ON Thursday people across the district will go to the polls to vote in the local elections – where 30 of the 90 seats on Bradford Council will be up for grabs.
Like many councils, Bradford operates on a system where every council seat is up for grabs each four-year cycle.
Three of those years will include an election where a third of seats are contested, with a fourth year with no local elections.
The elections take place on Thursday, with the count beginning at 10am on Friday. The results should all be in by mid to late Friday afternoon.
In Bradford, 152 candidates are running for the 30 available seats, with Labour, Conservatives, and Greens fielding candidates in all wards.
Ahead of the elections the Telegraph & Argus asked all the parties fielding 10 or more candidates to send a statement to potential voters to let them know why they should vote for their candidates.
Bradford District Labour Group said: “As Labour councillors we care deeply about our local communities and it is a real privilege to serve. Our priorities are shaped by what you tell us you want to see. Clean and safe streets, better transport, more jobs and opportunities for our young people. These are the things we are getting on with delivering.
“Household budgets are stretched by the national cost of living crisis with many families feeling the impact of the Tory mismanagement of the economy which has led to higher rents and mortgages, food and utility bills. As a Labour Council we have rolled out extensive support for those hit hardest, such as warm spaces for older people, free activities for children during school holidays and our joint work with foodbanks and charities to get help where it’s needed.
“Given the challenges of the nation’s economy, it’s all the more vital we have a Labour Council getting on and delivering regeneration all across the district. Our residents tell us they want things to be different, they want a better future. That’s why we are working hard to deliver the positive change we all want to see, for a clean, green, attractive place to live and work.
“The investment in regeneration and culture by the council and our partners will create jobs, improve opportunities and grow the economy. Our year as UK City of Culture will be a brilliant celebration by the whole district, for the district, whilst bringing millions in investment.
“A vote for your local Labour councillor on May 2 is a vote for someone who cares passionately about your local area.”
A Conservative Party Spokesperson said: “I cannot think of a time when there have been more reasons to vote local Conservative candidates onto Bradford Council.
“Over the last few years, the Council’s Children’s Social Care has consistently been so poor that the responsibility for delivering the service has been handed to a Trust. This didn’t come after a single or small number of incidents, the council was given ample opportunity to turn the service around but simply weren’t up to the challenge.
“The council’s budgeting for Children’s Services was not given priority over less important responsibilities, even when it became apparent that they were in a downward spiral. They well and truly took their eye off the ball.
“The knock-on consequences of the Council’s mismanagement of its finances is now coming home to roost.
“The closure of Household Waste Recycling Centres will cause massive inconvenience and no doubt a sharp increase in fly tipping, blighting our streets and open areas and costing a small fortune for the council and numerous businesses to clear up. Only the Conservatives put forward an alternate plan to keep them all open.
“Libraries are at risk and the cost of using Council leisure facilities are set to rise way above inflation, as will everything provided by the Council. I dread to think what is to happen with parking charges and let’s not forget that Council Tax bills are going to soar to pay for far less services, as the Council repays the half a billion pounds that it is going to have to borrow over the next few years.
“The other “opposition” parties on the council usually vote in support of the Labour budget proposals, so a vote for anyone other than Conservative candidates is a vote for more chaos”.
A Green Party Spokesman said: “We are being let down by politics. The national government is an embarrassment, the official opposition are failing to do their job and now the cost of living is rising faster than many of us can cope with.
“Closer to home, Bradford residents are being let down by a Labour-run council that jumps from one crisis to another. Whether it is their failure to manage children services, the chaos with buses in the city centre and the uncertainty with Bradford Live. Our district cannot go on like this.
“Green councillors are already getting things done for their areas. We have a track record of standing up for our communities and prioritising what matters to residents.
“Whilst Labour are closing tips, Greens are pushing for action to tackle the litter and fly-tipping crisis across our district. We would be much tougher on rogue waste collection traders who collect waste for a fee and then fly-tip it in other parts of the district.
“We have joined community groups fighting to save green spaces from being lost to housing developments. Instead, we have pushed for the new homes we need to be built on the many brownfield sites across our district.
“We have consistently opposed the damaging plans to build new roads and widen existing ones. Instead, we need to invest in public transport and make it easier for people to get around our district on foot or by bike.
“Our high streets are struggling and there is a clear lack of proper planning to make our city centre and town centres work for small businesses and most importantly – the people of Bradford. We would support our high streets by making them cleaner, safer and more appealing to local shoppers to encourage people to shop locally.
“Our district needs a fresh start and fresh ideas to take us forward. Labour have let us down and the Conservatives have shown they can’t be trusted.”
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “Liberal Democrat Candidates across the district have been speaking to residents and one thing is clear. They are fed up with broken promises from the Conservatives in Government and repeated failure by Bradford’s Labour-run Council.
