Political differences will be set aside in Birkenshaw and Birstall tomorrow as the ward's councillors meet to discuss constituency matters.

Labour councillor Austin Calvert will sit round a table with Conservatives Andrew Palfreeman and Brian Snelson for the first of what the trio hope will become regular get-togethers.

The thaw in political relations comes after Kirklees Council members decided they should concentrate their efforts on ward matters as part of the authority's process of democratic renewal.

Councillor Calvert said: "I reckon 90 per cent of ward matters are non-political so it makes sense to work together.

"I know that some of our members wouldn't share the same air as the Tories, but the public gets sick of hearing about councillors sniping at each other.

"There's no question of me joining the Conservatives but the three of us get on and it seems logical to work together so we're not covering the same ground.

"I've got the blessing of my Labour ward branch and I'll be reporting back to them."

The trio plan to meet each month to discuss ward matters and decide how to tackle problems.

They believe highways issues, planning matters and complaints about council services will take up most of their time.

Councillor Brian Snelson, who became a councillor in May, said he and his colleagues would continue to back their parties on council-wide issues and at election time.

He said: "We will all be fighting our own corner for the May elections but until then we're happy to practice consensus politics.

"There's no point in being stand-offish with each other and trying to score brownie points.

"Not all wards could do this because personalities sometimes clash but we get on with each other."

Leader of Kirklees Conservative group Councillor Thelma Karran (Kirkburton) said working together on ward matters was now "the only way".

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