With the battle for control of Kirklees Council finally over, attention has turned to the people now shaping decisions across the borough. But outside the council chamber, many of the borough’s councillors have careers that are just as varied as the communities they represent.
Every councillor is required to publish a register of pecuniary interests when taking office. The declarations include employment, businesses, land ownership, contracts and other financial interests to help ensure transparency and identify any potential conflicts of interest.
The latest register offers an insight into the working lives of Kirklees’ 68 councillors, revealing careers spanning engineering, local government, hospitality, business and even professional poker.
New council leader Sarah Wood, of Reform UK, declared her employment at Kirkstall Precision Engineering, a company specialising in precision engineering.
Among her Cabinet colleagues, Councillor Pip Harvey, Cabinet Member for Place, Culture and Volunteering, disclosed that she is the self-employed owner of a cookie business, PipnMix.
Cabinet Member for Adults, Social Care and Public Health, Councillor Michael Simmons, listed his occupation as a professional poker player and residential property landlord.
The declarations also show that many opposition councillors continue to work in public service alongside their elected roles.
Green Party group leader Andrew Cooper declared his employment with Sheffield City Council, while Liberal Democrat councillor Kath Pinnock disclosed that she is a member of the House of Lords.
The register covers more than employment alone. Councillors are also required to declare property interests, company directorships, contracts with the council, licences, corporate tenancies and securities where relevant.
The information is published as part of the council’s transparency requirements and allows residents to see any financial interests that could influence council decision-making.
While council meetings often dominate headlines, the register highlights that many councillors continue to balance their public responsibilities with careers and businesses outside local government.
Now the dust has settled on the battle for leadership and Cabinet nomination in Kirklees, all of the 68 councillors are settling into their new roles. But what have they been forced to disclose to the council?
When councillors agree to step into their roles, they must disclose ‘Pecuniary Interests’. These fall into seven categories, including any ongoing/undischarged contracts, land, licences, corporate tenancies, and securities.
They must also disclose types of employment, including professions and vocations. For councillors across Kirklees, many are busy with more than just council duties.
For example, while juggling the responsibilities of being Leader of the Council, Reform UK’s Sarah Wood also disclosed her work at Kirkstall Precision Engineering, which claims to be at the forefront of global precision engineering.
Elsewhere, members of the all-Reform Cabinet appear to have a number of vocational and self-employed roles. Cllr Pip Harvey – Cabinet Member for Place, Culture and Volunteering – disclosed that she was the self-employed owner of a cookie stall, ‘PipnMix’.
Meanwhile, Cllr Michael Simmons – Cabinet Member for Adults, Social Care and Public Health Committee – disclosed he was a professional poker player as well as a residential property landlord.
Opposition councillors also appear to have a wide range of roles outside council scrutiny, with Green Party Cllr Andrew Cooper disclosing employment at Sheffield City Council, and Cllr Kath Pinock, for the Lib Dems, being a member of the House of Lords.
While all the documents are public to view, the Local Democracy Service have collated all of the different employment that Kirklees Councillors undertake while also standing in Local Government.
Take a scroll to see what your local councillor is getting up to when they are not choosing the fate of Kirklees.
- Councillor Abdul Jabar, Green Party, Crosland Moor: Cllr Jabar disclosed he is a self-employed Taxi Driver.
- Councillor Akhtar Kasia, Kirklees Independents, Batley East: Cllr Kasia disclosed interests, including under Section 1, employment at Lumiwhite Teeth – a luxurious, professional teeth-whitening system developed by UK dentists.
- Councillor Alex Vickers, Green Party, Deputy Group Leader (Green Party), Crosland Moor: Cllr Vickers disclosed that she was a Kitchen Staff and Cleaner at a local Preschool
- Councillor Ammar Anwar, Kirklees Independents, Group Business Manager, Dewsbury West: Cllr Anwar disclosed that he was a taxi licence holder.
- Councillor Andrew Cooper, Green Party, Group Leader (Green Party), Netherton and Newsome: Cllr Cooper disclosed employment at Sheffield City Council as a Policy Officer.
- Councillor Andrew Pinnock, Liberal Democrats, Cleckheaton: Cllr Pinnock disclosed he was a member of Kirklees Council.
