Candidates named for City Hall seats

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are fielding candidates in every ward in next month’s local elections.

Labour’s deputy leader Councillor Imran Hussain, one of those seeking re-election, said his party was confident of a good result this year.

He said: “We are contesting all seats as usual and we are very hopeful across the district.”

At the last election two years ago, the Conservatives didn’t stand candidates in every ward, but its group leader welcomed the full show this time round.

Coun Glen Miller said: “We have had numerous candidates, and people to spare. It shows people are willing to stand up for Conservative values.”

However, his party faces stiff competition from the UK Independence Party, which does not currently have any local councillors but is hoping to cause an upset and has fielded candidates in 16 wards.

The Greens have fielded 15 candidates, the Respect party has nine candidates and a party called ‘Brit Dems stop immigration leave EU’ has two.

Usually, 30 Council seats are contested at each local election, representing a third of the Council chamber.

This year, there will be 31 seats, following the death of sitting Craven councillor Michael Kelly (Con) earlier this year.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said she thought one of the most interesting contests would be in Bradford Moor.

There, sitting Labour councillor Mohammed Shafiq faces competition from former Liberal Democrat councillor Riaz Ahmed, who is hoping to return to City Hall after losing his Bradford Moor seat to Respect two years ago.

Also contesting this seat are Arshad Ali, a senior figure in the Respect party, and Conservative Mohammed Tunveer.

Another seat to watch will be Thornton and Allerton, where sitting councillor Valerie Binney (Con) is standing down because of ill health.

FIghting to replace her are former Conservative councillor Clive Richardson, Susan Elliott of the Liberal Democrats and Labour candidate Richard Dunbar.

The other retiring councillor is Councillor David Gray (Lib Dem) of Bolton and Undercliffe.

One of those competing for his seat is Rachel Sunderland for the Liberal Democrats, who is Coun Sunderland’s daughter. She is up against Labour’s Frank Dignan and the Tories’ Christopher Clapham.

Voters will go to the polls on May 22 and anyone wanting to vote must register by May 6.

The candidates:

Baildon
Joe Ashton (Labour); Ian Lyons (Liberal Democrats for a greener Britain); Alexander Newsham (Green); Val Townend* (Conservative).
Bingley
Christine Briggs (Lib Dem); Lynne Edgley (UKIP); David Heseltine* (Conservative); Andrew Mawson (Labour); Darren Parkinson (Green).
Bingley Rural
Michael Ellis* (Conservative); Stephen Henry (UKIP); Kay Kirkham (Lib Dem); Andrew McCormick (Labour and Co-Operative); Brian Newham (Green).
Bolton and Undercliffe
Christopher Clapham (Conservative); Frank Dignan (Labour); Rachel Sunderland (Lib Dem).
Bowling and Barkerend
Rizwana Jamil (Labour); Ashraf Miah (Respect); Zaf Shah (Conservative); Michael Stelling (Lib Dem).
Bradford Moor
Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem); Arshad Ali (Respect); Mohammed Shafiq* (Labour); Mohammed Tunveer (Conservative).
City
Syed Ali (Respect); Nazam Azam* (Labour); Shahid Nabi (Conservative); Stacey Yeadon (Lib Dem).
Clayton Fairweather Green
Sinead Engel* (Labour); Nicola Pollard (Lib Dem); Andrea Taylor (Conservative); James Vasey (UKIP).
Craven – two seats
Christopher Atkinson (Ind); Val Carroll (Labour); Catherine Coates (Ind); Kathryn Forrest (Green); Sam Harris (Lib Dem); Andrew Mallinson* (Conservative); Luke Maunsell (Labour); David Mullen (Ind); Michael Powell (Lib Dem); Andrew Rowley (Conservative).
Eccleshill
Steve Davison (Labour), Robert Nicholls (Green), Terry Pearson (Conservative), Geoff Reid* (Lib Dem)
Great Horton
James Beech (UKIP), Joanne Dodds* (Lab); Joseph Hayat (Respect), Mary Slingsby (Lib Dem); Abdul Zaman (Conservative)
Heaton
Peter Davis (Respect); David Ford (Green); Imdad Hussain* (The Peace Party); Sajid Mahmood (Conservative), Mike McNally (Lib Dem); Nussrat Mohammed (Lab)

Idle and Thackley
Dominic Fear (Lib Dem); Peter Mills (Conservative); Angela Tait (Lab)

Ilkley
Peter Ferguson (Lib Dem); Brian Ford (Green); Mike Gibbons* (Conserative); Paul Latham (UKIP); Sandy Macpherson (Lab)

Keighley Central
Akbar Ali (Conservative); Rohman Ali (Green); George Firth (UKIP); Abid Hussain* (Lab); Pauline Rogan (Lib Dem)
Keighley East
Ian Bannister (UKIP); Judith Brooksbank (Lib Dem); Allan Doherty (Conservative); Shazad Murtaza (Respect); Steve Pullen* (Lab)
Keighley West
Barbara Archer (Green); Ryam Brown (Conservative); Keith Dredge* (Lab); Brian Morris (UKIP); Jack Taylor (Lib Dem)
Little Horton
Shabir Butt (Lib Dem); Altaf Hussain (Conservative); Naveeda Ikram* (Lab); Shamsher Malik (Respect)
Manningham
Margaret Chadwick (Lib Dem); Naweed Hussain (Respect); Shabir Hussain* (Lab); Hassan Nadim (Conservative) John Robinson (Green)
Queensbury
Paul Cromie* (Independent); John Robertshaw (Conservative); Jason Smith (UKIP); Rosie Watson (Lab), Ruth Weston (Lib Dem)
Royds
Shauna Devonshire (Lib Dem); James Lewthwaite (Brit Dems stop immigration leave EU); David Servant (Conservative); Val Slater* (Lab); John Worsley (UKIP)
Shipley
Tom Banks (Conservative); Philip Bird (UKIP); Aidan Enright (Labour); Hawarun Hussain* (Green); Liam preston (Lib Dem)
Thornton and Allerton
Richard Dunbar (Labour); Susan Elliott (Lib Dem); Clive Richardson (Conservative)
Toller
Bilal Ali (Respect); Imran Hussain* (Labour); James Kirkcaldy (Green); Hashim Kohan (Conservative); David Leeming (Lib Dem)

Tong
Liam Kernaghan (Brit Dems stop immigration leave EU); Bernie Pringle (UKIP); Alan Wainwright* (Labour); Edward Ward (Conservative); Kirsty Yeadon (Lib Dem)
Wharfedale
Gerry Barker (Conservative); Stephen Ellams (Independent); Janet Souyave (Green); Niccola Swan (Labour); Paul Treadwell (Lib Dem)
Wibsey
Brian Boulton (Lib Dem); Jamie Illingworth (UKIP); Richard Sheard (Conservative); Lynne Smith* (Labour)
Windhill and Wrose
Vanda Greenwood* (Labour); Vi La (UKIP); Helen Love (Green); Claire-Marie Parr (Conservative); Gillian Thorne (Lib Dem)
Worth Valley
Peter Corkindale (UKIP); Mark Curtis (Labour); Celia Hickson (Green); Glen Miller* (Conservative); Alan Sykes (Lib Dem)
Wyke
Neil Craig (Independent); Kevin Hall (Lib Dem); Richard Milczanowski (Conservative); David Warburton* (Labour); Lois Wood (UKIP)
*= sitting candidate