A full list of candidates for Kirklees Council local elections will be announced in late March. Election day is Thursday 6th May.
Euro Elections
Nearly 9% voted Green in Yorkshire & the Humber
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the Green vote went up from 6% to 9% - narrowly missing out to the first BNP MEP. Ironically, the BNP's new MEP lives in Harrogate, a borough where the BNP polled only 1,887 votes compared with the Green Party's 3,845. In Kirklees the Green Party vote was 9.61% a 46% increase on 2004.
The North West Greens very narrowly missed winning a seat where the BNP leader was elected. Highlights of the Green vote in the North West included Manchester, where the Greens finished in third place, on 13.6%, ahead of the Conservatives. Ironically, while the Green vote was up from 6% to 8%, the BNP vote actually fell numerically compared with 2004.
In Eastern region, where the Green vote increased from 6% in 2004 to 9%, Rupert Read narrowly missed being elected. In Norwich, the Greens came a comfortable first throughout the city, on 25% - good news ahead of the general election, when Green Party deputy leader Adrian Ramsay will contest the Norwich South target seat.
The constituencies where the Green vote was closest to securing a seat included, Eastern region, Scotland, North West and Yorkshire & the Humber
National Vote up 44%
In the European elections, the Green Party's vote in England & Wales increased by about 44% compared with 2004 - yet the Greens still returned only 2 MEPs.
But the party's results show considerable promise for the coming general election, with the Greens having defeated all comers in the parliamentary constituencies which will be contested by the party's leader and deputy leader.
Party leader Caroline Lucas was re-elected comfortably, with the South East Green Party vote up by half, from 8% to 12%, finishing ahead of Labour. Dr Lucas's bid for election to the Westminster Parliament received a huge boost from a vote of 33.7% in Brighton and Hove. The Greens came first in Brighton and Hove, almost 6,000 votes ahead of the Conservatives, and with more than double Labour's vote across three parliamentary constituencies. Caroline Lucas will be contesting the Brighton Pavilion seat in the general election.
Jean Lambert successfully defended her London seat, overtaking UKIP. In Lewisham, the Greens polled 22%, close behind Labour on 25%. This looks promising for the Lewisham Deptford target constituency in the general election, a seat to be contested by Darren Johnson AM, the current chair of the London Assembly.
The European Green Group will be much stronger after this election with over 50 seats. The French Greens, for example, have gained 8 seats, more than doubling their representation to 14 seats.
European Election Results 2009
A full results analysis is outlined below. Our result holds up well in Yortkshire & the Humber and is on a par with the target regions. The regional strength in town and city councillor groups again shows through.
Election Results analysis
Yorkshire & the Humber by electoral area by percentage :
2009
2004
% increase
York
13.76
9.19
50%
Sheffield
11.43
7.37
55%
Craven
10.47
7.39
42%
Calderdale
9.82
6.33
55%
Kirklees
9.61
6.59
46%
Leeds
9.44
6.42
47%
Richmondshire
9.14
4.71
94%
Scarborough
9.05
6.59
37%
Ryedale
8.92
6.19
44%
Bradford
8.81
5.57
58%
Harrogate
8.38
5.3
58%
East Riding of Yorkshire
7.97
4.58
74%
Kingston Upon Hull
7.74
4.62
68%
Hambleton
7.54
5.44
39%
Selby
6.49
4.76
36%
Wakefield
6.24
4.57
37%
North Lincolnshire
6.24
4.14
51%
Barnsley
6.18
4.39
41%
North East Lincolnshire
5.99
4.44
35%
Rotherham
5.26
4.22
25%
Doncaster
5.18
4.45
16%
Overall
8.52
6.2
40%
National results by region :
2009
% increase
MEPs
South East
11.6
3.8
Caroline Lucas
London
10.9
2.5
Jean Lambert
South West
9.3
2.1
Eastern
8.8
3.2
Yorkshire & the Humber
8.5
2.8
North West
7.7
2.1
East Midlands
6.8
1.4
West Midlands
6.2
1.1
North East
5.8
1
Wales
5.6
2
Total
8.7
2.5
Greens Success in Kirklees Local Elections 2008
Cllr Andrew Cooper re-elected
Kirklees Green Party fielded candidates in 21 of the 23 Kirklees wards on 1st May 2008. In Newsome ward Andrew Cooper (photo below), leader of the Green Group on Kirklees Council, was re-elected with a majority of over one thousand votes. He has now successfully won the election in Newsome Ward on four occasions.
In Kirkburton, Michelle Atkinson mounted a strong challenge to the Conservatives and acheived over 1800 votes on her first Kirklees election putting the Green Party in a good position to win the next Kirkburton seat in 2010.
There will be 4 Green councillors on Kirklees Council, on which no party has an overall majority. The new council will consist of 22 Conservatives, 21 Labour, 19 Liberal Democrat, 4 Green and 3 Others.
