Kirklees Council elections: Labour loses overall control as two cabinet members and former leader are voted out

Kirklees’ Labour group entered into this year’s elections with a knife-edge majority of just one seat – holding 35 of the total 69 seats.

The group needed to secure 11 out of the 23 up for grabs in this year’s elections but was only able to keep hold of seven.

Former council leader Shabir Pandor and cabinet members Jackie Ramsay and Mussarat Pervaiz have been pushed out as Independents have built their presence, taking five Labour seats.

Cabinet’s dynamics are set to shift further when Deputy Leader Coun Paul Davies steps down at the next Annual General Meeting, as he recently announced.

Going forward, Labour will have 31 seats on the council, the Conservatives 15, Lib Dems 10, Greens four, Kirklees Community Independents (KCI) three and other Independents six.

It is unclear if any of the newly-elected members will be joining the KCI.

The pressure was on for Labour after a tumultuous few months leading up to the local elections saw four former members quit over the party’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The four came together and formed the Kirklees Community Independents group which has gained traction, particularly in North Kirklees.

Independent candidates had landslide victories in Batley East and West, Dewsbury South and Dewsbury West, and narrowly poached the Heckmondwike seat from Coun Steve Hall.

Batley West candidate Zahid Kahut took over 1,700 more votes than the council’s former leader Shabir Pandor.

In Dewsbury South, Independent Hanifa Darwan gained more than triple the votes of Coun Jackie Ramsay.

However, Councillor Eric Firth had a comfortable majority in Dewsbury East, with more than 800 votes separating him and Lib Dem candidate Dennis Hullock.

Greenhead Labour’s Coun Sheikh Ullah pipped the Greens’ candidate Maryam Jawaid to the post by just 41 votes.

Conservative councillors Martyn Bolt, Mark Thompson and Richard Smith kept hold of their Mirfield, Birstall and Birkenshaw, and Kirkburton seats but the Lib Dems trumped the Tories in Lindley and Almondbury wards.

Lib Dem councillor Kath Pinnock also kept a tight hold of her Cleckheaton seat.

The election also saw the Greens make gains, keeping their Newsome seat as well as taking the Crosland Moor and Netherton seat from Labour.

Holme Valley North Independent councillor Charles Greaves was also re-elected.

Labour will remain the largest party on the council and the coming weeks will see the local authority decide whether to be run as a coalition or through a minority administration.