How Kirklees could look after May’s local elections

Should that happen, the spotlight will then be on the minor parties, who will wield power as kingmakers.

The current make-up of the council is Labour (33 seats), Conservatives (19 seats), Liberal Democrats (nine seats), Greens (three seats), Holme Valley Independents (three seats) and other Independents (two seats).

That means the council is in no overall control.

But the Conservatives are unlikely to deliver a landslide, which means they will need to forge an alliance with other groups if they increase their numbers.

Labour may similarly find itself in the same position of seeking to cut deals to retain the running of the administration.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been gauging the political temperature in Kirklees – and talking to some of those involved in the elections on May 5.

A third of all 69 seats are up for election with one seat in all of Kirklees’ 23 wards going to the polls.

Of those 23 seats Labour hold 11, Conservatives six, Lib Dems four, Holme Valley Independents one and Greens one.

Around a third are considered key “battleground” wards.

They are Almondbury, Colne Valley, Dalton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury East, Golcar, Heckmondwike, Holme Valley North, and Lindley.

One source told the LDRS: “The Conservatives are on the back foot nationally but they are pushing very hard locally.

“They will be going after some specific seats including Lindley, Almondbury and Heckmondwike.

“They may also push harder to win in Dalton, which had the lowest turnout last year so that will present an opportunity.

“Labour are under pressure. Will they lose? We are in the territory of speculation because there are many variables.

“They could lose three or four seats, even five. If they lost ten that would be more than enough to tip the balance.”

Labour is strong in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley but less so in rural areas.

A low-level loss for Labour might see the group seeking to create partnerships but the mood within the town hall is that the Lib Dems and the Greens are unlikely to do deals.

That leaves the Independents, of which there are five.

But the three-member Holme Valley North Independents could find themselves in the enviable position to determining which direction the council goes in.

Veteran Terry Lyons is up for re-election this year. A well-known face in the Holme Valley, he took 39% of the vote in 2018 with a 456 majority over Labour.

But the Conservatives have been weaving their way into the area. Last year his ward colleague Charles Greaves squeaked home just 113 votes ahead of the Conservatives – and Labour were not far behind them.

As the saying goes, it could be too close to call.

Another ward to watch is Denby Dale, where the Conservatives toppled Labour heavyweight (and Cabinet member) Graham Turner last year taking 48% of the vote.

The Tories will be seeking a further scalp in Denby Dale in 2022 by unseating Will Simpson, another Cabinet member.

Mr Turner is standing again in Golcar. He faces the Lib Dems’ Robert Iredale, a seasoned campaigner and prominent local presence.

One source said it would be a hard contest, adding: “It’s going to be touch and go.” The Greens are also expected to once again campaign hard in Golcar.

Another Cabinet member defending her seat is Clr Viv Kendrick in Heckmondwike.

A respected figure across all parties, she may nonetheless feel the heat from the Conservatives’ Itrat Ali, who last year reduced Labour man Steve Hall’s majority to just 148. That is said to be “a clear battle” between Labour and the Conservatives.

Labour also faces an interesting tussle in Colne Valley where seats have been gained, lost and switched from Labour to Independent.

It’s currently a Conservative/Independent/Labour split with Tory stalwart Donna Bellamy defending her seat. That ward has also been described as touch and go.

The Lib Dems will be mounting a robust defence in Almondbury with the expectation that the Conservatives will target incumbent councillor Alison Munro.

An active figure in the community, she has been visible on a range of local issues including road safety, housing and the ongoing saga involving schools in the area.

She will face a challenge from the Conservatives’ Maria Ackroyd in what is expected to be a straight fight between the two parties.

Another two-party battle is going on in Lindley, formerly a Lib Dem stronghold but now targeted by emboldened Conservatives following a win last year.

The Tories are looking to take the seat of Cahal Burke. Another high-profile and active councillor with local support, he won’t give up easily. The challenger is likely to be David Heathcote.

Another Conservative campaigner has emerged in Dewsbury East, where the defending candidate will be Labour Cabinet member and deputy group leader Cathy Scott.

In 2018 she polled 1,900 votes, easily beating Mark Eastwood prior to his election as the town’s MP.

A veteran councillor and strong presence within Dewsbury, she will go up against the Conservatives’ Keith Mallinson and, possibly, a candidate from George Galloway’s Workers Party of Great Britain.

The Workers Party has announced Aziz Daji as its candidate for Batley East. He will go up against Labour’s Fazila Loonat.

Finally, among the five Labour councillors standing down in 2022 is Peter McBride, who represents Dalton. In his stead Labour is fielding Tyler Hawkins, who last year came third in Almondbury but who is this year standing in his “home patch”.

He will be hoping the Conservatives don’t perform as well as they did in 2021, when just 277 votes separated their candidate from senior Cabinet member Naheed Mather

Candidates’ success will depend largely on the strength of their campaigns.

One source said: “All parties face the problem of having people on the ground. All local government is like that at the moment.

“Parties have to choose where they will do best – and focus their efforts.”