Green vote no longer a 'wasted vote' says Calderdale leader after by-election win
Martin Hey says he found positive reaction on doorstep in Greater Manchester
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope you’ve all had a good week and are enjoying the first signs that spring has sprung.
In today’s edition we have local reaction to Hannah Spencer’s historic by-election victory for the Green Party in Gorton and Denton on Thursday (26 February).
We’ve spoken to Calderdale Greens leader Martin Hey who is, understandably, delighted to have a northern Green MP in Ms Spencer.
Find out what he has to say below.
Plus, a couple of nuggets in our usual Calderdale Digest.
So, on with the news…
Calderdale Digest
🚆 West Yorkshire leaders are set to give the go-ahead for the first phase of a project seeing a new rail station and improved cycling and walking infrastructure built in Elland.
The new station will be added to the Calder Valley line to improve the town’s transport links with the wider region and beyond, including Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford and Manchester, says West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).
Approval of walking and cycling improvements will allow works to start this year, ensuring progress is made on this key project before final approval for the station is sought later in 2026.
A new way of delivering the rail station itself will also be discussed at the WYCA meeting on March 12.
It would see responsibility for the build handed to Network Rail, harnessing its expertise in delivering complex rail infrastructure projects.
In total, the scheme is expected to cost around £70 million, according to WYCA.
🏢 Households in Calderdale are to see council tax bills rise by nearly 5% after the budget for the next financial year was agreed by the local authority.
The 4.99% increase - the most allowed without having to hold a referendum - is the same rise as in April last year, with most properties expected to see an annual increase of £77.79.
The council’s budget for 2026-27 will be almost £283m, with plans to spend an extra £4m a year on road repairs, £844,000 supporting adult social care and £100,000 on boosting fly-tipping enforcement.
Scott Patient, the council’s deputy leader, said the budget gave “hope again we can really make Calderdale a better place”.
A majority of councillors approved budget recommendations from the council’s cabinet after a debate lasting over two and a half hours.
Savings include £2.7m from budgets across directorates, a step-up in fees and charges and more income from commercial property leases.
Calderdale Greens leader says enthusiasm for party on doorstep gives hope ahead of council elections
By Andrew Greaves
The leader of Calderdale’s Green Party says Thursday’s historic by-election victory in Gorton and Denton proves a vote for his party is not a wasted vote.
Hannah Spencer became the Greens’ first-ever Northern MP, overturning a huge Labour majority from 2024 and pushing the party into third behind Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin.
Cllr Martin Hey, who leads the Greens on Calderdale Council, was one of a number of local activists to help with Ms Spencer’s campaign on the doorstep in Greater Manchester.
And he says the enthusiasm of voters was evident as polling day loomed.
He told The Calderdale Lead: “Those of us who went across were struck by the enormous enthusiasm of the residents who voted Green. Rather than voting out of fear, these people were casting a positive vote for positive change.
“And our voters were from all different backgrounds and age ranges. Whilst in Gorton, I met Sandra, a traditional Labour voter who had initially decided not to cast her vote but then on the day changed her mind. She talked about how proud she felt to vote for our message of fairness and equality for all.
“Young people suffering with low pay and high rents, mothers juggling expensive childcare and minimum wage jobs, older people shocked by their energy and water bills - all these people talked to us about wanting a better life and neighbourhood. That’s what our new MP, Hannah, will be campaigning for on their behalf.”
Cllr Hey will defend his seat in the Calderdale Council elections in May when all seats on the authority are up for grabs for the first time in more than 20 years.
And he believes that the Greens’ recent electoral successes, and the fact that Ms Spencer was able to overturn such a large majority, shows that a vote for his party can be a positive.
He said: “We believe that the election result will forever end any questions as to whether voting Green is a “wasted vote”.
“Voters at the local elections in Calderdale in May cannow be reassured that they can cast a positive vote for the party that best represents them and their community.”
The Greens have set ambitious targets locally to try and increase the number of councillors they have on Calderdale Council.
The party are targeting nine seats, which if successful would triple the number of councillors they have.
Green Party leader Zak Polanski recently visited Halifax and praised the work Coun Hey was doing in the borough.
He told The Calderdale Lead at the time: “Our candidates and councillors spend a lot of time door-knocking, and they noticeably do it outside of election time, too. So, it’s not just an activity that happens to ask for people’s votes.
“When they go to council meetings, they’ve genuinely spoken to people on the doorstep so they are taking those voices into the council chamber. I would always ask people to judge us or consider us based on our record of action and delivery and where we’re going in the future.
“I don’t think anyone should trust a political party unconditionally, including the Green Party. Political parties aren’t like football teams where you pick your team and just have to stick with them through the good and the bad. I think it’s a transactional relationship where you should always make sure they’re being held accountable and that they’re transparent.”
The local elections take place on May 7.
That’s it for this edition of The Calderdale Lead.
We’ll be back with another edition on Wednesday and, as ever, if there’s something you think we should be following up on, feel free to drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Andrew