A former Farnley & Wortley Green Party councillor has been selected as a candidate in Farnley & Wortley ward – the same week Labour also announced its candidate.
Farnley & Wortley Green Party have selected Ann Blackburn as their candidate for the local council elections in May.
Ann is married to David Blackburn – who earlier this month announced he was retiring due to ill health – and has a grown up son and step-daughter.
She has lived in the Farnley & Wortley area for 43 years and in Leeds all her life.
A Green Party spokesperson said: “Ann is an experienced councillor having previously represented the area as a Green Party councillor on Leeds City Council for 20 years.”
Ann last represented Farnley & Wortley in 2022, when she lost her seat to Labour’s Mark Sewards, who later went on to be the MP for Leeds South West and Morley.
The Labour Party has this week announced Charlotte Hill as its candidate for Farnley
and Wortley in the upcoming local elections.
Charlotte says she sims to focus on improving local services, standing up for working people, and ensuring Farnley and Wortley gets the representation it deserves at Leeds City Council.
She said: “I want to be a councillor who listens, works hard, and delivers real change.
“My priorities are: championing accessible local services, supporting measures that strengthen neighbourhoods and community wellbeing, working closely with residents to ensure their voices shape local decisions, and protecting and improving ourenvironment and shared spaces.”
Mark Sewards MP welcomed the selection. He said: “I’ve known Charlotte for more than 20 years, we even went to school together. I know how committed she is to working for local residents. She’s a tireless campaigner and will make a magnificent councillor for our home.”
Peter Allison announced earlier this year that he would be standing in Farnley & Wortley as an independent candidate.
All 33 council wards in Leeds will be contested at the elections.
WLD will be approaching candidates from all seven wards in our patch for 300-word profiles ahead of the Leeds City Council elections. These will be published a fortnight before the elections on 7 May.
Follow WLD’s coverage of the 2026 local elections here.