# 2022 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council election

The 2022 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. One third of councillors—23 out of 69—on Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council were elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
Following the previous council election in 2021, no party held a majority of seats. Labour held 33, and ran a minority administration. The Conservatives held 19, the Liberal Democrats held 9, the Greens held 3 and independent councillors and councillors for local parties held the remaining five.

## 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. Kirklees 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.
Kirklees Council has generally been under no overall control or Labour control since its creation, with the Conservatives controlling the council between 1976 and 1979. The council was under no overall control from 1999 until the 2018 election, when Labour gained two seats to achieve an overall majority on the council. Labour's majority narrowed, with the party holding 35 seats following the 2019 election. Three Labour councillors resigned from their party in November 2020, citing national issues and linked by media to the suspension of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In the most recent council election in 2021, the council remained in no overall control with Labour winning 12 seats on 35.9% of the vote, the Conservatives winning 9 seats on 38.0% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats winning 2 seats on 10.2% of the vote, the Green Party winning one seat on 10.4% of the vote and the Heavy Woollen District Independents winning one seat with 0.4% of the vote.
Positions up for election in 2022 were last elected in 2018. In that election, 12 Labour councillors were elected, as were seven Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats, one Green and one independent.

## Campaign

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Almondbury, Colne Valley, Dalton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury East, Golcar, Heckmondwike, Holme Valley North, and Lindley wards were "battlegrounds", and that the Liberal Democrats and Green Party were unlikely to support Labour if they needed to work with other parties having lost seats.

## Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. The election will take place by 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 Kirklees aged 18 or over will be 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 will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.

## Previous council composition

| After 2021 election | After 2021 election | After 2021 election | Before 2022 election | Before 2022 election | Before 2022 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | Party | Seats |
| | Labour | 33 | | Labour | 33 |
| | Conservative | 19 | | Conservative | 19 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 9 | | Liberal Democrats | 9 |
| | Independent | 5 | | Independent | 5 |
| | Green | 3 | | Green | 3 |

## Results summary

2022 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 14 | 3 | 60.9 | 22 | 36 | 52.2 | 44,786 | 40.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative | 5 | 1 | 21.7 | 13 | 18 | 26.1 | 34,895 | 31.9 | -6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 13.1 | 5 | 8 | 11.6 | 14,409 | 13.2 | +3.0 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 4 | 4 | 5.8 | 1,849 | 1.7 | -2.3 |
| | Green | 1 | | 4.3 | 2 | 3 | 4.3 | 10,244 | 9.4 | -1.0 |
| | Workers Party | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,563 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | Monster Raving Loony | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 236 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | Freedom Alliance | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 170 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 106 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | Yorkshire | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 68 | 0.1 | -0.3 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 63 | 0.1 | ±0.0 |

## Ward results
### Almondbury

Almondbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Munro | 2,238 | 48 | +8 |
| | Conservative | Maria Ackroyd | 1,275 | 27 | +4 |
| | Labour | Barbara Jones | 840 | 18 | −12 |
| | Green | Peter Taylor | 286 | 6 | +2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 963 | 21 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,639 | 34.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Ashbrow

Ashbrow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fran Perry | 2,315 | 57 | +7 |
| | Conservative | Dafydd Daniel | 1,109 | 27 | −8 |
| | Green | Brenda Smithson | 447 | 11 | +1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Manjit Singh | 213 | 5 | 0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,206 | 30 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,084 | 29.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Batley East

Batley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Adam Zaman | 2,170 | 45 | −23 |
| | Workers Party | Abdul Daji | 1,611 | 33 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Keiron Gavaghan | 734 | 15 | −7 |
| | Green | Simon Duffy | 201 | 4 | −2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Shepherd | 152 | 3 | 0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 559 | 12 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,868 | 37 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Batley West

Batley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gwen Lowe | 2,713 | 64 | +7 |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Laher | 1,087 | 25 | −4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Long | 233 | 5 | +2 |
| | Green | Jack Senior | 233 | 5 | −1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,626 | 39 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,266 | 30.8 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Birstall & Birkenshaw

Birstall & Birkenshaw :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Liz Smaje | 2,104 | 53 | +2 |
| | Labour | Julie Smith | 1,370 | 35 | +12 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louise Walsh | 254 | 6 | +1 |
| | Green | Tahir Akram | 240 | 6 | −3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 734 | 18 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,968 | 30.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Cleckheaton

Cleckheaton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lawson | 2,650 | 61.1 | +12.4 |
| | Conservative | Piers Briggs | 1,085 | 25.0 | −9.7 |
| | Labour | Khalid Patel | 600 | 13.8 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,565 | 36.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,335 | 32.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 11.1 | |

### Colne Valley

Colne Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Harry McCarthy | 2,509 | 45.5 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Donna Bellamy | 1,988 | 36.0 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jake Marchington | 542 | 9.8 | −13.6 |
| | Green | Julia Norman | 375 | 6.8 | ±0.0 |
| | UKIP | Melanie Roberts | 106 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 521 | 9.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,520 | 40.4 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 2.5 | |

### Crosland Moor & Netherton

Crosland Moor & Netherton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jo Lawson | 2,460 | 56.2 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Isaac Barnett | 1,035 | 23.7 | −6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzanne Barraclough | 358 | 8.2 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Chris Green | 341 | 7.8 | −0.6 |
| | Independent | Steve Bradbury | 182 | 4.2 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,425 | 32.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,376 | 32.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 5.9 | |