- Councillor Anthony Smith, Liberal Democrats, Group Leader, Lindley: Cllr Smith disclosed his full-time role as an Account Manager.
- Councillor Ashleigh Robinson, Liberal Democrats, Group Business Manager, Lindley: NA
- Councillor Aziz Daji, Kirklees Independents, Batley East: NA
- Councillor Bill Armer, Conservative Party, Kirkburton ward: NA
- Councillor Brian Moughtin, Reform UK, Colne Valley East: Cllr Moughtin disclosed he carried out “very occasional Burglar Alarm servicing”.
- Councillor Charles Greaves, Valley Independent Group, Group Leader (Valley Independent Group), Holme Valley North: Cllr Greaves had a number of employment disclosures, including as an Authority Member with the Peak District National Park Authority and with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
- Councillor Chris Kennedy, Reform UK, Dewsbury South: Cllr Kennedy disclosed he was a self-employed painter and decorator.
- Councillor Christine Smith, Reform UK, Dalton: NA
- Councillor Damian Brook, Conservative Party, Holme Valley South: NA
- Councillor Dave Rowan, Reform UK, Colne Valley West: Cllr Rowan disclosed employment at Breedon Cement.
- Councillor David Birch, Reform UK, Holme Valley South: NA
- Councillor David Knight, Green Party, Ashbrow ward: Cllr Knight is an unpaid Parish Councillor for Kirkburton Parish Council.
- Councillor David Ridgway, Liberal Democrats, Lindley: NA
- Councillor Elizabeth Smaje, Conservatives, Birstall and Birkenshaw: As well as being an invigilator, Cllr Smaje disclosed she was the Director for the Birstall Community Trust
- Councillor Eric Butterworth, Reform UK, Dewsbury East: NA
- Councillor Gill Floyd, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Children’s Services (Statutory responsibility for Children), Almondbury ward: Cllr Floyd disclosed she was the director of Floyd Construction LTD.
- Councillor Glennis Harrison, Reform UK, Heckmondwike: NA
- Councillor Graham France, Reform UK, Dewsbury East: NA
- Councillor Habiban Zaman, Kirklees Independents, Group Leader for Kirklees Independents, Batley East ward: Cllr Zaman disclosed her involvement with Third Sector Leaders Kirklees.
- Councillor Hanifa Darwan, Independent, Dewsbury South: Cllr Darwan disclosed her involvement with Excel Immigration Solicitors, a highly rated, specialist immigration law firm based in Dewsbury.
- Councillor Imran Safdar, Green Party, Crosland Moor: Cllr Safdar disclosed his work at a pharmacy.
- Councillor James O’Leary, Reform UK, Mirfield ward: Cllr O’Leary explained he was employed as an Account Handler for a Commercial Insurance Broker.
- Councillor Jane Barraclough, Reform UK, Liversedge and Gomersal: Cllr Barraclough disclosed she was self-employed in Market Research.
- Councillor John Hardie, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Regeneration, Highways and Transport, Dalton ward: Cllr Hardie disclosed he was the Director and Owner of Advance Architects Ltd
- Councillor John Taylor, Conservative, Group Leader, Kirkburton: NA
- Councillor Joshua Sheard, Conservatives, Birstall and Birkenshaw: Cllr Sheard disclosed work, including administrative casework and custodial case work.
- Councillor Julia Roebuck, Valley Independent Group, Group Business Manager, Holme Valley North: Cllr Roebuck disclosed her work as a creative director for Upcycle Fashion and Hang My Art, which provides professional hanging, installation and placement services for art and mirrors.
- Councillor Karen Allison, Green Party, Netherton and Newsome: NA
- Councillor Kath Pinnock, Liberal Democrats, Cleckheaton: Cllr Pinnock is a member of the House of Lords.
- Councillor Khalid Patel, Kirklees Independents, Dewsbury West: Cllr Patel disclosed he was a private hire driver for Uber, as well as a massage therapist.
- Councillor Khuram Amjad, Kirklees Independent, Batley West: Cllr Amjad disclosed work for Little Kensington Ltd – an active UK-registered company specialising in e-commerce.
- Councillor Lee Cliff, Reform UK, Heckmondwike: NA
- Councillor Luke Fallas, Reform UK, Dalton: Cllr Fallas disclosed work for FirstGroup plc – a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.
