Here is a list of all the candidates standing in Beeston & Holbeck ward for election to Leeds City Council on Thursday 2 May 2024.
We have contacted all the candidates to ask them about why they are standing and what their policies are. We will publish their answers as they send them in so keep checking back to compare answers and make your choice.
Watch the online hustings meeting we held for Beeston & Holbeck ward here. All the candidates were invited and we put readers’ questions to them.
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Shaf ALI
Labour Party
49 Allenby Road, Beeston, Leeds, LS11 5RN
Hi, I’m Shaf Ali, your neighbour and fellow community member. Since 2004, I’ve called Beeston home, deeply proud to be part of such a strong and welcoming community. I’m honoured to introduce myself as a candidate for Councillor in the Beeston and Holbeck ward.
My decision to stand for election stems from my strong belief in creating a fair and equal society for all.
Since 2014, I’ve been an active member of the Labour Party, contributing to campaigns, organizing stalls, and engaging in various community welfare activities. Locally, I’ve volunteered extensively and served as an organizer for Beeston Festival.
As a co-founder of the International charity organization, IWS, and through collaborations with Vulnerable Support Citizen and volunteering at Hamara, I’ve dedicated myself to serving humanity. My focus has been on providing education, food, healthcare, and welfare to underprivileged individuals.
I am passionate about protecting our environment and proudly support the Carbon Neutral Leeds initiative by 2030, led by the Labour-led Leeds City Council. I’m committed to helping the Council address the Climate Emergency.
A vote for me is a vote for the welfare of the community. I kindly ask for your support for myself and the Labour Party.
Bradley Kenneth CHANDLER
The Conservative Party Candidate
Address in Leeds*
Louie FULTON
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
140 Parkwood Road, Beeston, Leeds, LS11 5RA
I was born in Beeston and live in Beeston so have seen how our community has suffered with the austerity measures being implemented by Labour-run Leeds City Council. I have volunteered in food banks and supported the vulnerable in our community and it’s clear we need to make real change. With Beeston and Holbeck being one of the most deprived areas in Leeds we simply can not afford any more cuts!
It isn’t enough to say there’s a crisis in local government finances, we must do something about it. If Labour wished to prove they aren’t the same as the Tories, why can’t they pledge that if they win the general election at the end of the year, they will ensure local councils receive adequate funding?
TUSC say that councillors should work with local communities and trade unions to fight for the funding our services need to be able to serve our community properly.
You can rely on me to fight back against austerity. Myself and other TUSC candidates are involved in campaigns against cuts across Leeds, namely proposed cuts to Little Owls nurseries which threaten to leave parents without adequate child care.
If you want real change and an end to cuts, then vote TUSC on 2nd May.
Matt ROGAN
Green Party
Apartment 1006 Calvert House, Ingram Row, Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 9EL
Together, we have many struggles here in Beeston and Holbeck – but we also have a strong community to be proud of. Myself and your local Green Party team have been here for you, year-round, listening to and working with local people for change.
I live and volunteer locally, with community projects including litter-picking, helping at Beeston Festival, and engaging with residents at forums & listening events, and I am a committed campaigner of many years, having co-led successful campaigns on saving libraries and, recently, speaking up on local public transport, planning battles, and environmental issues. I’ve also been focusing on the big issues within our community, including environmentally unfriendly plastic grass proposed for the new Holbeck Sports Hub, noise and air pollution from the M621, and ensuring residents in the Urban Village have a suitable, accessible polling station.
A vote for me on 2nd May will really help myself and your local Green team to develop our work in Beeston and Holbeck. With your support, we can continue this work and help nurture an ever-more active presence in our communities.
If you’re hungry for change, VOTE MATT ROGAN – GREEN PARTY on May 2nd.
George SYKES
Liberal Democrats
707 The Exchange, Whitehall, Leeds, LS12 1BU
My name’s George, I’m 23 years old and have lived in Leeds for the past 5 years. I came to our city for university and stayed after finishing because Leeds and Yorkshire as a whole is a great place to live.
From underinvestment in our police to spending millions on a year of culture that simply wasn’t noticed by most of the city, Labour has let us down.
That’s why the Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a fair deal for the people of Leeds.
In particular, I’m passionate about ensuring that our council:
- Builds the right homes in the right places, with appropriate infrastructure, to alleviate the housing crisis.
- Invests in community-led policing to keep our streets safe and tackle crime at its source.
- Works with our communities to deliver the change they want to see in their area by empowering local groups and providing them with the tools, resources, and support needed to be that change.
Outside of politics, I help run a charity that runs a music school in Kolkata, India. I also work in Leeds as a software engineer, helping write social media moderation tools.
Sasha WATSON
Social Democratic Party
54 Cross Flatts Crescent, Beeston, Leeds, LS11 7JP
I was born in Cottingley and grew up in Beeston, where I still live with my partner and three children. I study law, I’m a local school governor and I spend much of my time in the community and attending consultation and event meetings. I love being out and about in the community, getting to know what people think, how I can make a difference to all areas of the ward, and how I can support those who already make a positive contribution to the area.
The Social Democratic Party was set up to challenge the two-party system and provide a sensible alternative for those fed up with blind adherence to ideology. SDP councillors do a brilliant job in South Leeds, not only by holding Leeds City Council to account when fair criticism is needed but also by listening to residents, prioritising their needs, and taking a proactive and positive approach to issues in the area.
I believe that local politics should be about local issues and that councillors should focus less on social experiments and the party line, and more on the basics, such as local services, public safety, green spaces, refuse and roads.
If you agree, vote SDP.
*In England, if a candidate has requested not to make their home address public, the relevant electoral area in which their home address is situated (or country if their address is outside the UK) will be provided.