# Altofts and Whitwood

Altofts and Whitwood is an electoral ward of the City of Wakefield district used for elections to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.

## Overview

The ward is one of 21 in the Wakefield district, and has been held by Labour since the current boundaries were formed for the 2004 Council election. As of 2015, the electorate stands at 12,495 of which 96.1% identify as "White British" and 67.5% of who identify as Christian.
The ward comprises Altofts, Whitwood and Whitwood Mere, and a number of industrial parks that occupy much of the land between Normanton and Castleford. The ward also includes the Cutsyke, Roundhill and Half Acres areas of Castleford. To the north the ward is bounded by the River Calder. The ward is bisected by the M62 and has the Trans Pennine Trail running through it.

## Representation

Like all wards in the Wakefield district, Altofts and Whitwood has 3 councillors, whom are elected on a 4-year-rota. This means elections for new councillors are held for three years running, with one year every four years having no elections.
The current councillors are Jo Hepworth and Jacquie Speight both of whom are Labour. There are only currently two councillors due to the resignation of Peter Box CBE who served as Leader of Wakefield Council for 21 years.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor |
| 2004 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2006 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2007 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2008 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2010 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2011 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2012 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Darran Travis (Lab) |
| 2014 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Heather Hudson (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2015 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2016 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2018 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2019 | Peter Box CBE (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2021 | Josie Farrar (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2022 | Josie Farrar (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |
| 2023 | Josie Farrar (Lab) | Jo Hepworth (Lab) | Jacquie Speight (Lab) |

## Election results

2023 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jo Hepworth* | 1,748 | 52.8 | +13.4 |
| | Wakefield District Independents | John Thomas | 804 | 24.3 | +17.8 |
| | Conservative | Amy Louise Swift | 518 | 15.7 | −1.1 |
| | Green | Katherine Clare Dodd | 238 | 7.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 944 | 28.5 | +21.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,308 | 23.0 | −1.8 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2022 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacquie Speight* | 2,053 | 56.49 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Wright | 809 | 22.26 | −15.8 |
| | Independent | John Thomas | 613 | 16.87 | +11.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leanne Hall | 159 | 4.38 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,244 | 34.23 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,634 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2021 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Josie Farrar | 1,896 | 47.5 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative | Anthony David Hill | 1,522 | 38.1 | +21.3 |
| | Green | Brenden Beckett | 283 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
| | Reform UK | John Thomas | 209 | 5.2 | +5.2 |
| | Workers Party | Zane Carpenter | 80 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 374 | 9.4 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,990 | 28.1 | +3.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 | |
2019 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jo Hepworth | 1318 | 39.4 | −18.1 |
| | Yorkshire | Laura Walker | 1089 | 32.5 | +22.4 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hill | 562 | 16.8 | −11.2 |
| | Democrats and Veterans | John Thomas | 219 | 6.5 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Pollack | 159 | 4.8 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 229 | 6.9 | −22.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3347 | 24.8 | +0.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 35 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2018 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacquie Speight | 1823 | 57.5 | −1 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hill | 888 | 28 | +8.4 |
| | Yorkshire | Steven Crookes | 320 | 10.1 | −0.5 |
| | Democrats and Veterans | John Thomas | 140 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 935 | 29.5 | −9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3171 | 23.9 | −3.5 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 9 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2016 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 1994 | 58.5 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hill | 668 | 19.6 | −2.4 |
| | Independent | Matthew Jeans | 384 | 11.3 | N/A |
| | Yorkshire First | Steve Crookes | 363 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1326 | 38.9 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3409 | 27.4 | −30.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2015 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jo Hepworth | 4168 | 55.3 | +5.9 |
| | UKIP | Geoffrey Johnston | 1715 | 22.8 | −13.8 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hill | 1655 | 22.0 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2453 | 32.5 | +19.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7538 | 57.4 | +29.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2014 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacquie Speight | 1735 | 49.4 | −12.2 |
| | UKIP | Tracie Corbett | 1285 | 36.6 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hill | 494 | 14.1 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 450 | 12.8 | −24.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3514 | 27.7 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2012 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 2,009 | 61.6 | −2.5 |
| | UKIP | David Armitage | 783 | 24 | +24 |
| | Conservative | Steven Beeton | 470 | 14.4 | −10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,226 | 37.6 | −1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,262 | 25.8 | −6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2011 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Heather Hudson | 2,582 | 64.1 | +17.9 |
| | Conservative | Steven Beeton | 1,009 | 25.1 | +3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 404 | 10.0 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,573 | 39.1 | +14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,027 | 32.2 | −27.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2010 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Darran Travis | 3,385 | 46.2 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | David Rudge | 1,561 | 21.3 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 1533 | 20.9 | −2.6 |
| | BNP | Adam Frazer | 818 | 11.2 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,824 | 24.9 | +11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,327 | 59.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2008 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 1,316 | 37.4 | −10.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 827 | 23.5 | +4.4 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Tennant | 793 | 22.5 | +6.7 |
| | BNP | Dawn Byrom | 585 | 16.6 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 489 | 13.9 | −15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,521 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2007 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Heather Hudson | 1,563 | 48.2 | 1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 619 | 19.1 | +2.6 |
| | BNP | Dawn Byrom | 546 | 16.8 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Tom Dixon | 513 | 15.8 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 944 | 29.1 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,241 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
2006 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Darran Travis | 1,717 | 49.6 |
| | BNP | Loraine Frazer | 682 | 19.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 572 | 16.5 |
| | Conservative | Tom Dixon | 490 | 14.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,035 | 29.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,461 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
2004 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Box | 1,993 | |
| | Labour | Heather Hudson | 1,939 | |
| | Labour | Darran Travis | 1,855 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Burch | 876 | |
| | BNP | William Draper | 701 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Curtis | 700 | |
| | Conservative | Allen Glendinning | 625 | |
| | Conservative | Tom Dixon | 584 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carey Chambers | 566 | |
| | Conservative | Jean Molloy | 559 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,398 | 38.0 |