# 2023 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

Elections to Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council took place on 4 May 2023 alongside other elections in the United Kingdom. Labour retained its majority on the council.

## Background

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Calderdale was a district of the West Yorkshire metropolitan county. The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority was established in 2014 and began electing the mayor of West Yorkshire in 2021.
Calderdale Council was under no overall control with Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour leaders until the Labour Party achieved a majority of seats in the 2019 election, when they gained four seats to hold 28 of the council's 51 seats. In the most recent election in 2022, seventeen seats were up for election. Labour won eleven seats, the Conservatives won 4 seats, and the Liberal Democrats and Greens both won one seat.
Positions up for election in 2023 were last elected in 2019. In that election, Labour won ten seats, the Conservatives won four, the Liberal Democrats won two and independent candidates won one seat. Labour retained its majority on the council at this election.

## Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election for three consecutive years and no election in the fourth year. The election used first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Calderdale aged 18 or over were entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations took place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters were able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

## Council results

| Party | Party | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | | Of total | Net | | | Of total | Net |
| | Labour | 10 | 58.8% | 0 | 10 / 17 | 22,904 | 44.1% | -1.1% |
| | Conservative | 4 | 23.5% | 0 | 4 / 17 | 15,208 | 29.3% | -3.4% |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2 | 11.8% | 0 | 2 / 17 | 6,570 | 12.6% | +0.8% |
| | Green | 1 | 5.9% | +1 | 1 / 17 | 6,291 | 12.1% | +3.0% |
| | Freedom Alliance | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 / 17 | 366 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| | Independent | 0 | 0.0% | -1 | 0 / 17 | 288 | 0.6% | +0.4% |

## Council Composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:
| 28 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Labour | Conservative | Lib Dem | G | I |
After the election the composition of the council was:
| 28 | 15 | 6 | 2 |
| Labour | Conservative | Lib Dem | G |
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Labour | 28 | 28 |
| | Conservative | 15 | 15 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | 6 |
| | Green | 1 | 2 |
| | Independent | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | 51 |

## Results

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk. The results were:

### Brighouse

Brighouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brenda Monteith* | 1,320 | 43.9 | −11.8 |
| | Labour | Frank Darnley | 1180 | 39.2 | +19.9 |
| | Green | Kim Atkinson | 251 | 8.3 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Cockroft | 192 | 6.4 | N/A |
| | Freedom Alliance | Gabriella Paterson | 57 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 4.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | 0.23 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3007 | 36.43 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,254 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Calder

Calder :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Israr Ahmed | 2,615 | 58.8 | +4.8 |
| | Green | Alan McDonald | 617 | 13.9 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Joseph Matthews | 555 | 12.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Harris | 509 | 11.4 | −3.2 |
| | Independent | Helen Lasham | 110 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1998 | 44.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 42 | 0.94 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4448 | 48.31 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,207 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elland

Elland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Veitch | 1,300 | 47.3 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Vanessa Lee | 781 | 28.4 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Phillips | 371 | 13.5 | −3.0 |
| | Green | Barry Crossland | 228 | 8.3 | −3.5 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Matthew Leadbeater | 60 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | 18.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | 0.36 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2750 | 31.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,815 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Greetland and Stainland

Greetland and Stainland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Holdsworth* | 1,240 | 42.3 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative | Alex Greenwood | 1077 | 36.7 | +9.5 |
| | Labour | Adrian Horton | 422 | 14.4 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Jacquelyn Haigh | 183 | 6.2 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 163 | 5.6 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.41 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2934 | 34.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,464 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Hipperholme and Lightcliffe

Hipperholme and Lightcliffe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Kirton* | 1,661 | 52.1 | −2.1 |
| | Labour | Sam Ackroyd | 1,031 | 32.3 | +10.5 |
| | Green | Elaine Hey | 353 | 11.1 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennie Rigg | 128 | 4.0 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 630 | 19.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 16 | 0.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3189 | 35.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,079 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Illingworth and Mixenden

Illingworth and Mixenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steph Clarke* | 1,252 | 54.6 | +14.3 |
| | Conservative | Colonel Padgett | 683 | 29.8 | −3.6 |
| | Green | Laura Beesley | 132 | 5.8 | −1.3 |
| | Independent | Seán Loftus | 118 | 5.1 | −7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexander Parsons-Hulse | 96 | 4.2 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 569 | 24.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 13 | 0.57 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2294 | 24.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,202 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Luddendenfoot

