On 5th May the local elections are happening in Kirkstall ward – this is where you can elect a local Councillor to represent the views of Kirkstall residents on a city-wide basis, and undertake case work to act on behalf of local residents. The nominated candidates are (as listed by the Leeds City Council statement):
- John Illingworth (Labour)
- Stuart William Long (Independent)
- Chris Lovell (Liberal Democrats)
- Morgan Rhys Tatchell-Evans (Green Party)
- Daniel Andrew Whitehouse (Conservative)
On the same day there is a national referendum on the changes to our electoral system; you may have seen the “Yes” and “No” campaigns in the press. The proposal is to replace the current “first past the post” system (where the candidate with the most votes wins) with “Alternative Vote (AV)”, where you can rank candidates in order of preference, so that should your first candidate not meet the minimum quota, your second preference will get your vote.
You can vote on this at the same time as you vote for your local councillor. You should have received your polling card through the post already so please make sure you have your say to help shape the Kirkstall you want to see.