“A Council borrowing hundreds of millions to avoid bankruptcy, a city centre in chaos and years of failing to protect the most vulnerable combined with the almost daily chaos of a Conservative government that crashed the economy and is too scared to give people a chance for change. Labour’s failure to balance the budget has put pools, libraries, and many services at risk but the council's Labour leaders continue to downplay the failures, cover up bad news and bury their heads in the sand.
“Liberal Democrat candidates across the district are focused on three key areas. Tackling crime, protecting public services, and improving our local environment.
“We’re campaigning for more Police and resources to tackle crime. Liberal Democrats will tackle this head-on investing in enforcement officers, working with Police and other authorities to crack down on hotspots of trouble and focusing resources and services on the source of the problem.
“Liberal Democrats would re-focus the Council's neighbourhood services to ensure every area has environmental wardens and we would invest in fixing up the public realm in every neighbourhood.
Don’t let Labour off the hook. On Thursday, make sure you vote them out and support the Liberal Democrats on Thursday and help us to deliver for our district.”
A Yorkshire Party spokesman said: “We’ll regenerate derelict sites with new housing - more homes mean lower rents and prices. All new buildings need solar panels and proper insulation, and we’ll retrofit existing homes – reducing the cost-of-living.
“New homes need new infrastructure, GPs, dentists, schools and transport.
“Many people find it difficult to find a home, especially without a long record of having paid rent. We’ll introduce a rent-guarantor scheme, to bring tenants and landlords together.
“We need a West Yorkshire Metro, with elevated and underground sections, to cut through congestion. It will deliver quicker journeys than trams and buses.
“We’ll introduce a Yorkshire Travel Pass, delivering the best deals for trains and buses - no peak time hikes, no cross-border penalties, no need for advanced booking.
“Police must uphold the law without fear or favour and no crimes should be tolerated.
“Burglaries, shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and road crime have been allowed to rise.
“We’ll increase frontline policing by cutting down on tick-box training courses, which will free up 27,000 police-days a year.
“We will also encourage better social cohesion, with more intercommunity events and youth centres.
“Only the Yorkshire Party will give Bradford and the whole county new leadership and new ambition. Your votes can force London-based parties to take our problems seriously, and provide stronger local powers and fairer investment in transport, housing and crime prevention.
“Yorkshire Party” is the best tactical vote you can make.”
There are also numerous candidates running as independents, and other parties represented in the candidate list include Reform UK, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, British Democrats, Social Democrats, and UKIP – Protect Free Speech.
The Telegraph & Argus will be running a live blog on the Election Count from Friday morning.
The final list of candidates is below:
BAILDON
Ashton, Joe – Independent
Davies, Debbie – Local Conservatives
Dixon, Gill – Labour
Dunk, Carl Andrew – Green
Wilkinson, David John – Liberal Democrats
BINGLEY
Dearden, Marcus Peter – Labour
Drucquer, Rachael Katharine – Green Party
Golding, Paul – Local Conservatives
Russell, Peter Shannon – Liberal Democrats
BINGLEY RURAL
Baranowski, Helen – Liberal Democrats
Kimber, Jenny – Labour
Newham, Brian – Green Party
Winnard, Geoff – Local Conservatives
BOLTON AND UNDERCLIFFE
Barras, Wendy – Yorkshire Party
Cunningham, Simon Mark – Labour Party
Gibson, Tom Ernest – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Gulland, Bruce Michael – Green Party
Harrison, Wendy – Conservative Party
Ward, David – Independent
BOWLING AND BARKEREND
Jamal, Ali – Conservative Party
Khan, Hassan Uzzaman – Labour
Middleton, Howard – Liberal Democrat
Rickford, Andy – Green
Uddin, Ismail – Independent
Wood, Kyle Michael – Yorkshire Party
BRADFORD MOOR
Ahmed, Riaz – Liberal Democrats
Alipoor, Margaret – Labour
Longhorn, Darren James – Yorkshire Party
Shana, Tkay – Conservative Party
Wood, Andrew Norman – Green Party
CITY
Ahmed, Aneela – Labour & Co-Operative Party
Kirk, Peter – Conservative Party