Watch the Green Party Local Elections Webcast for the 2008 Elections
If you want to see what a difference the Greens make to Kirklees Council you can now watch a Local Election webcast on YouTube. It features Green councillors and Michelle Atkinson, candidate for Kirkburton in the May local election.
This election broadcast is a first for Kirklees Greens in communicating to the electorate the value of electing Green councillors. To view it on YouTube you can click on the link above.
Labour retained this seat and now have one of the three councillors for the ward and the Liberal Democrats have the other two. In this by-election, the Green vote was squeezed in a closely fought campaign between Labour and the Lib Dems.
Election
results for Dalton 2008
LAB
Labour
McBride, Peter
1397
40.5%
LIBDEM
Liberal Democrat
Munro, Alison Louise
1155
33.5%
CON
Conservative
Leonard, Martin James
605
17.5%
BNP
British National Party
Wright, Jonathan
157
4.5%
GREEN
Green Party
Hargreaves, David
103
3%
IND
Independent
Walder, Colin Anthony
34
1%
Total Votes
3451
Majority
242
Turnout
27.49%
Kirklees Elections
Kirklees Greens launch 2008 Local Election Manifesto
The 2008 Local Election Manifesto was published by Kirklees Green Party on 16 April 2008. The Manifesto contains background on the success of the Green Group in the past year and highlights area of Green Party local campaigning. There also pledges for the coming year. It covers Economy, Energy, Education, Health, Housing, Local Food, Transport, Waste as well as the Work of Kirklees Council.
Kirklees Green Party made a major breakthrough in the local elections
on 3rd May by wnning their 4th Councillor in Kirklees. Derek Hardcastle
won the Kirkburton Ward for the first time with a strong 453 majority
convicingly beating the sitting Conservative Councillor . This result
has been a long time coming with Derek missing victory in the previous 3
elections by less than a 100 votes. To add to the tally of Green wins in
Kirkburton the Green Party won 11 seats on Kirkburton Parish Council to
become the largest party on the Parish.
In the Green's Stronghold of Newsome Councillor Julie Stewart-Turner was
returned with a whopping 1000+ majority. Labour put out a scurrilous
leaflet telling straightforward lies about Green Party action in
Newsome and taking credit for Green Party initiatives that they had
absoloutely nothing to do with. We have now won every election Newsome
since 1996.
Kirklees is now run by a minority Conservative Administration which was
elected with support from Lib Dem and Green Party Councillors,
"This decision was not taken lightly" said Councillor Andrew Cooper,"
We have gained significant concessions which will include unprecedented
financial support to enable over a thousand householders to install
renewable energy in their homes. This arrangement is for 1 year only and
any further support will depend on delivery of Green Party policy
objectives. A deal with Labour was not an option due to the
untrustworthiness of their Leader."
There was a wide e-debate among the Kirklees Green Party membership
prior to the Annual Council Meeting where the majority of members backed
the Green Councillors approach.
Election
results for Kirkburton 2007
GREEN
Green Party
Derek Hardcastle
2219
Elected
CON
Conservative
Mark Hemingway
1766
LAB
Labour
Mike Greetham
570
BNP
British National Party
Christine Thompson
295
LIBDEM
Liberal Democrat
Gerald Edinburgh
163
ED
English Democrat
Ivan Purkiss
96
Total Votes
5109
Majority
453
Turnout
41.3%
Election
results for Newsome 2007
GREEN
Green Party
Julie Stewart-Turner
2083
Elected
LAB
Labour
Jamil Akhtar
1035
CON
Conservative
Neil Drake
541
LIBDEM
Liberal Democrat
David Wainwright
296
Total Votes
3955
Majority
1048
Turnout
30.9%
Kirklees Parish Elections 2007:
Your new Green Party Parish Councillors
KIRKBURTON PARISH
GREEN PARTY COUNCILLORS ELECTED
Thurstonland and Farnley Tyas
Robert Barraclough and Andrew Cooper
Lepton and Whitley Upper
Adrian Cruden
Kirkburton
Derek Hardcastle*, Howard Seymour, John Heward, Geoff Hickey, Brian Moreton
Lepton
Richard Burton*, Peter Cunnington*, and Sharon Dunford elected
The next Local Elections will be held in May 2010. Kirklees
Green Party value the growing support we are receiving. Local councillors
are your representatives, use us to ensure your views and voice make a
positive difference to the communities you live in.
Voting
in 2010
Voting in the
2008 Local Elections will be at Polling Stations though
you will be able to vote by post, or proxy, if you register to do so.
For a postal vote contact Kirklees Electoral Services:Tel: 01484 222400
or by email: electoral.registration@kirklees.gov.
Want
to vote for a Greener Kirklees in 2010 then please check that you are
registered to vote by contacting the Electoral Services: Tel: 01484 222400
or by email: electoral.registration@kirklees.gov.
To qualify to vote in May 2010 you must be registered with Kirklees Council
Electoral Services Office by March 2010 at the latest. Click
to download a PDF
of the Electoral Registration Form from the Council's website.
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