Labor dominates West Yorkshire but Gaza ‘a problem’

Labor won all but two seats in West Yorkshire in the 2024 general election in a historic night for the party.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the first Chancellor of the Exchequer will be an MP for the region after Rachel Reeves won the new seat of Leeds West and Pudsey.

Ms Reeves is almost certain to be named the first woman to hold the post, although she said she would not “anticipate” the choice of cabinet leader.

However, Labour’s stance on Gaza cost the party the Dewsbury and Batley constituency, which was won by an independent candidate who campaigned on the issue.

However, Labor will form the government after securing a landslide majority of more than 400 MPs.

Other West Yorkshire MPs are also likely to be part of Sir Keir’s backbench team, including Yvette Cooper from Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, who has been shadow home secretary since 2021.

Veteran Hilary Benn, who served in the Cabinet under Tony Blair, pursued the Northern Ireland seat and extended her 25-year career as an MP by winning Leeds South.

Dewsbury and Batley fell not to the Tories or Reform UK challengers, but to independent Iqbal Mohammed, who believes views on Gaza, the NHS and the cost of living crisis have led voters away from mainstream political parties.

He said: “Most people, not just Muslims, but non-Muslims that I have spoken to have all been very concerned about what is happening in Gaza and they all see it as a grave injustice.

“We’ve had Labor running the council and the Conservatives nationally – and in that time the cities have gone backwards.

“A lot of people are waiting for treatment on the NHS and a lot of people can’t afford food or heating.”

Mr Mohammed is the first independent MP to win a seat in Yorkshire since 1907, but will join five others in the House of Commons who are not affiliated to a party.

Huddersfield’s new Labor MP Harpreet Uppal, who replaced Barry Sheerman, who replaced him after the veteran resigned, told the BBC: “There is clearly a trust issue and it is our responsibility to go back now and build this trust within communities.

“I think we need to make it clear that Labor supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza – that has not always been clear.

“Unfortunately, there has been misinformation about this.”

Elsewhere in West Yorkshire, Labor dominated the results.

The former Morley and Outwood constituency said goodbye to the Tories’ Andrea Jenkyns, who campaigned alongside UK reform leader Nigel Farage over party literature. She was replaced by Labour’s Mark Sewards in the new seat of Leeds South West and Morley.

Conservatives Jason McCartney and Mark Eastwood lost their Colne Valley and Ossett and Denby Dale constituencies.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Richard Burgon and Alex Sobel will return to Parliament after winning Leeds East and Leeds Central and Headingley respectively.

There will also be fresh faces joining the Labor benches.

Environmental campaigner Katie White won Leeds North West and Leeds South West and newcomer Mr Sewards was a teacher.

One of the two remaining Tory seats is effectively a ‘cross-border’ constituency as part of Wetherby and Easingwold are in North Yorkshire.

And Labor failed to win marginal Keighley and Ilkley, which Tory Robbie Moore retained with a majority of just 1,625. Both Reform Britain and the Green Party increased their vote share in the seat.

Calder Valley – Josh Fenton-Glynn, Labor Party

Colne Valley – Paul Davies, Labor Party

Dewsbury and Batley – Iqbal Mohamed, Independent

Halifax – Kate Dearden, Work

Huddersfield – Harpreet Uppal, Work

Leeds Central and Headingley – Alex Sobel, Work

East Leeds – Richard Burgon, Labourer

Leeds North East – Fabian Hamilton, Work

Leeds North West – Katie White, Work

Leeds South – Hilary Benn, Work

Leeds South West and Morley – Mark Sewards, Labour

Leeds West and Pudsey – Rachel Reeves, Work

Normanton and Hemsworth – Jon Trickett, Labour

Ossett and Denby Dale – Jade Botterill, Work

Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley – Yvette Cooper, Work

The Spen Valley – Kim Leadbeater, Labour

Wakefield and Rothwell – Simon Lightwood, Work

Wetherby and Easingwold – Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative

Keighley and Ilkley – Robbie Moore, Conservative

Bradford South – Judith Cummins, Work

Bradford East – Imran Hussain, Laborer

Bradford West – Naz Shah, Labor

Shipley – Anna Dixon, Work