Lucinda Yeadon is the new councillor for Kirkstall Ward

Lucinda lives in Vesper Place near Kirkstall Abbey and works for the charity Mencap. She is an active campaigner in the local community, a governor at Hawksworth Wood Primary School, and a member of Kirkstall Valley Community Association and the Kirkstall Vision Group. She was nominated by Labour Councillor Elizabeth Minkin, who retired on 1st May after serving Kirkstall Ward for twenty years.

Lucinda's five pledges to the Kirkstall community:

1. I will have regular and accessible surgeries.

2. I will always protect local services that provide support for the most vulnerable in society.

3. I will work to ensure that there are activities for young people and protect our parks and playing fields.

4. I will represent the people of Kirkstall honestly, transparently and with complete integrity.

5. I will work with the community groups and associations in Kirkstall to represent you and improve our community.

Lucinda says: "It is vital that the Labour regain control of Leeds and halt the damage that the coalition of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives is doing to this great city. Through my employment I have worked closely with several local authorities. My work regularly demonstrates to me the importance of the support which is provided by the local authority to vulnerable people. The cuts that we are witnessing in adult services are extremely concerning and I am prepared to defend this vital support for the people of Kirkstall. I am able to see the Council from the perspective of the people it supports and the people that it employs."

"As a young woman I understand the barriers that face young people, bringing a different viewpoint to local politics. Increased social housing must be a priority, as should a strong educational system, tackling anti-social behaviour and social services that protect those who are vulnerable while supporting people to make the most of their potential and lead happy and full-filling lives."

"We must also recognise the damage that has been done to our environment and seek realistic solutions to the concerning situation that we and our future generations are facing. I believe in putting people first, giving a voice to the disadvantaged and opportunity for all."

contact Lucinda on  0113 217 7330  or lucinda.yeadon@leeds.gov.uk

Kirkstall Election Result 1 May 2008

Once again, the results across Leeds differed from the national trend. The Lib Dems won a seat from the Conservatives in Weetwood, but otherwise no seats changed hands. This means that the political make up of the entire council is as follows:

Only one third of the councillors are elected each year, so the number of seats for each party includes the results of earlier elections.

Labour is the largest political group on the council, but no party has overall control. The Tories and Lib Dems combined have 3 seats more than Labour, but they are normally supported by the 5 Morley Borough Independents, giving them a working majority.

Kirkstall Election Result 3 May 2007

Results across Leeds differed from the national trend. Labour won a council seat from the Lib Dems in Harehills, and two seats from the Conservatives in Garforth and Temple Newsam. The Morley Borough Independents defeated an Independent councillor in Morley North. This means that the political make up of the entire council is as follows:

Only one third of the councillors are elected each year, so the number of seats for each party includes the results of earlier elections.

Labour is the largest political group on the council, but no party has overall control. The Tories and Lib Dems combined have 3 seats more than Labour, but they are normally supported by the 5 Morley Borough Independents, giving them a working majority. Three Green Party members split from the ruling coalition over the waste incinerator scheme.

How are local council elections run?

Leeds City Council has 33 wards and 99 councillors, with 3 councillors per ward. The councillors take turns to stand for election. Each year one third of the councillors retire and face re-election, and once elected they serve for four years. Once every four years there is a gap year with no elections. This was formerly used for the County Council elections, until the County Councils were abolished by Margaret Thatcher's government in 1985.

How are local election candidates selected?

The various political parties all use slightly different systems, but the basic idea is similar. In Leeds, various Labour Party branches and affiliated organisations put forward the names of people they already consider suitable to stand as local election candidates, anywhere in Leeds. These individuals are interviewed by senior party officers to assess their overall suitability for public office and their knowledge of Labour Party rules, policies and procedures. Most of them are successful, and their names are added to a panel of potential candidates. When individual ward parties come to select their future candidate (usually in the autumn) they must chose somebody from the panel, but not necessarily from their own ward. There are additional rules which are designed to increase the proportion of female candidates, but these do not apply to existing councillors seeking re-election.

All political parties normally choose their candidates and election agents long before the official start of the election campaign. When the election is called, a proposer, seconder and ten "assentors" sign the candidate's nomination papers and deliver them to the returning officer. These papers are checked for authenticity, and the candidate receives a letter stating that their nomination has been accepted.

Election expenses

Spending by political parties is controlled by law during the period between the candidate's successful nomination and election day. The sums permitted are quite small in relation to the size of the electorate. In Kirkstall, with about 16,000 electors the limit is about £1400 per candidate, or about 8p per elector. This would not even buy sufficient postage stamps! We strongly support the limits on election expenses, but they do explain why election materials often seem cheaply produced, and why they are almost all delivered by volunteer helpers and supporters working in their own time.

Marked register

After each election the returning officer produces a "marked register" showing who has voted. It does not say which way they voted, but it does record the fact that they cast their vote. Political parties often use this list to target their publicity materials towards these people, who are more likely to vote in the next election. None of the parties want to be exclusive, but such targeting is often the only way to keep inside the expenses limit.

Last updated 29 November 2008 at 20:31. Back to the top