Luddendenfoot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Katie Kimber | 1,900 | 56.3 | +11.5 |
| | Conservative | Jill Smith-Moorhouse | 820 | 24.3 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Bampton-Smith | 355 | 10.5 | −5.3 |
| | Green | Kate Sweeny | 271 | 8.0 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1080 | 32.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 31 | 0.92 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3377 | 42.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,995 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Northowram and Shelf

Northowram and Shelf :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Daniel Wood | 2,244 | 63.0 | +52.7 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Baines | 1004 | 28.2 | −28.3 |
| | Labour | Khuram Majid | 253 | 7.1 | −10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip White | 54 | 1.5 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1240 | 34.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | 0.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3562 | 39.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,081 | | |
| | Green gain from Independent | Green gain from Independent | Swing | +13 | |

### Ovenden

Ovenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Stuart Cairney* | 1,029 | 56.9 | +13.2 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Matejak | 417 | 23.1 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sean Bamforth | 224 | 12.4 | −1.2 |
| | Green | Finn Jensen | 126 | 7.0 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 612 | 33.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | 0.61 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1807 | 21.45 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,423 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Park

Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rahat Khan | 1,768 | 57.2 | −29.5 |
| | Conservative | Shakir Saghir | 568 | 18.4 | +11.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abdul Rehman | 545 | 17.6 | +15.4 |
| | Green | Catherine Graham | 130 | 4.2 | +0.3 |
| | Independent | Craig Withers | 60 | 1.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1200 | 38.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 18 | 0.58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3089 | 32.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,465 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Rastrick

Rastrick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Chris Pillai | 1,289 | 43.8 | −6.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | Alan Judge | 1180 | 40.1 | +12.2 |
| | Green | Matthew Lawson | 204 | 6.9 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francesca Carr | 153 | 5.2 | −3.6 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Corinne Henderson | 94 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 109 | 3.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 23 | 0.78 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2943 | 35.51 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,288 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Ryburn

Ryburn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Felicity Issott* | 1,463 | 46.0 | +17.9 |
| | Labour | David Wager | 1101 | 34.6 | +23.5 |
| | Green | Freda Davis | 277 | 8.7 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samuel Jackson | 250 | 7.9 | +4.0 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Michael Ogden | 83 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 362 | 11.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 6 | 0.19 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3180 | 35.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,878 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Skircoat

Skircoat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Mike Barnes* | 2,285 | 61.1 | +19.1 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hunt | 1049 | 28.1 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathleen Haigh-Hutchinson | 200 | 5.3 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Mark Mullany | 188 | 5.0 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1236 | 33.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | 0.45 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3739 | 38.99 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,589 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Sowerby Bridge

Sowerby Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Simon Ashton | 1,468 | 51.0 | +10.3 |
| | Conservative | Mark Edwards | 852 | 29.6 | −7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Stringfellow | 293 | 10.2 | +1.0 |
| | Green | David Booth | 244 | 8.5 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 616 | 21.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 24 | 0.83 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2881 | 32.89 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,760 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Todmorden

Todmorden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Silvia Dacre* | 1,791 | 57.6 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Mark Holmes | 530 | 17.0 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Kieran Turner | 472 | 15.2 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Wadsworth | 271 | 8.7 | −15.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1261 | 40.5 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 48 | 1.54 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3112 | 34.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,906 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Town

Town :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tim Swift* | 1,116 | 48.0 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative | Anne-Marie Miles | 796 | 34.2 | +5.8 |
| | Green | Elliot Hey | 250 | 10.7 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rosemary Tatchell | 151 | 6.5 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 320 | 13.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | 0.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2327 | 25.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,001 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Warley

Warley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abigail Carr | 1,538 | 46.6 | −6.4 |
| | Labour | Ash Ashfaq | 1213 | 36.8 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative | Vishal Gupta | 343 | 10.4 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Katie Witham | 121 | 3.7 | −0.3 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Martin Davies | 72 | 2.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 325 | 9.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.36 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3299 | 36.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,105 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |