Beeston & Holbeck Ward will have a new Councillor next May after the Labour Party choose Annie Maloney to fight the seat in place of sitting Councillor Angela Gabriel.
South Leeds Life understands that it is normal practice in the party for sitting Councillors to be reselected ‘on the nod’. However, party rules allow for a selection contest and a group of members in the Beeston & Holbeck branch won the vote to hold a contest.
Angela Gabriel has served as a Leeds City Councillor for 25 years, having won a by-election in the old Beeston Ward in November 1996, when Jon Trickett became an MP. She has successfully defended her seat in seven elections since then. She is the Chair of the Inner South Community Committee and will continue as a Councillor up to the May elections.
The Labour Party candidate in the May 2022 election, Annie Maloney, is the daughter of Mirelle Midgley, a Councillor for Kippax & Methley Ward.
Councillor Gabriel told South Leeds Life:
“I’m very proud to have served this community for 25 years as a Councillor. I had intended to serve one more four year term, but that’s politics. I shall continue to be involved in community projects such as Beeston In Bloom and Beeston Festival.”
Wow, this is such a shock!
An unpleasant one at that
Best wishes Angela, and thanks for all your work over the years.
Well suprised and shocked local branch made this decision . ANGELA has always worked hard , harded than most . I have had difficult converstions with Angela but always respected her. HOLBECK WILL FEEL THE DRAFT . If good councilors are being treated like this by the Labour Group this does not bode well for the future . A sad day . ANGELA HAS A GOOD HEART AND HAS DONE LOTS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
Like you say, I’ve not always agreed with her but respect her. I think she has been treated badly by the Labour Party , we need local councillors who have a feel for the area not someone who lives in Kippax.
I don’t know if the new lass lives in Leeds at all. When she stood in another Leeds ward in 2018 she lived in Sheffield and was a student at the uni there. Her mum is a councillor in Kippax, but I don’t think we should assume Annie also lives in Kippax.
I have had many words re councilor Gabriel but I hope the next will see what is the problem in holbeck
Angela has always been very visible and available to the community in South Leeds….a hard act to follow
Has the new candidate even been to Beeston and Holbeck ? What experience does she have at 23?
Leeds Council leader comes from Kippax, he’s probably recruiting supporters.
Hope to see her being very visible in the area. Expect to see her walking around Beeston ,and especially Holbeck, before the elections . Wonder what her take is on the so called Managed Approach?
Why? The reporter needs to find out why.
No one I spoke to was prepared to speak on the record and as I understand it, no matter of policy or behaviour was raised by those voting against Angela Gabriel
Angela has been a brilliant councillor, involved in so much that is good in our area, very supportive, helpful and approachable. She will be a massively hard act to follow. Thank you, Angela, for all you’ve done.
So true Lindsey
Angela has been so visible as far back as I can remember – this is a massive shock!
Such a great loss to the Beeston community. Angela has been the heart and soul of the Beeston community for as long as I’ve been there (2001) such a great loss. Wishing you all the best for whatever the future holds Anglea.
I’ve always been impressed how hard Angela works for people in the area. Getting stuck in with grassroots community activities rather than a carear in politics. And her graceful acceptance that her deselctions is “just politics” speaks volumes for her integrity. Big shoes for Annie Maloney to fill.
Do the community not have a say on who they want???
Political parties choose the candidates to put before us and then we get to vote on which candidate/party we want in the May elections.
Yes! SDP have selected a local resident, Nigel Perry. So it could be a straight choice between a local and a non-local representative!
Yes in the ballot box.
Angela is an excellent hands on Councillor and is the heart of Beeston. The Beeston and Holbeck Labour Party have made the wrong decision. Thank you Angela for your years of service. You will be dearly missed and I don’t see how a non resident Cllr will fill this gap
As a life time Labour voter I have to admit that over the last couple of years I have questioned the direction the Labour Party was heading both nationally and locally.
The decision of the Labour Group to ‘oust’ Cllr Angela Gabriel is utterly disgraceful and further knocks my confidence in the ‘togetherness’ of the Leeds Labour Party. There is no harder working local councillor in this City and after 25 years dedication to our community this decision cannot be about politics alone?
At the last ‘All Out’ election in 2018 Cllr Gabriel was our most popular Ward Cllr winning the most votes, now she ‘s no longer worthy of selection? Stinks of underhand internal wrangling’s to me!
Living and working locally I would frequently see Angela out and about whether it be litter picking, gardening helping to brighten our community or simply in the shops talking to her constituents, exactly what a good local councillor should be doing alongside her policy and decision making roles.
You cannot under estimate the benefits of having a councillor living in your local area, they are accessible, they know and have a feel for your community and more importantly they care about where they live.
I for one have only praise for the work Angela has done in our community and for the help and support she has given me down the years.
As the old saying goes ‘You only miss the water when the well runs dry’
Best wishes and thanks Angela the Labour Party and our Community have lost a good one and Ms Maloney has big boots to fill!
I’ll second that. There’s clearly more to this than meets the eye & I think that the local Labour Party members who got together to deselect a dedicated councillor need to explain to the electorate why they did so. What were their objections to her politics (because this is surely about politics, in a political party?). The party & its voting members need to account to the voters for what they have done, & then we will decide whether we agree.
Has a none Labour supporter. I’m truly shocked to hear Councillor Gabriel is no longer going to represent
Holbeck, Beeston or Cottingley, She has worked.so hard in all 3 community’s . And working with all 3 in blooms and working along side our other 2 councillors.
Can the Beeston and Holbeck Labour Party answer our question as to why Angela has been deselected. As we want her to continue to represent us we have a right to an answer.
If anyone wants to select your local Labour councillor candidate then simply join the party and turn up to the selection meeting.
Similarly nothing is stopping Angela Gabriel standing independently at the next councillor election.
Good idea. Will ensure I have a say in future. Our local party obviously needs some common sense when making its selection
If Annie Maloney is elected will she move to Leeds 11?
Unless she lives in the Ward how can she begin to understand the needs of the Community. Beeston Holbeck and Cottingley is a very diverse and cosmopolitan are of Leeds and I fear she may have come with good intentions but unless she lives here she will not fully understand the area.