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Almondbury Ward By-Election 2026: Date, Candidates and What to Know

Voters in Almondbury will elect a new Kirklees councillor on 13 August following the resignation of Reform UK's Craig Wiles. Six candidates are standing.

By Staff member • Published 2 August 2026 at 09:55 • 3 min read
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Status: Candidates confirmed — polling day is Thursday 13 August 2026. Result awaiting declaration.

Voters in Almondbury will choose a new Kirklees councillor on Thursday 13 August following the resignation of Reform UK councillor Craig Wiles.

Six candidates are standing in the single-seat contest. Reform UK is defending the vacancy after winning all three Almondbury seats at the May 2026 elections.

When is the Almondbury Ward by-election?

The Almondbury Ward by-election will take place on Thursday 13 August 2026. Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm.

The election will fill one vacancy on Kirklees Council and will be conducted using first past the post.

Why is there a by-election in Almondbury?

The contest was called following the resignation of Craig Wiles. Kirklees Council's formal notice of vacancy was dated 26 June 2026.

Wiles had been elected only weeks earlier, on 7 May, when he was one of three Reform UK candidates to win seats in Almondbury.

Who is standing in the Almondbury Ward by-election?

The six confirmed candidates are:

CandidateParty or description
Marquis CravenIndependent
Paola Antonia Convertino DaviesLiberal Democrats
Graham HaighReform UK
Navraj Singh HareLabour Party
Robert William Anthony McGuinConservative and Unionist Party
Sa'Dia MosaddeqGreen Party

Almondbury Ward by-election result

Awaiting declaration. This page will be updated with the official vote totals, vote shares, turnout and winning majority once Kirklees Council declares the result.

CandidatePartyVotesShare
Marquis CravenIndependentAwaiting declaration
Paola Antonia Convertino DaviesLiberal DemocratsAwaiting declaration
Graham HaighReform UKAwaiting declaration
Navraj Singh HareLabourAwaiting declaration
Robert William Anthony McGuinConservativeAwaiting declaration
Sa'Dia MosaddeqGreenAwaiting declaration

What happened in Almondbury in May 2026?

Reform UK won all three Almondbury seats when every Kirklees councillor was elected on 7 May. Gill Floyd led the poll with 2,224 votes, followed by Pip Harvey on 2,135 and Craig Wiles on 2,060.

CandidatePartyVotesResult
Gill FloydReform UK2,224Elected
Pip HarveyReform UK2,135Elected
Craig WilesReform UK2,060Elected
Paola Antonia Convertino DaviesLiberal Democrats1,755Not elected
Jan DobruckiLiberal Democrats1,488Not elected
James Andrew WilkinsonLiberal Democrats1,378Not elected
Stephen Paul HampshireGreen Party1,001Not elected
Brenda SmithsonGreen Party782Not elected
Peter Harvey TaylorGreen Party696Not elected
Grace GiftConservative532Not elected
Barbara Ruth JonesLabour477Not elected
Collins IborConservative466Not elected
Jimmy MegbeleConservative432Not elected
Navraj Singh HareLabour379Not elected
Musili Yinka OseniLabour331Not elected

The official result recorded an electorate of 13,601. Ten ballot papers were rejected.

As May's election filled three seats, voters could support as many as three candidates. The by-election fills only one seat and every voter has one vote, so the earlier candidate totals provide useful background but are not directly comparable with the forthcoming result.

Why does the Almondbury result matter?

Reform UK emerged as the largest party on Kirklees Council in May, winning 29 of its 69 seats. Independents won 14, the Green Party 12, the Conservatives nine and the Liberal Democrats five. Labour did not win a seat.

No party secured the 35 seats required for an overall majority. Wiles's resignation reduced Reform's representation and created the vacancy, meaning Almondbury offers an early test of the balance on a council where no group is in outright control.

The result will also test whether Reform can repeat its May performance in a one-seat contest. Liberal Democrat Paola Davies, who finished fourth with 1,755 votes and was the highest-placed non-Reform candidate in May, is standing again. Labour's Navraj Hare is also returning to the ballot paper.

How will the winner be elected?

The by-election uses first past the post. Voters choose one candidate and the person receiving the most votes becomes the new councillor. The winner does not need to receive more than half of all votes cast.

When will the Almondbury result be announced?

Kirklees Council has not published a firm expected declaration time. The official totals will be added to this page once the result has been declared.

What do voters need at the polling station?

People voting in person must take an accepted form of photographic identification. A polling card is helpful but is not required to vote.

Postal voters should return their completed ballot in time for it to reach the returning officer by the close of poll at 10pm.

Last updated: 2 August 2026.

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