Calderdale Council elections: Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK outline policies ahead of polling day

Here are statements from the Conservatives, the Green Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, listed in alphabetical order by party.

Conservatives

A vote for the Conservatives on May 7 is a vote for a party that backs hard-working people, supports local businesses and is focused on making government work for you.

The Conservative Party you see today is not the same one that lost the last election.

Under my leadership, we have taken time to reflect, to understand where we went wrong, and to change. We are using our time in opposition to build a clear plan and a strong team to make sure we don't make the same mistakes again.

Across Calderdale, from Halifax to Brighouse, Todmorden to Hebden Bridge people are telling us the same thing. They want safer streets, thriving high streets and councils that deliver value for money.

That is what Conservatives stand for, and it is what we are campaigning to deliver in Calderdale.

We have set out practical plans to back those who work hard and do the right thing. That includes abolishing business rates for thousands of high street shops, cafés and pubs, the backbone of towns across Calderdale.

We would also scrap stamp duty on family homes, helping more local people take that step onto or up the housing ladder.

We will act on the cost of living too, cutting energy bills by £200 through our Cheap Power Plan by using more of our own North Sea resources.

Across Calderdale we have seen crime and anti-social behaviour become the norm, with a Freedom of Information request by the Courier showing four shoplifting incidents a day in the borough.

That's why we are committed to safer streets, with 10,000 more police officers, tougher enforcement and real consequences for anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. Offenders should take responsibility and repair the damage they cause.

We will also stand up for British farming by scrapping the Family Farm Tax in full.

Our plans are fully costed, backed by £47billion in savings. By reducing the enormous benefits bill and cutting back our bloated bureaucracy, the Conservatives will be able to lower taxes, support families and back businesses without asking people in Calderdale to pay more.

Local elections are about local priorities. Yet too often, councils lose focus. Residents end up paying more while services like bin collections and road maintenance fall behind.

Calderdale deserves better: cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods and a stronger local economy.

On May 7, vote Conservative to Get Calderdale Working Again.

Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party

Green Party

Millions of people across this country are crying out for something different.

Labour promised change, but for ordinary people it hasn’t come. And here in Yorkshire, we know as well as anyone that whenever the Tories get into power, the consequences are catastrophic.

Reform claim to provide an alternative, but the truth is they have no answers either. Farage offers scapegoats instead of solutions. Whenever Reform have taken over councils, their shallow soundbites and empty promises have quickly clashed with reality.

The Greens are the only party with an actual plan – and in Yorkshire and across the country, we’re the only party that can take on Reform and win.

Greens in local government have a track record of delivering concrete improvements. Green-led councils build social and affordable housing, invest in insulation to bring down bills, improve local bus services, and secure public access to green spaces that were previously restricted to private use.

Whenever Greens are elected as councillors, they tend to be re-elected – because voters see how hard they work to get things done. And unlike Labour, the Conservatives and Reform, we’re completely focused on serving the public.

The Greens are a grassroots, member-led party, and our policies are decided democratically – which means it’s impossible for wealthy donors to buy influence.

We’re also committed to full transparency in government, and Green MP Siân Berry is spearheading an initiative to compel MPs to publish logs of all meetings with campaigners, community groups, businesses and lobbyists.

The result is a platform that actually reflects the interests of ordinary people: bringing water, energy and public transport into public ownership; equalising capital gains with income tax so work is no longer taxed more heavily than wealth; rebuilding our crumbling public services; and protecting the NHS from being carved up and sold off to the highest bidder.

In local government, we will continue our ambitious housebuilding agenda – delivering sustainable social and affordable homes wherever we are elected, designed around the needs of the communities they serve.

We also have a serious plan to revive our high streets, restoring them as thriving centres of local life after years of neglect. And as more and more of us struggle to make ends meet, we will use every lever available to bring down the cost of living.

Polling suggests that in Yorkshire, as in many parts of the country, the choice is between Greens and Reform. Our promise is this: vote Green and you’ll see the benefits.

Vote Green and make hope normal again.

A Green Party spokesperson

Labour

Under Labour, Calderdale is moving forward with investment, stability and a clear plan.

In the run-up to the local elections on May 7, you’ll hear a lot about what’s “broken”. It’s an easy line to repeat but it doesn’t reflect the Calderdale we know, or the progress being made across our communities.

Calderdale is a place of resilience, pride and opportunity. That hasn’t happened by accident; it’s the result of consistent, careful leadership and a clear commitment to invest in what matters most.

Labour’s Programme for Action is built on that principle: protecting the services people rely on, while making targeted investments that strengthen our borough for the future.

As a group we've set and balanced our budgets in challenging times, providing stability while continuing to deliver.

