Voters in Kirkstall Ward will go to the polls on Thursday, 7 May 2026 for the Leeds City Council elections. One councillor will be elected.
Voters are reminded that photo ID is needed to vote at polling stations. More details here.
West Leeds Dispatch does not support any political party, but we do encourage all our readers to use their vote.
Candidates have been asked for a statement of up to 300 words and a head and shoulders photograph to help you decide who to vote for. Here are their responses so far…
Hannah Bithell (Labour)
Address in Leeds
Firstly, thank you to West Leeds Dispatch for pulling these together each year, I know they are really appreciated by residents.
I am the current councillor and Labour candidate for Kirkstall Ward – covering Queenswoods, West Park, Burley, Hawksworth and Kirkstall.
I believe concrete achievements and pledges are useful for people to see, so I include a selection below. They also highlight my passions. I would love to carry on serving our community.
Achievements:
Increased PCSO operations in hot spots of antisocial behaviour across the ward.
Had 10+ extra benches installed to give rest spots to the community with mobility issues getting around the ward.
Helped set up and action new residents groups giving residents the direct voice to us and council services.
Increased road safety by installing new crossings.
Increased recycling bin collections in Burley.
Secured pedestrian access to Kirkstall Household Waste Site – one of the only ones in the city, making sure all our residents can access this service.
Support Schools in governor roles to ensure education is a key priority for our community.
Took on trustee roles at older people’s organisation and community organisation – we deserve the best services.
Supported hundreds of families on individual issues they face.
Pledges:
To continue to be available to support and advocate for you on the issues in your lives that matter to you and your families.
To continue to fight for better infrastructure in Kirkstall.
To continue to hold developers to account to get the very best outcomes in planning that we can for Kirkstall, Burley, Hawksworth Wood and West Park.
To continue to ensure bins, parking and fly tipping are constantly improving.
Please consider using your vote to support me continuing with this work for another four years. Thank you.
Dawn Collins (Conservative)
Address in Leeds
Jacob Holmes (Reform UK)
3 Carlton Walk, Leeds LS7 1EZ
Joe Ingham (Green Party)
Address in Leeds
I’ve lived in the Kirkstall Ward for most of my adult life. I’ve lived on Morris Lane, St Ann’s Green and Commercial Road. I am representing The Green Party as they are the only party truly committed to tackling the vast inequalities in our society.
We are lucky to live a beautiful part of a vibrant modern city that has wonderful green spaces. Unfortunately though some of these are poorly maintained and hard to access. As your Green Party candidate for 2026 I intend to make these spaces abundant and accessible for the whole community via coppicing, rewilding and building new footpaths and footbridges.
I also want to improve the ways people can travel around our area by promoting sustainable public transport. I aim to enhance bus services by making them more affordable and bringing them into public ownership.
I also want to create better routes that are decided on by the community that uses them. Efficient and reliable public transport improves things for everyone.
I believe there is much that can be done to make our community safer and more pedestrian friendly.
Plans for this include St Ann’s Lane becoming one way at the Burley Road end and traffic calming measures around the lower Burley area where driver’s use streets as rat runs to avoid traffic on Kirkstall Road.
We shouldn’t be expected to make do with second best. Our community deserves higher standards and Labour have taken our area for granted for too long.
I am committed, rooted and ready to represent Kirkstall as a clear, principled, green voice.
Stuart Long (Independent)
4 Stanmore Grove, Burley, Leeds LS4 2RJ
I am standing as an Independent candidate for Kirkstall Ward in the Leeds City Council elections on 7 May 2026. This community is my home, and I have watched it be overlooked for too long.
Having lived here for over 40 years – attending Beecroft Primary and Kirkstall Middle Schools – this ward is woven into my identity.
My motivation is borne from a deep frustration with “performative politics.” For too long, local representatives have focused on headlines while ignoring the practical, daily issues facing our streets. Kirkstall deserves a representative free from party whips and national agendas.
My track record is built on tangible local action, not political posturing. I have campaigned tirelessly on:
• Health and Safety: Raising awareness of radon gas – an invisible radioactive threat – to ensure better protection for our homes.
• Heritage: Leading the opposition to threats against Abbey House Museum, supported by a 6,676-signature petition.
• Infrastructure: Fixing the dangerous road junctions and neglected infrastructure that cause frequent accidents.
• Environmental Standards: Challenging Leeds’ woeful recycling rates and tackling the environmental blight that current leadership has allowed to persist.
• Community Support: Prioritising local businesses, public transport, and real solutions for homelessness.
As an Independent, I will hold the council to account without fear or favour. I’ve seen how party politics allows problems to fester while councillors chase votes. Enough is enough. I am offering a real choice: a candidate who lives and breathes this ward and campaigns year-round.
On 7 May, let’s choose a Kirkstall that works for its residents, not for political points.
Vote Independent – Vote Stuart Long.
George Phillips (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – TUSC)
Address in Leeds.
Chris Read (Liberal Democrats)
3 Stanmore Place, Leeds LS4 2RR
My name is Chris and I’m your Liberal Democrat candidate for Kirkstall in this election. I’ve now lived in Leeds for over half my life.
I worked as an IT developer for 25 years, both before and after moving here. In the last ten years I’ve worked as a maths tutor in local schools, colleges and privately/. More recently I’ve been concentrating on my long-held ambition of becoming a novelist.
I’ve stood for the council as a Liberal Democrat twice before: once in Calverley and Farsley, where I worked at the time, and — somewhat ironically — in Horsforth shortly after moving away, having lived there for 17 years. I’ve now lived near Burley Park for over eight years.
Some of you may have seen me out and about with a litter picker and carrier bag — something I started doing a year ago and will continue to do whatever the result of this election.
As your Liberal Democrat candidate, I support my Party’s commitments to invest in green jobs and training, to develop cheaper and greener public transport across the city, and to improve access to affordable sporting facilities to support both physical and mental health.
I am also passionate about improving our democracy. With votes for 16-year-olds on the horizon, I would use my position as a councillor to encourage our secondary schools to give young people a better understanding of how elections work, why they matter, where to find reliable information – and what they should expect from those who represent them.
- Candidates who have not yet submitted their profiles can still do so by e-mailing news@westleedsdispatch.com.