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2012 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election

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2012 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election
← 2011 3 May 2012 2014 →
17 of 51 seats on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Tim Swift
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Town
Seats before 13 21 13
Seats won 9 5 3
Seats after 20 17 12
Seat change Increase7 Decrease4 Decrease1
Leader before election

Janet Battye
Liberal Democrat (UK)

Leader after election

Tim Swift
Labour

2012 local election results in Calderdale

Background

[edit]

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.[1] 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.[2]

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.

Electoral process

[edit]

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.[3][4] 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

[edit]
Party Councillors Votes
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%

The 2012 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council in West Yorkshire, England.[5] This was on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections. After the election the council continued to have no overall control and continue to be run by a coalition between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.


The Warley Councillor Keith Hutson stepped down in 2012 for health reasons. A by-election was held on 19 July 2012. The seat was held by the Liberal Democrats with James Baker winning the seat.[6]

In this year Councillor Nader Fekri for Calder ward defected to Labour from the Liberal Democrats in 2012 saying that he could no longer support the coalition in the national parliament with the Conservatives.[7]

In April 2013 the coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats collapsed as Labour pulled out over disagreements over benefit cuts.[8] Labour continued to run the council as a minority administration.[9]

Council composition

[edit]

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

↓
13 21 13 1 3
Labour Conservative Lib Dem ILD Ind

After the election the composition of the council was:

↓
20 17 12 2
Labour Conservative Lib Dem Ind
Party Previous council New council
Labour 13 20
Conservative 21 17
Liberal Democrats 13 12
Independent 3 2
Ind. Lib Dem 1 0
Total 51 51

Ward results

[edit]

Brighouse ward

[edit]
Brighouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ann Martin 1,329 47.1 +25.1
Conservative Howard Blagbrough 1,195 42.3 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Jennie Rigg 273 9.8 −28.0
Majority 134 4.7
Turnout 2,822 32.7 −6.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

The incumbent was Howard Blagbrough for the Conservative Party.

Calder ward

[edit]
Calder
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Janet Battye 1,599 39.1 +7.0
Labour Susan Press 1,454 35.5 +4.8
Green Kate Sweeny 541 13.2 −10.9
Conservative Gail Lund 477 11.7 −1.4
Majority 145 3.5
Turnout 4,093 44.9 +3.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

The incumbent was Janet Battye for the Liberal Democrats.

Elland ward

[edit]
Elland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pat Allen 950 36.4 −7.6
Labour Angi Gallagher 829 31.8 +20.4
Conservative Mike Payne 595 22.8 −6.4
Green Susan Thomas 225 8.6 +3.1
Majority 121 4.6
Turnout 2,607 30.9 −2.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

The incumbent was Pat Allen for the Liberal Democrats.

Greetland & Stainland ward

[edit]
Greetland & Stainland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Malcolm James 1,121 41.4 −4.3
Conservative Keith Watson 751 27.8 −3.4
Labour Jim Gallagher 527 19.5 +11.3
Green Mark Mullany 297 11.0 +5.4
Majority 370 13.7
Turnout 2,705 31.9 −4.79
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

The incumbent was Keith Watson for the Conservative Party.

Hipperholme & Lightcliffe ward

[edit]
Hipperholme & Lightcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Hall 1,322 42.8 −25.7
Independent Chris O'Connor 930 30.1 N/A
Labour Anthony Rutherford 722 25.4 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Mat Bowles 106 3.4 −14.5
Majority 392 12.7
Turnout 3,090 35.3 −3.1
Conservative hold Swing

The incumbent was Graham Hall for the Conservative Party.

Illingworth & Mixenden ward

[edit]
Illingworth & Mixenden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lisa Lambert 1,224 40.8 +11.4
Independent Tom Bates 968 32.3 −6.1
Conservative Andrew Tagg 673 22.4 −0.6
Independent Sean Loftus 76 2.5 −1.1
Liberal Democrats Glen Mattock 50 1.7 −3.9
Majority 256 8.5
Turnout 2,998 32.7 −4.4
Labour gain from Independent Swing

The incumbent was Tom Bates, an independent.

Luddendenfoot ward

[edit]
Luddendenfoot
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Young 1,263 41.3 +25.0
Liberal Democrats Christine Bampton-Smith 948 31.0 −10.4
Conservative Gillian Smith-Moorhouse 823 26.9 −5.4
Majority 315 10.3
Turnout 3,060 37.9 −3.1
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

The incumbent was Christine Bampton-Smith for the Liberal Democrats.