That includes an additional £12million to improve our roads – moving away from short-term fixes towards proper resurfacing.

We’re taking stronger action on fly-tipping, with vehicles seized and fines issued, alongside a continued focus on prevention and working with our communities.

We’re also investing in people. A new £20million specialist SEND school will mean more children can access the support they need closer to home, alongside continued investment in early help and family services.

But investment isn’t just about services; it’s about confidence in Calderdale as a place – our place!

Building on the success of our Year of Culture, we’re supporting local businesses, attracting visitors and creating opportunities across our towns. From our libraries and community spaces to our green spaces and cultural venues, we’re strengthening the things that make Calderdale special.

We know there is more to do and we are ambitious for our borough. We hear residents when they tell us what's important to them or what they find challenging, from the cost of living to access to services.

Our pledges are focused on continuing to listen, to invest and to deliver in a way that is sustainable and rooted in our communities.

This election is about how we move forward. Do we continue with stable, locally focused leadership that is investing in Calderdale’s future? Or risk that progress with voices that focus only on what’s wrong, but offer little in the way of real solutions?

Calderdale isn’t broken. It’s moving forward and Labour is committed to continuing to build on that progress.

If you value that approach, we ask for your support on May 7.

Calderdale Labour

Liberal Democrats

As I travel across the country, visiting towns and villages across Yorkshire, I hear the exact same thing time and time again. People are utterly exhausted.

In Halifax, people are tired of feeling ignored by an out-of-touch Conservative party and a Labour party that has done nothing but break promises.

People are demanding change, but Reform are not the answer. Nigel Farage wants to bring Trump-style politics to our local councils, which will only sow more division on our doorsteps.

By voting for the Liberal Democrats in the local elections, you can elect a hard-working local champion who will always put your community first.

For too long, the Conservatives have mismanaged our economy and neglected our vital public services.

Families are still wrestling with the cost-of-living crisis, anxious about paying the bills and keeping the heating on.

Meanwhile, our National Health Service is being stretched to breaking point. Too many people are waiting weeks just to see a GP or register with an NHS dentist.

As someone who has been a carer for most of my life, I know first-hand exactly how broken our social care system has become, leaving vulnerable people without the dignified support they desperately need.

Then there is the absolute scandal of our local environment, with fly-tipping on our roads. It is an environmental disgrace, and Liberal Democrat councillors are leading the charge to hold these polluting companies to account.

We also know that getting the basics right matters. Whether it is fixing the endless plague of potholes ruining our roads, securing more visible community policing to tackle anti-social behaviour, or ensuring your bins are collected on time, Liberal Democrats believe that strong local government changes lives.

Our councillors work tirelessly all year round, listening to your concerns and fighting your corner.

You deserve a fair deal. You deserve representatives who listen, care, and act.

This May, send a resounding message that you demand better. Vote for a hard-working local champion. Vote for the Liberal Democrats.

Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Reform UK

Britain is broken. As someone who loves their country, that is not something I say lightly. But it is undoubtedly true.

Of all the complaints I’ve heard travelling from town to town over the past 18 months, there is one phrase I hear over and over: Nothing seems to work any more.

Nowhere is that sentiment felt more strongly than at local council level.

Just look around you: Bins are overflowing, schools are struggling and our roads are pockmarked with potholes.

Meanwhile, our neighbourhoods are over-run with crime.

Yet despite all this, council tax bills continue to go up.

In Calderdale, council tax has increased by more than 25 per cent in the past five years. It's not hard to see why.

Calderdale’s CEO earns more than £163,000 a year – not much less than the Prime Minister – to oversee this mess. That’s along with another nine members of staff on salaries of over £100,000.

Thanks to Labour, Calderdale has run up £159million worth of debt. That’s costing over £5.8million a year just in interest – the equivalent of £16,108 a day.

While hundreds of asylum seekers are being put up in social housing, families in Calderdale face the longest waits in Yorkshire – some have to wait over 20 years for a council home.

And just look at the state of the roads. By our calculations, there are roughly five potholes for every mile of road in Calderdale.

Violent crime is everywhere - there were over 10,000 incidents in Calderdale over the past year.

It really doesn't have to be this way.

Last year, Reform UK won hundreds of council seats and already we’re seeing the positive impact the party is having in those areas.

Which is why I am embarking on a national tour to let voters know how you can fix this country.

Because we can't do this without you. We urgently need your help.

Just remember: Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems tried to stop these local elections happening.

They wanted them cancelled because they know that voters are desperate to give them a kicking.

So now is your chance to do so.

Let’s send Starmer and the rest of the Westminster establishment a clear message.

The turquoise tsunami is coming.

Nigel Farage, Leader of Reform UK