Background
The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Bradford was a district of the West Yorkshire metropolitan county. [1] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority was established in 2014 and began electing the mayor of West Yorkshire in 2021. [2]
Since its formation, Bradford has been variously under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control. Councillors have predominantly been elected from the Labour Party, Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. The Green Party gained their first councillors on Bradford Council in 2002 and following these elections became the joint third largest group on the council.
Labour had regained control of the council from no overall control in the 2014 council election, gaining one seat to hold 46 out of 90 seats on the council. The Labour Party maintained its majority on the council in subsequent elections. Of the 30 seats contested in the previous election in 2022, Labour won nineteen on 44.1% of the vote, the Conservatives won six seats on 25.3% of the vote, the Green Party won three seats on 14.3% of the vote, and the Liberal Democrats and independents won one seat each on 8.1% and 6.8% of the vote respectively. [3]
Positions up for election in 2023 were last elected in 2019. In that election, eighteen Labour councillors, nine Conservative councillors, two Liberal Democrat councillors, and one Green councillor were elected. [4] Labour retained control of the council at this election. [5] [6]
Electoral process
The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. [7] [8] The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards generally being represented by three councillors, with one elected in each election year to serve a four-year term.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Bradford aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.
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