Former leader of Kirklees Council Cllr Shabir Pandor made a surprise announcement late at night on 26 July that, “I will be resigning from the position of Leader of Kirklees Labour Group and Leader of Kirklees Council,” this marked the end of his five-year long tenure of him leading the council. He will continue as a Labour councillor representing Batley West.
Leading a council representing a population of over 433,000 was not without any challenges. Cllr Shabir Pandor, first entered Kirklees council as a representative of Batley West in May 2002, and has consistently remained in the position. In July 2016, he rose through the ranks to become the deputy leader of Kirklees council.
Cllr Pandor’s leadership tenure saw many major milestones. The Devolution deal of 2020 was one of the biggest of all. In March 2020, that partnership was strengthened even further when the five councils of West Yorkshire agreed the largest ever devolution deal with the Government.
This historic and transformative £1.8 billion deal included a government commitment to support the development of a West Yorkshire Mass Transit System and investment from the Transforming Cities Fund which, with the other resources. The deal also resulted in a common West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, in 2021. The primary aim of the deal was to ensure that councils in West Yorkshire work together with a common motive of serving citizens and residents.
The Covid pandemic, that hit UK shortly after March 2020, was among the biggest challenges Cllr Pandor faced as a leader of Kirklees council. In July 2020, in a quick response to the pandemic, Cllr Pandor reallotted portfolios and responsibilities, to ensure an efficient handling of pandemic. As a part of the rearrangement, he personally took responsibility for response strategy and public health, ensuring that he leads from the front.
During the pandemic, Cllr Pandor regularly communicated with the people through public statements, providing them updates on the work being done and other relevant advisories. He led through the vaccine rollout process. By March 2021, in Kirklees when he himself had his first dose, almost 140,000 residents in Kirklees had received their first dose of vaccine. In June 2021, a huge vaccine tent was set up at St George’s Hospital in Huddersfield, to ensure walk in vaccinations for Kirklees residents. By November 2021, Kirklees had highest number of vaccinated young residents in Yorkshire.
Under Cllr Pandor’s leadership Kirklees Council also looked through the TransPennine route upgrade totalling £3bn, of which £1 billion would be invested directly in Kirklees securing better rail network from Batley, Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Mirfield and Huddersfield. On the connectivity front, he also increased funding on the highway and street scene.
As a result of his initiatives, the region has regained national recognition, gaining representation on influential bodies such as CCIN, Key Cities, and the Local Government Association.
Furthermore, Cllr Shabir Pandor demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing pressing issues. He was among the first council leaders to declare a climate emergency and formulated a comprehensive climate action plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2038. Additionally, his efforts in securing investments for infrastructure development, including highways and street enhancements, have significantly improved the region’s overall infrastructure.
In partnership with other organisations, Cllr Shabir Pandor facilitated numerous transformative projects, including securing a new police station on the old Dewsbury College site, collaborating with the university to establish the New Health Innovation Campus, and introducing innovative retrofit housing solutions on Abbey Road. He also championed the welfare of workers, playing a key role in the establishment of a new GMB Trade Union resource and training centre.
His commitment to the community’s well-being is evident in his successful efforts to avoid placing children’s services under a trust and partnering with Leeds City Council to transform and improve failing services. Moreover, he prioritized inclusion and diversity, formulating a strategy that aims to create opportunities for all residents and staff. Cllr Shabir Pandor’s remarkable achievements have undoubtedly left a lasting positive impact on the region and its residents.
Under his guidance, the council’s majority was significantly increased, growing from 36 councillors to an impressive 39. This success can be attributed to his commitment to the welfare of the local community and his ability to bring people together.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “I would like to thank Shabir Pandor for his support over the last two years that I have been Mayor and for his role in helping secure devolution to the region. He has been a champion for Kirklees and West Yorkshire including through his leadership on inclusivity and economic growth” Mrs Brabin also thanked Cllr Pandor for his leadership during the pandemic and in dealing with the economic crisis.
Cllr Pandor declined to comment further on the reasons for his departure or about his future intentions, other than to confirm he would remain a councillor for Batley West. He spoke of his successes and how under his leadership from 2018 there had been a budget for investment which “put the ambition back into Kirklees Council so that resentencing believe they have a council that delivers.”
He spoke of investment in public parks and playgrounds and events such as Huddersfield Carnival, the mela, Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival and Pride events. “This underpinned our diversity strategy, so everyone felt they had a stake in Kirklees,” he said.
Cllr Pandor said austerity and changes to the way the Government funded Kirklees and other local authorities had caused immense damage. “We need a fair funding formula from Government,” he said. “If we had the same funding formula as in 2010, we would have a surplus.”
Cllr Pandor was proud of the work which took place to guide the district through the Covid-19 pandemic. “The pandemic was a massive challenge, not just for Kirklees but internationally,” he said. “That’s where my leadership came into its own. “As soon as lockdown started, my workload doubled but we worked well across parties with clinics, track and trace and community champions reaching out to the community and helping keep people safe. “As we came through the various lockdowns there was a clear strategy in place.
However, as we started to return to normality we had the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy prices and Ukraine. “That’s something the Tories have exacerbated. Inflation is too high; mortgages and rents are skyrocketing, and people are struggling to put food on the table.
“Despite the cost-of-living crisis we have upped our game with the roll out of the Bread-and-Butter Thing and helping food banks and as a local authority we are still trying to help.”
On his term of leadership Cllr Pandor added: “Five years is a long time, and there were two years before that as deputy leader. “It’s only right we have a fresh approach because we have a massive crisis all across local government, not just in Kirklees. We have to balance the books and we have to carry on our ambition.”
Deputy Labour Group leader, Councillor Cathy Scott will take over as interim leader of Kirklees Council.
