Labour disappointment as councillor defects to Reform UK despite previous support for 'progressive issues'
Plus, Lydgate crash update and council tax hike confirmed
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Calderdale Lead!
It’s a busy issue this week with reaction to the news that a long-standing Labour councillor has left the party to join Reform UK.
Plus we’ve got an update on the crash in Lydgate on Saturday that closed a major road for several hours and confirmation of an inflation-busting council tax hike.
So, on with the news…
Shock as Reform UK gets first Calderdale councillor
Labour deputy leader Cllr Scott Patient says the party is ‘disappointed’ after a long-standing colleague joined Reform UK.
Cllr Dan Sutherland, who has been a Labour councillor for the Illingworth and Mixenden ward since 2010 made the announcement this week that he was joining Nigel Farage’s party.
In a video posted on the Reform UK social channels, Cllr Sutherland said he no longer felt the Labour party shared his values.
He said: “I’ve officially left the Labour Party and joined Reform UK.
“For too long, I’ve watched the Labour Party move away from the values that I, and the people I represent, stand for.
“I tried to make change from the inside, but enough is enough,” he said.
Cllr Sutherland, who is a former Cabinet member on Calderdale Council, said he “didn’t enter politics to play party political games”.
“I entered politics to make a real change for my community, which has far too long been forgotten and left behind.
“If you’re a Labour voter who feels let down and betrayed, then join us,” he said.
But Cllr Patient, who is also deputy leader of Calderdale Council, told The Calderdale Lead: “We’re very disappointed to learn that Cllr Sutherland has decided to leave the Labour group and join Reform UK.
“It’s particularly surprising because of Dan’s past support for progressive issues.
“Despite this we still have two really hard-working Labour councillors in Illingworth and Mixenden who will continue to support their residents.
“As part of the ruling Labour administration they are responsible for delivering many projects in their communities, including the Mixenden Community Hub which is due to open shortly, Beechwood Library and so much more.
“They will continue the promise they made to their constituents who voted for Labour councillors.”
The Calderdale Lead understands that neither Labour, nor any of the other political parties on Calderdale Council, are currently pushing for Cllr Sutherland to face a by-election so far although no formal statement has yet been issued.
Whilst the timing may have caught people by surprise, a Labour source told The Calderdale Lead several weeks ago that Reform UK had been building a steady operation in North Halifax, where Cllr Sutherland’s ward sits.
Town hall chiefs agree 4.99% rise in council tax
By LDRS’ John Greenwood
Calderdale residents will face a 4.99 per cent rise in their Council Tax bills for the next year – the maximum allowed without requiring a local referendum.
A majority of councillors agreed to adopt the ruling Labour group’s proposals, which Deputy Leader Coun Scott Patient called a difficult transitional budget against a backdrop of years of underfunding and challenges including spiralling costs of funding social care.
The council needs to save £3 million in 2025-26 and the approved £249 million budget will also see some reductions in services and rises in some charges, including for removing bulky waste and garden waste, and increased parking charges in some areas.
But not all charge increases will fall on residents, with proposals to start charging any works promoter digging up the roads for the days these occupy the highway.
Coun Patient said his group’s Cabinet-recommended budget balanced the books, had resilience to withstand shocks and changes and fixed the foundations for the future.
He said every mechanism was being used to balance the books, including Calderdale “punching its weight” in bringing in money from Government and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to pay for capital schemes, making changes by going digital, reducing the employee count, going green to save on energy costs for vehicles and street lighting, selling services to other organisations, and selling buildings and land or transferring them to local organisations for community benefit.
“This hasn’t been easy and we look forward to brighter times ahead.
“I commend this responsible, sustainable and serious budget to the council,” he said.
Increasing Council Tax by the maximum amount – 2.99 per cent with an extra two per cent ring-fenced for social care – was a major debating point.
Alternative budgets from the Conservatives and Greens, which were voted down, sought lesser rises, 3.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent (but only in 2027-28, as a “first step” to lower rates) respectively.
Conservative group leader Coun Steven Leigh said his group’s budget tried to “give a little bit of hope back to Council Tax payers in Calderdale”.
He said: “It’s difficult for the people of Calderdale to understand quite what goes on – they just have to pay, and they just have to get less services.”
Proposed parking charge rises would not be taken forward, funding for Christmas trees and lights would be reintroduced and at least one new primary school in new garden communities being built near Brighouse would be budgeted for, said Coun Leigh.
Reducing the council’s senior management and workforce size, reviewing spending and looking into commercialisation opportunities, would make the needed savings, the Conservatives argued.
These assertions were challenged by Labour who argued in the case of both Conservative and Green staff reduction proposals that they were not clear exactly which posts would be cut and directorate heads already had to justify replacing staff.
Presenting his group’s amendment, Green Party leader Coun Martin Hey said the council faces two crises – financial and the relationship between the Council Taxpayers and the council itself.
“It’s difficult to imagine any residents would support any budget that incorporates a rising Council Tax above the rate of inflation,” he said.
Green proposals included no cuts to recycling and highways spending, investing £400,000 a year to combat climate change and two Council Tax elements, a reduction to 4.5 per cent in 2027-28 and, from 2026-27, reversing Labour’s increase in Council Tax that has to be paid by low income households, which is coming in for 2025-26.
Labour responded it was making key climate change progress.
Police seek witnesses to Lydgate road smash
The driver of a car which smashed into a wall near Todmorden on Saturday suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, police say.
The 63-year-old was driving a Ford Fiesta towards Todmorden from Cornholme when the car left the road and hit the dry stone wall before landing on it’s roof.
The air ambulance was called into action and the road was closed for several hours.
Now, police are appealing for witnesses.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, or has footage which may assist is asked to contact the Roads Policing Unit on 101 or by using the livechat facility on the West Yorkshire Police website.
The log reference is 869 of 22 February.
That’s it for this midweek edition of The Calderdale Lead.
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Enjoy the rest of the week and we’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday!
Andrew