Fight on for poll position
ALL 118 COUNCIL CANDIDATES HAVE NOW BEEN REVEALED IN HISTORIC LOCAL ELECTIONS SET TO BE LIKE NO OTHER
THE 118 candidates set to fight in the local election in Kirklees have been revealed.
In total 25 seats are being contested across 23 wards, with Golcar and Birstall and Birkenshaw under extra scrutiny as more than one seat is up for grabs following Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat resignations and retirements.
Campaigning was suspended following the announcement of the death of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.
That may continue into next week as a mark of respect.
The local elections in Kirklees will take place alongside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayoral election on May 6.
However many expect the majority of voting to take place via post, with physical voting on election day itself reduced to a minimum.
In Kirklees some adjustments have been made to traditional polling stations, with some smaller portable venues altered to bricks and mortar sites to comply with Covid restrictions and safety requirements.
The main count will take place at Cathedral House in Huddersfield, although counting is likely to be broken up into separate, smaller rooms. Access to the counting floor is also set to be limited.
May 6 has been dubbed “Super Thursday” as the country will go to the polls for district, county, metropolitan councils, and police and crime commissioners as well as the mayoral elections in London and West Yorkshire.
Voting will take place on Thursday, May 6, followed by verification on Friday, May 7.
Local counting will be carried out on Saturday, May 8 with counting for the West Yorkshire Mayoral election taking place on May 9.
Among those defending their seats are Council Leader and Labour Group leader Shabir Pandor, Labour Cabinet members Naheed Mather and Graham Turner, and chair of the influential Strategic Planning Committee, Steve Hall, also a Labour man.
The Conservatives’ group business manager Richard Smith and Liberal Democrat veteran and peer Kath Pinnock are also facing challenges along with Green group leader Andrew Cooper and Independent group leader Charles Greaves.