Former Mayor of Kirklees issues strong statement ahead of all-out elections in the district in May
A former Kirklees Mayor and Conservative councillor has issued a strong message for voters ahead of the all-out elections later this year.
On May 7, Kirklees voters will head to the polls to choose who they would like to represent their areas, as thousands of council seats are contested in local elections up and down the country.
This year, the stakes are especially high in Kirklees as every single one of the council’s 69 seats is up for grabs due to the recent boundary review.
Kirklees Council is currently run by Labour as a minority administration. The group holds 23 of all 69 seats on the council, with the remainder belonging to the Conservatives (16), Lib Dems (10), Independents (nine), Community Alliance (four), Greens (four) and Community Independents (three).
Former Tory councillor and ex-Mayor of Kirklees, Andrew Palfreeman, says that the upcoming Kirklees election will give voters “the best chance for decades” to shape the future of the council.
Mr Palfreeman was first elected to the council in 1992 and retired in 2018 after holding several senior positions within the local authority.
He said: “Usually, every year only a third of the council must submit themselves for election. That inevitably means that, however people vote, there will be no change in who controls Kirklees.
“In short, most people are asked to cast a wasted vote and it’s no surprise that the turnout is so low.
“This year all 69 seats are up for election. Three per ward with every voter having three individual votes.
“This is the ideal opportunity for everyone who complains about Kirklees to have a real influence.
“Nationally the local elections will be seen as a referendum on the government. Unfortunately, to see them that way will be a massive waste of an opportunity to influence the local community and many of the areas that affect our local lives.
“Everyone should remember the areas that the council directly affects. For example, investments in our town and village centres, community facilities such as libraries and youth provision, bin collections, investing in school buildings and the condition of our roads.
“The political landscape is changing and there are more parties offering themselves for election.
“It would be easy for voters to support new parties like Reform UK or look to the Greens as an alternative. All I would ask is that they realistically consider how their vote will affect them locally.
“They might have three votes, but they do not have to give them to the same party.
“Consider your existing ward councillors. How experienced are they and how much have they already contributed to your local area?
“Consider whether you want a council run by an inexperienced group of first time councillors. If that happens, the chief executive and officers, unelected and not democratically accountable, will run the borough.
“In that case, the opportunity of an all-out election will be lost and, as before, votes will count for nothing.”