Brighouse residents have a new MP as Labour takes Calder Valley

RESIDENTS of Brighouse have woken up today to find a new MP in charge of their constituency.

Labour’s Josh Fenton-Glynn took the Calder Valley seat from the Conservatives for his party in General Election 2024.

The Calderdale Council Cabinet member – he has the adults’ services portfolio – is heading for Westminster with victory at the fourth time of asking in the seat vacated by retiring Conservative Craig Whittaker.

He had been unsuccessful in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 campaigns but that changed with a 8,991 majority over Vanessa Lee, who was defending the seat for the Conservatives, in 2024.

Praising family, friends, and his election team Mr Fenton-Glynn said: “You’ve stood by me for over a decade.”

And he said he felt a massive weight of responsibility to deliver for everyone in the constituency, those who had voted for him and those who had not.

Of the Calder Valley and its people, Mr Fenton-Glynn said: “I really love this place and want to make a difference to it.”

Mr Fenton-Glynn said it was clear people had voted for change – not only ending the “chaos” seen in recent years but also in support of certain things, such as the health service, schools and the environment.

“We must be clear about the challenges we face – now we must deliver the change you have asked us for.

“It’s my determination that we will make sure people feel that difference in the Calder Valley,” he said.

Mr Fenton-Glynn said he hoped to earn the trust people had put in him and pledged: “I will do everything I can to be Calder Valley’s voice in Westminster, not Westminster’s voice in the Calder Valley.”

He said it was an opportunity to make a difference for the area and with he and his team having spoken to around 10,000 people in the six weeks of the campaign, the cost of living crisis was a big driver.

“Also people didn’t feel like they had much hope in this country – bringing back hope is something as a government we have to do,” said Mr Fenton-Glynn.

Ms Lee was clear in second but the right wing vote was split, with Donald Walmsley in third for Reform UK with 7,644 votes.

The Green Party’s Kieran Turner and Liberal Democrat Donal O’Hanlon both polled strongly too, with less success for the Yorkshire Party’s James Vasey and the Social Democratic Party’s Jim McNeill.

With 49,796 ballots cast, turnout was 64.37 per cent, down on 2019’s 72.9 per cent.

RESULT

CALDER VALLEY

John Fenton-Glynn (Labour) 22,046

Vanessa Lee (Conservative) 13,055

Jim McNeill (Social Democratic Party) 171

Donal O’Hanlon (Liberal Democrat) 2,587

Kieran Turner (Green Party) 3,701

James Vasey (Yorkshire Party) 404

Donald Walmsley (Reform UK) 7,644

Maj: 8,991

LAB GAIN