Northowram & Shelf ward

[edit]
Northowram & Shelf
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Caffrey 1,705 56.6 +7.6
Labour Gary Walsh 1,094 36.3 +21.6
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Albret 181 6.0 −0.7
Majority 611 20.3
Turnout 3,014 33.1 −7.0
Conservative hold Swing

The incumbent was Graham Hall for the Conservative Party.

Ovenden ward

[edit]
Ovenden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Anne Collins 1,255 68.1 +23.3
Conservative Christopher Blakey 367 19.9 −5.4
Liberal Democrats John Reynolds 186 10.1 −3.0
Majority 888 43.2
Turnout 1,843 21.8 −3.6
Labour hold Swing

The incumbent was Danielle Coombs for the Labour Party.

Park ward

[edit]
Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Lynn 2,657 63.6 +25.9
Conservative Shakir Saghir 838 20.1 +9.1
Liberal Democrats Mohammad Ilyas 651 15.6 −25.7
Majority 1,819 43.6
Turnout 4,176 46.1 −4.8
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

The incumbent was Mohammad Ilyas for the Liberal Democrats.

Rastrick ward

[edit]
Rastrick
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ann McAllister 1,311 49.8 +0.8
Labour Peter Judge 1,046 39.8 +18.6
TUSC Rob Bailey 258 9.8 N/A
Majority 265 10.1
Turnout 2,631 30.6 −6.5
Conservative hold Swing

The incumbent was Ann McAllister for the Conservative Party.

Ryburn ward

[edit]
Ryburn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geraldine Carter 1,253 44.9 −9.3
Labour Judy Gannon 944 33.8 +17.5
Green Freda Davis 349 12.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Rosemary Tatchell 229 8.2 −21.3
Majority 309 11.1
Turnout 2,790 31.6 −4.4
Conservative hold Swing

The incumbent was Geraldine Carter for the Conservative Party.

Skircoat ward

[edit]
Skircoat
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hardy 1,496 41.0 −13.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Gow 1,104 30.3 −2.8
Labour Alistair Millington 778 21.3 +13.5
Green Charles Gate 251 6.9 +1.8
Majority 392 10.7
Turnout 3,647 38.4 −3.8
Conservative hold Swing

The incumbent was John Hardy for the Conservative Party.

Sowerby Bridge ward

[edit]
Sowerby Bridge
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Adam Wilkinson 1,422 52.5 +23.1
Conservative Andrew Feather 915 38.8 −8.8
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Ward 330 12.2 −0.2
Majority 507 18.7
Turnout 2,709 32.0 −3.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

The incumbent was Amanda Byrne for the Conservative Party.

Todmorden ward

[edit]
Todmorden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Steve Sweeney 1,072 35.2 +8.7
Liberal Democrats Olwen Jennings 874 28.7 +0.4
Conservative Ian Cooper 583 19.1 −13.4
BPP David Jones 257 8.4 N/A
Green John Nesbitt 246 8.1 N/A
Majority 198 6.5
Turnout 3,045 34.3 −3.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

The incumbent was Ian Cooper for the Conservative Party.

Town ward

[edit]
Town
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Megan Swift 1,389 63.0 +23.5
Conservative Stephen Collins 576 26.1 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Ruth Coleman-Taylor 206 9.3 −0.9
Majority 2,205 25.2
Turnout 2,205 25.2 −5.9
Labour hold Swing

The incumbent was Megan Swift for the Labour Party.

Warley ward

[edit]
Warley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Burton 1,259 40.8 +27.8
Liberal Democrats James Baker 1,146 37.1 −14.7
Conservative Christopher Pearson 658 21.3 −0.5
Majority 113 3.7
Turnout 3,089 35.5 −2.6
Labour gain from Ind. Lib Dem Swing

The incumbent was Robert Pearson, an independent Liberal Democrat.

By-elections between 2012 and 2014

[edit]

Warley ward, 2012

[edit]
Warley By-Election 19 July 2012 [10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats James Douglas Baker 1,066 41.56
Labour Jonathan Charles Timbers 896 34.93
Conservative Christopher James Pearson 454 17.70
Green Charles Gate 140 5.46
Majority 170 6.63
Turnout 2,565 29.06
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  2. ^ "West Yorkshire devolution deal". GOV.UK. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Local elections 2012". BBC News. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  6. ^ Lib-Dems hold on in Warley by-election. Halifax Courier. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  7. ^ Nader Fekri’s resignation letter. Halifax Courier. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  8. ^ Coalition deal to run Calderdale Council is ended by Labour group. Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  9. ^ Council’s new way is ‘fairer’. Halifax Courier. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  10. ^ Warley Ward By-Election, 2012. calderdale.gov.uk.
  11. ^ Lib-Dems hold on in Warley by-election. The Halifax Evening Courier.
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