Christmas messages from Bradford leaders

The Bishop of Bradford, Right Rev Toby Howarth, said: "Some of the events I’ve been privileged to take part in over the last couple of weeks have shown me Bradford at its best.

"Our Cathedral packed for the annual Marie Curie Carol Service, with its mixture of raw grief and extraordinary generosity, Christmas charitable events and parties hosted by Muslim colleagues and friends from the Muslim Women’s Council’s Curry Circle providing a Christmas meal to homeless people, to the Pakistani Consulate General throwing Christmas party for the first time in its history.

"And a Bradford Synagogue Chanukah service, packed to overflowing with friends from a whole range of faiths and none, honouring its chair, Rudi Leavor, for his well-deserved British Empire Medal.

"It’s gatherings like these that bring me a sense of Christmas joy. Palpable reminders of God’s presence breaking into the rough and tumble of our beautiful but broken lives, as we remember the baby Jesus, God with us, in a manger and surrounded by love.”

Labour MP for Keighley John Grogan was elected to his seat in June and shared his first Christmas message for the community. 

He said: "On Easter Day 2017 two days before the Prime Minister called the surprise General Election I could not have imagined that by Christmas 2017 I would have the opportunity, as their MP, to wish the electorate of Keighley and Ilkley all the best for 2018.

"For Bradford district as a whole I hope the next 12 months will see major progress in the campaign to establish new TransPennine rail links.

"This means both a new high speed line to Manchester and the restoration of the Skipton Colne link which would enable direct trains to run from Keighley and Shipley to Manchester.

"In Keighley the aim for 2018 must be to defeat the incinerator plan whilst encouraging sustainable investment and in Ilkley to work with the Council to deliver parking improvements.

"My office will be organising a major seminar aimed at local schools, churches and mosques looking at best practice in combatting the scourge of child abuse building on the work of my distinguished predecessor Ann Cryer.

"Locally we will be celebrating 50 years of the revival of the Keighley Worth Valley Railway and the staging once again of the Tour de Yorkshire.

"I will continue to argue for more funding for Airedale General Hospital and for schools in the area. Happy Christmas to one and all."

Bradford Council leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Christmas is a time to pause, reflect and to spend time with family and friends, before coming back into the hustle and bustle of life refreshed.

“Bradford has much to celebrate this year. We’ve become an Education Opportunity Area, one of only 12 in the country. We’ve hosted the Tour de Yorkshire with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to participate. We’ve been named as the top place in the country to set up a business. 

“We still have challenges and we’ll continue to accelerate improvements in Education and Transport in 2018.

“I want to thank Council staff who will be working throughout the Christmas period so that we can all enjoy this Christmas time. I’d like to wish everyone Happy Christmas. And let’s make 2018 a successful and prosperous year for the Bradford District.”

Conservative MP for Shipley Philip Davies said: “2017 has been a turbulent, hectic, unpredictable and often divisive year in politics.

"It has been dominated by Brexit and the General Election - where I was honoured to be elected to represent the Shipley constituency for a fourth time with my highest ever vote and highest ever share of the vote, albeit with a smaller majority.

"Politics is becoming dogged by more and more smears and abuse -especially on social media - from people for doing nothing worse than just happening to hold a different opinion.

"This will stop talented people ever putting themselves up for election and we needed a concerted effort to stop this mindless, damaging and unnecessary abuse.

“At Christmas we will always think back to the horrific Boxing Day floods of two years ago and pray we don’t see anything similar this year.

"We should also think of those people in our armed forces who will be away from their families this Christmas serving our country, and we should always be mindful of those who are lonely and homeless this Christmas and thank those who dedicate their time to helping others who are struggling.

"I wish all readers and my constituents a very Happy Christmas with their friends and families.”

Speaking ahead of Christmas and New Year, Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East said: “After such an eventful year that was 2016, I did not believe that 2017 would be as interesting, but with a snap general election that saw Theresa May and the Tories lose their majority, this year seems to have topped the last, and after such a year, I would like to wish my constituents and all of those across Bradford best wishes for Christmas and wish them a Happy New Year.

"This period is a perfect moment for reflection, and as I look back over this lively year, I reflect on what a strong year it has been for Bradford, with some positive results for the city’s schools, the ongoing regeneration of the city with the opening of Sunbridge Wells and constructive engagement on the Odeon, and the news that Bradford will be linked to HS3, giving us the status that as a large, bustling, metropolitan city we deserve.

"But at Christmas, a time of giving and receiving, we must also think of those less fortunate than ourselves, and I want to dedicate my New Year resolutions to continuing to stand up for the people of Bradford who are being hard done by, and to push forward with my campaigns to boost educational attainment, to get the Odeon restored as one of the jewels of our city centre, to fight poverty in all its forms, and to fight the injustice in the way that the people of Bradford are being treated by this Government.”

Lord Mayor of Bradford Cllr Abid Hussain said: “I hope everybody in Bradford has a lovely Christmas. It is a joyous and happy day.

"We also remember lost loved ones who are always with us and those in the Armed Forces.

"Merry Christmas from myself and the Mayoress.”