General election: Senior Calderdale councillors going head-to-head vying for Labour nomination for Calder Valley seat

Calderdale Council cabinet members Josh Fenton-Glynn and Adam Wilkinson are among those hoping to win Labour’s nomination for the Calder Valley contest.

Sitting Conservative MP Craig Whittaker announced earlier this year he would not be defending the seat and the Tories have already selected Vanessa Lee as their candidate.

Coun Fenton-Glynn, who has represented Calder ward on the council since first being elected in 2016, has been Labour’s candidate for the Calder Valley three times previously – in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.

He has lost out to Mr Whittaker on each occasion, coming closest to unseating him in 2017 when he was 609 votes behind.

He was re-elected to serve the Calder ward for the council in 2021.

Coun Wilkinson was elected to serve the Sowerby Bridge ward for Calderdale Council in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2021.

Both announced their candidatures on Friday on social media.

Coun Fenton-Glynn posted: “I am putting myself forward to be the next MP for Calder Valley.

“I will be a candidate, and MP, who hits the ground running: I have outperformed national Labour Party trends in every election I stood in.”

Coun Wilkinson also announced his own candidature, posting: “I’m proud to be putting myself forward to be Labour’s next MP for Calder Valley.

“After four consecutive defeats we need a proven election winner who has the local knowledge and experience to deliver real change.”

Coun Fenton-Glynn is the council’s cabinet member for Adult Services and Wellbeing, while Coun Wilkinson is cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services.

Craig Whittaker won the seat, which will likely undergo some Boundary Commission changes by the time of the next election, for the Conservatives from Labour in the 2010 general election.

Previously it had been held by Labour’s Chris McCafferty from 1997 to 2010, before she stood down at the 2010 election.

From the seat’s inception in 1983, it was held from then until 1997 - when he was defeated by Ms McCafferty - by Conservative Sir Donald Thompson.