- Councillor Maciej Kapsa, Reform UK, Dewsbury East: Cllr Kapsa disclosed that he was an IT manager at King James’s School
- Councillor Mark Smith, Reform UK, Deputy Leader of the Council and Deputy Group Leader, Colne Valley East: NA
- Councillor Martin Price, Green Party, Ashbrow: NA
- Councillor Martyn Bolt, Conservatives, Mirfield: Cllr Bolt is the Deputy Town Clerk of Morley Town Council.
- Councillor Maryam Jawaid, Green Party, Greenhead: Cllr Jawaid is the self-employed owner of the dessert shop, Fat Cows Dessert.
- Councillor Masood Ahmed, Independent, Dewsbury South: Cllr Ahmed disclosed work at the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
- Councillor Matthew Maude, Reform UK, Mirfield: Cllr Maude disclosed his YouTube channel for “designing and inventing” as well as his work processing firewood.
- Councillor Michael Howard, Reform UK, Cleckheaton: Cllr Howard disclosed that he worked full-time for Network Rail as a Crossing Keeper and was based in Hessay, near York.
- Councillor Michael Simmons, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Adults Social Care and Public Health Communities, Colne Valley East: Cllr Simmons disclosed that he was a professional poker player and a residential property landlord.
- Councillor Philip James, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Housing and Physical Communities, Birstall and Birkenshaw: NA
- Councillor Pip Harvey, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Place, Culture and Volunteering, Almondbury: Cllr Harvey disclosed that she was the self-employed owner of a cookie stall, ‘PipnMix’.
- Councillor Richard Burton, Green Party, Greenhead: Cllr Burton disclosed he was a volunteer “expert” at Bradford University.
- Councillor Richard Noon, Valley Independent Group, Holme Valley North: Cllr Noon disclosed work for Adyen N.V – a global payment technology company and licensed acquiring bank headquartered in Amsterdam.
- Councillor Richard Smith, Conservatives, Group Business Manager, Kirkburton ward: Cllr Smith disclosed he was a Programme Manager, NHS England, based in Leeds.
- Councillor Robert Butler, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Education and SEND, Holme Valley South: NA
- Councillor Sarah Wood, Reform UK, Leader of the Council and Group Leader, Liversedge and Gomersal: The Leader of the Council disclosed work at Kirkstall Precision Engineering, who claim to be at the forefront of global precision engineering.
- Councillor Simon Brophy, Reform UK, Cabinet Member – Strategic Finance and Local Government Efficiency, Denby Dale: NA
- Councillor Simon Duffy, Green Party, Ashbrow: Cllr Duffy disclosed work with solar panel installers, Leeds Solar.
- Councillor Simon Holbrook, Reform UK, Heckmondwike: Cllr Holbrook disclosed part-time and self-employed work, though did not stipulate what kind of work this was.
- Councillor Stephan Dransfield, Reform UK, Colne Valley West: Cllr Dransfield disclosed he was the Managing Director at Actiforms Ltd, a privately-owned UK manufacturer and constructor of off-site engineered modular buildings.
- Councillor Susan Lee-Richards, Green Party, Group Business Manager, Netherton and Newsome: NA
- Councillor Susan Maxfield, Independent, Liversedge and Gomersal: NA
- Councillor Tanisha Bramwell, Kirklees Independents, Dewsbury West: As well as being the founder and part-time employee of Bramwell’s Hope, Cllr Bramwell also disclosed she was a Content Creator on Meta Platforms.
- Councillor Timothy Bamford, Conservatives, Denby Dale: Cllr Bamford disclosed he was a self-employed Transport Manager.
- Councillor Tina Bamford, Conservatives, Denby Dale: Cllr Bamford disclosed she was self-employed in a marketing and sales role.
- Councillor Toby Cooper, Green Party, Greenhead: Cllr Cooper disclosed he was a Bar Manager at the Picturedrome.
- Councillor Tracy Clayton represents Reform UK, Group Business Manager (Reform UK), Colne Valley West: NA
- Councillor Yusra Hussain, Kirklees Independents, Batley West: NA
- Councillor Zahid Kahut, Kirklees Independents, Batley West: Cllr Kahut disclosed he was a solicitor and Principal/Director at RKS Solicitors as well as a Boxing Coach.
