2024 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election explained

Election Name:2024 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election
Country:West Yorkshire
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Party Colour:yes
Election Date:2 May 2024
Previous Election:2023 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election
Previous Year:2023
Next Election:2026 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election
Next Year:2026
Seats For Election:17 of 51 seats on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Majority Seats:26
Turnout:34.8 (21.4)
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Leader1:Jane Scullion
Leaders Seat1:Luddendenfoot
Last Election1:28 seats, 44.1%
Seats1:29
Seat Change1: 1
Party2:Conservative Party (UK)
Leader2:Steven Leigh
Leaders Seat2:Ryburn
Last Election2:15 seats, 29.3%
Seats2:11
Seat Change2: 4
Party3:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Leader3:Paul Bellenger
Leaders Seat3:Greetland and Stainland
Last Election3:6 seats, 12.6%
Seats3:6
Party4:Green Party of England and Wales
Leader4:Unknown
Last Election4:2 seats, 12.1%
Seats4:3
Party5:Independent politician
Leader5:None
Last Election5:0 seats, 0.6%
Seats Needed5: 25
Seats5:1
Leader
Posttitle:Leader after election
Before Election:Jane Scullion
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Jane Scullion
After Party:Labour Party (UK)
Party6:Workers Party of Britain
Last Election6:N/A
Seats6:1
Seat Change6: 1
Leader6:Unknown

The 2024 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election was held on 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day. The council remained under Labour majority control.

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.[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 2023, seventeen seats were up for election. Labour won ten seats, the Conservatives won four seats, Liberal Democrats won two seats and the Greens won one seat.[3]

Seats up for election in 2024 were last elected in 2021. These elections were originally scheduled for 2020, but were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In that election, the Conservatives won nine seats, Labour won eight, and the Liberal Democrats won two. Labour retained its majority on the council at this election.[5]

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.[6] [7] 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 composition

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:

27146211
LabourConservativeLib DemGreenIndVac

After the election the composition of the council was:

29116311
LabourConservativeLib DemGreenIndWPB
After 2023 electionBefore 2024 electionAfter 2024 election
PartySeatsPartySeatsPartySeats
282729
151411
666
223
0 & vacant2 & other2

Changes between 2023 & 2024:

Ward results

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk.[10]

Brighouse

Calder

Elland

Greetland and Stainland

Hipperholme and Lightcliffe

Ilingworth and Mixenden

Luddendenfoot

Northowram and Shelf

Ovenden

Park

Rastrick

Ryburn

Skircoat

Sowerby Bridge

Todmorden

Town

Warley

Notes and References

  1. Book: Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System . 1974 . . London . 0-11-750847-0 . 7 .
  2. Web site: West Yorkshire devolution deal. 2022-01-22. GOV.UK. 26 March 2021 . en.
  3. Web site: Healey . Shawna . 2023-05-05 . Local elections 2023: Here are the full results for who has been elected to join Calderdale Council - see who won where you live . 2024-03-30 . Halifax Courier.
  4. News: 2020-03-13 . Coronavirus: English local elections postponed for a year . 2024-03-30 . BBC News . en-GB.
  5. News: Calderdale result - Local Elections 2021 . 2024-03-30 . BBC News . en-GB.
  6. News: Local government structure and elections. GOV.UK. 2018-04-27. en.
  7. Web site: Election Timetable in England.
  8. Web site: Boothroyd . David . 2023-12-29 . Wakey day for one councillor . 2024-03-30 . www.localcouncils.co.uk.
  9. Web site: Boothroyd . David . 2024-03-01 . Horsham switchover . 2024-03-30 . LocalCouncils.co.uk.
  10. News: Greenwood . John . Calderdale local election results 2024 . 20 June 2024 . Halifax Courier . 4 May 2024.