Saleem, Rizwan – Independent
Tadych, Mateusz – Green Party
CLAYTON AND FAIRWEATHER GREEN
Cotterill, Steven Michael – Liberal Democrats
Hassell, Susan Elizabeth – Green Party
Hussain, Sharat – Independent
Ilyas, Mozalfa – Labour
Lawton, Kate – Conservative Party
CRAVEN
Buckley, George William – Conservative Party
Kaye, Peter John – Yorkshire Party
Knight, Andrew Mark James – Labour Party
Mann, Paul Michael – Liberal Democrats
Robinson, Leo Alexander – UKIP – Protect Free Speech
Whitaker, Neil Charles – Green Party
ECCLESHILL
Barras, Jonathan Daniel Stewart – Yorkshire Party
Fretwell, Laura – Trade Union and Socialist Coalition
Martin, Vera – Labour
Rasool, Ur – Conservative Party
Stubbs, Brendan Robert – Liberal Democrats
Vanicat, Sophie Francine – Green party
GREAT HORTON
Grant, William John – Yorkshire Party
Jabar, Abdul – Labour
Khan, Sangeeta Kauser – Conservative Party
Moses, Sarah Mary – Liberal Democrats
Prosser, Steven George – Green Party
Saddiq, Sirferaz – Independent
HEATON
Ahmed, Ishtiaq – Independent
Butler, Stephen Mark – Conservative Party
Hussain, Ibrar – Labour Party
Mahmood, Khalid – Green Party
IDLE & THACKLEY
Barras, Lara Joy – Yorkshire Party
Basit, Shihab-ud-deen Basim Ahmad – Conservative Party
Griffiths, Alun Owen – Liberal Democrats
Lawrence, Tess – Green
Logan, Gareth – Labour Party
Baldwin, Michael Andrew – Labour Party
Briggs, John – Liberal Democrat
Brown, Ros – Green Party
Hawkesworth, Anne Gillian – Independent
Sugden, Joanne – Conservative Party
KEIGHLEY CENTRAL
Abberton, Clare Alison – Conservative Party
Allon, Nick – Liberal Democrats
Ferguson, Peter Alan – Green Party
Hussain, Moshin – Labour
Shabir, Vaz – Independent
KEIGHLEY EAST
Ahmed, Fulzar – Labour
Allon, Pauline Heather – Liberal Democrats
Ambler, Jenna – Conservative Party
Hunnisett, Duncan Nigel Stuart – Green Party
Razak, Nasser – Independent
Vann, Alexander Richard – Social Democratic Party
KEIGHLEY WEST
Atlas, Dominic James – Yorkshire Party
Farley, Adrian Stuart – Green Party
Glentworth, Julie – Conservative Party
Hewitt, David John – Liberal Democrats
Judson, Andrew Mark – Reform UK
O’Keeffe, Joe – Labour Party
LITTLE HORTON
Ali Arobi, Nurjahan – Green Party
Bell, Elizabeth Charlotte – Conservative Party
Buxton, Bob – Yorkshire Party
Mawson, Andrew – Labour
Sajawal, Talat – Independent
MANNINGHAM
Burns, Harry Alexander Nickson – Conservative Party
Fetherston, Anne Betts – Green Party
Hussain, Adil Shann – Labour Party
Islam, Muhammed Ali – Independent
QUEENSBURY
Dodwell, Eithne – Green Party
Hussain, Mobeen – Labour
Majkowski, Luke – Independent
Paterson, Adam Luke – Conservative
Whitrick, Mary – Liberal Democrats
ROYDS
Daw, Michael John – Green Party
Emmanuel, Ekoumba Bayap – Conservative
Hainsworth, Richard Michael – Reform UK
Riach, Ines Linda – Liberal Democrats
Thornton, Andrew – Labour
SHIPLEY
Elgar, Jane Rosemary – Labour
Errington, Nicholas Andrew – Liberal Democrats
Hussain, Qais – Local Conservatives
Love, Martin John – Green
Moncaster, Phil – Reform UK
Nagbea – Independent
THORNTON & ALLERTON
Ahmed, Quamar – Independent
Goulding, Robert George – Conservative
Griffiths, Anthea Lynne – Liberal Democrats
Mullaney, Beverley Winifred – Labour
Sorrell, Ismena Clare – Green
TOLLER
Ford, Brian Richard – Green
Hussain, Arshad – Labour
Malik, Atira – Independent
Sharp, Jonty – Conservative
TONG
Edwards, Matt – Green
Elliott, Susan Ann – Liberal Democrats
Herdson, David John Rowntree – Yorkshire Party
Lum, Gladys Akenji – Conservative Party
Ratcliffe, Sharon – Labour
WHARFEDALE
Felstead, Bob – Local Conservatives
Martins, Rachel – Yorkshire Party
Needle, Jamie Luke – Liberal Democrats
O’Connor, Bernard James – Labour
Turner, Chris – Green
WIBSEY
Head, Stacey – Yorkshire Party
Ilyas, Faiz – Labour
Lubenko, Suzanne Julia – Liberal Democrats
Peterken, Nick – Independent
Radice, Alexander Thomas – Green
Rajput, Owais – Conservative Party
WINDHILL & WROSE
Gill, James Andrew – Local Conservatives
Ross Shaw, Alex – Labour
Thorne, Gillian – Liberal Democrats
Wood, John – Green
WORTH VALLEY
Brown, Russell – Conservatives
Joomun-Whitehead, Ashwaan – Labour
Kirkham, Kay – Liberal Democrats
Telfer, Alyson Claire - Green
WYKE
Hall, Kevin Anthony – Liberal Democrats
Hughes, Tom – Labour Party
Lewthwaite, James Graham – British Democrats
McLean, Malcolm Arthur – Conservative Party
Parkinson, Darren James – Green
Walker, Ian – Reform UK
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