” and said politics needed good people to restore trust.

She pledged to work for all the people of Spen Valley helping people to support one another.

All the Kirklees results in full:

Huddersfield

Andrew Cooper (Green) 10,558

Jan Dobrucki (Lib Dem) 1,741

Susan Laird (Reform UK) 6,196

Tony McGrath (Con) 6,559

Harpreet Uppal (Lab) 15,101

 

Colne Valley

Paul Davies (Lab) 18,970

Stuart Hale (Reform) 7,298

Katharine Macy (Lib Dem) 2,007

Jason McCartney (Con) 14,007

Timothy Millea (Yorkshire Party) 459

Heather Peacock (Green) 3,480

 

Spen Valley

Javed Bashir (Ind) 1,526

Alison Brelsford (Lib Dem) 1,425

Laura Evans (Con) 9,859

Kim Leadbeater (Lab) 16,076

Martin Price (Green) 2,284

Sarah Wood (Reform) 9,888

 

Dewsbury & Batley

Simon Cope (Green) 2,048

Heather Iqbal (Lab) 8,707

Iqbal Mohamed (Ind) 15,641

John Rossington (Lib Dem) 1,340

Lalit Suryawanshi (Con) 4,182

Jonathan Thackray (Reform) 6,152

 

Ossett and Denby Dale

Jade Botterill (Lab) 17,232

Neil Doig (Green) 2,132

Mark Eastwood (Con) 12,690

David Herdson (Yorkshire Party) 810

Sandra Senior (Reform) 9,224

James Wilkinson (Lib Dem) 1,785