### Dalton

Dalton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Tyler Hawkins | 1,941 | 51.8 | +11.6 |
| | Conservative | Jason Easingwood | 1,180 | 31.5 | −4.7 |
| | Green | Clare Walters | 357 | 9.5 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dominic Black | 270 | 7.2 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 761 | 20.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,748 | 29.9 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 8.2 | |

### Denby Dale

Denby Dale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Will Simpson | 2,879 | 49.8 | +10.0 |
| | Conservative | Vicky Rank | 2,283 | 39.5 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Craig Armistead | 264 | 4.6 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Michael Shaw | 259 | 4.5 | −2.9 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Jonathan Tilt | 96 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 596 | 10.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,781 | 43.3 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.2 | |

### Dewsbury East

Dewsbury East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cathy Scott | 1,934 | 48.9 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Keith Mallinson | 1,307 | 33.1 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dan Woodlock | 311 | 7.9 | +4.5 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Sir Archibald Earl 'Eaton | 236 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Green | Gideon Richards | 164 | 4.1 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 627 | 15.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,952 | 28.1 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.6 | |

### Dewsbury South

Dewsbury South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Masood Ahmed | 3,069 | 70.7 | +27.5 |
| | Conservative | Sean Guy | 907 | 20.9 | −9.6 |
| | Green | Albert Parker | 217 | 5.0 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dennis Hullock | 147 | 3.4 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,162 | 49.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,340 | 32.3 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 18.6 | |

### Dewsbury West

Dewsbury West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ammar Anwar | 3,268 | 64.7 | +23.3 |
| | Conservative | Sajid Hussain | 1,328 | 26.3 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Rossington | 229 | 4.5 | +1.6 |
| | Green | Nicholas Whittingham | 229 | 4.5 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,940 | 38.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,054 | 36.4 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 12.6 | |

### Golcar

Golcar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Turner | 1,744 | 38.1 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Iredale | 1,695 | 37.1 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Trevor Bellamy | 751 | 16.4 | −8.1 |
| | Green | Nina Roberts | 309 | 6.8 | −3.1 |
| | Freedom Alliance | Miri Finch | 74 | 1.6 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 1.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,573 | 33.0 | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 0.5 | |

### Greenhead

Greenhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohan Sokhal | 3,179 | 66.1 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative | Eileen Marchant | 674 | 14.0 | −6.8 |
| | Green | Heather Peacock | 639 | 13.3 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Harrison | 321 | 6.7 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,505 | 52.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,813 | 34.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 7.6 | |

### Heckmondwike

Heckmondwike :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Viv Kendrick | 1,985 | 43.5 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative | Itrat Ali | 1,317 | 28.9 | −13.1 |
| | Workers Party | Zahid Kahut | 952 | 20.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josie Pugsley | 309 | 6.8 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 668 | 14.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,563 | 34.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 5.7 | |

### Holme Valley North

Holme Valley North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony McGrath | 1,739 | 33.1 | +0.2 |
| | Independent | Terry Lyons | 1,667 | 31.7 | −3.1 |
| | Labour | Ben Lockley | 1,214 | 23.1 | +1.1 |
| | Green | Samuel Midgley | 364 | 6.9 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kingsley Hill | 206 | 3.9 | +0.9 |
| | Reform UK | Susan Laird | 63 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,253 | 39.3 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | 1.7 | |

### Holme Valley South

Holme Valley South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Moses Crook | 3,016 | 46.8 | +11.0 |
| | Conservative | Damian Brook | 2,710 | 42.0 | −4.9 |
| | Green | Darryl Gould | 453 | 7.0 | ±0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew McCaig | 266 | 4.1 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 306 | 4.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,445 | 42.2 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 8.0 | |

### Kirkburton

Kirkburton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Armer | 2,450 | 49.6 | −4.7 |
| | Green | Richard Burton | 1,690 | 34.2 | ±0.0 |
| | Labour | Soyeb Yusuf | 670 | 13.6 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Waheed Anwar | 132 | 2.7 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 760 | 15.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,942 | 39.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.4 | |

### Lindley

Lindley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cahal Burke | 3,062 | 49.3 | +13.7 |
| | Conservative | David Heathcote | 2,069 | 33.3 | −6.4 |
| | Labour | Gulfam Asif | 844 | 13.6 | −5.0 |
| | Green | Ian Vincent | 233 | 3.8 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 993 | 16.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,208 | 40.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 10.1 | |

### Liversedge & Gomersal

Liversedge & Gomersal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hall | 2,364 | 56.6 | −1.6 |
| | Labour | Jude McKaig | 1,274 | 30.5 | +5.4 |
| | Green | Linda Simmons | 300 | 7.2 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Snee | 237 | 5.7 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,090 | 26.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,175 | 29.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.5 | |

### Mirfield

Mirfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Vivien Lees-Hamilton | 3,020 | 54.0 | −15.1 |
| | Labour | Geoff Kernan | 1,808 | 32.3 | +12.4 |
| | Green | Catherine Whittingham | 547 | 9.8 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Bird | 214 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,212 | 21.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,589 | 35.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 13.8 | |

### Newsome

Newsome :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Karen Allison | 2,360 | 60.6 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Mohammed Safdar | 984 | 25.3 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | John Roberts | 379 | 9.7 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Wilkinson | 106 | 2.7 | +1.1 |
| | Yorkshire | Bikatshi Katenga | 68 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,376 | 35.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,897 | 30.8 | |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | 0.1 | |