BRADFORD Council’s leading Labour group will hope to bolster its narrow majority in today’s local elections.

Thirty seats, a third of those on the council, are up for grabs, and the result could dramatically re-shape the district over the coming years.

It is an election that will see the last four Lord Mayors defending their seats, and could see a former leader of Bradford Council return to office after a six-year absence. 

All eyes will be on Labour, which currently has a narrow majority of two – with 48 seats. Forty-six seats are needed for a majority, so losing just a few councillors could drastically reduce the party’s power and ability to push through its policies.

ESSENTIAL ELECTION DAY INFORMATION

Currently the Conservatives have 21 seats, the Liberal Democrats nine and the Green Party three.

Remaining seats in the council are split between various independent groups, and one seat is vacant.

Despite being the biggest opposition party, the Conservatives have not put forward a candidate in each ward. They are not fielding a candidate in the City ward, leaving it as a three-way battle between Labour, the Lib Dems and the Green Party.

The Green Party is fielding a candidate in every ward, and have declared these elections their strongest ever campaign.

Currently the party has all three seats in the Shipley ward, one of which will be defended today.

Whatever the result, there will also be major changes in the Conservative group following the elections – current leader Simon Cooke has announced he is stepping down from the role after Thursday.

He will remain a councillor until next year’s local elections, when he was due to contest his seat. Councillor John Pennington (Bingley) is the current deputy leader of the Conservatives, and the result of today’s vote could help decide who leads the group in the coming years. 

One of the most high-profile candidates is former Bradford Council Leader Ian Greenwood, who is hoping to make a return to politics. He will be standing for Labour in the Bolton & Undercliffe ward.

Mr Greenwood lost his seat in 2012 when sitting in the Little Horton ward. His defeat – by just 17 votes – left the council leaderless.

This was the same elections which saw George Galloway’s Respect party field 12 candidates and take five seats; with Alyas Karmani narrowly beating Mr Greenwood.

One major figure standing down at this election is Councillor Val Slater, former deputy leader of the council and current executive for Health and Wellbeing. She had said she made the decision not to run at the end of her current term several years ago.

The party will hope that candidate Ruth Wood will get enough votes to take Cllr Slater’s place as Councillor for the Royds ward. 
Current Lord Mayor Abid Hussain (Labour), whose term comes to an end shortly after the election, will be fighting to keep his Keighley Central seat.
And the three lord mayors who preceded him are also up for re-election – Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill); Joanne Dodds (Labour, Great Horton) and Mike Gibbons (Conservative, Ilkley).
As well as the major political parties which already have seats on the council, other parties which have fielded candidates to fight for a seat are: UKIP; the Women’s Equality Party; The Yorkshire Party; the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition; the Libertarian Party; Democrats and Veterans Party; and British Democrats, Stop Immigration Leave EU.