Reform UK councillor Sarah Wood has been elected as the new leader of Kirklees Council, ending a two-month political stalemate that left the authority without a permanent figurehead. The secret ballot took place at Huddersfield Town Hall on Wednesday 15 July, with Cllr Wood securing 36 votes in favour to 30 against, and one abstention, as confirmed by the council’s news service.
The vote brings to a close a period of uncertainty that began after the local elections on 7 May, when Reform UK emerged as the largest party with 29 of the 69 seats but fell short of a majority. Two previous attempts to elect a leader, on 20 May and 28 May, descended into disorder and failed to produce a winner. Cllr Wood’s main opponent, Green Party group leader Andrew Cooper, received 30 votes backing his bid, with 36 against. Speaking after the result, Cllr Cooper said he was pleased the “sorry saga” was over, though he voiced concern about a “real lack of detail” in Reform’s plans.
The new leader, a first-time councillor for Liversedge and Gomersal ward, will now appoint a cabinet to steer the council’s decision-making and oversee services across the borough. During the deadlock, day-to-day leadership fell to the chief executive, and some meetings with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority were missed. Cllr Wood acknowledged after the earlier failed votes that she had not grasped many council processes, but she stated after her victory that Reform councillors have since undergone extensive training and are fully prepared.
With a slender margin of victory and no overall majority, the new administration will need cross-party cooperation to govern effectively. The Greens confirmed they will serve as the main opposition, pledging to “work constructively” while scrutinising the new leadership’s decisions.
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