Two leading candidates to be Ilkley and Keighley's next MP have begun setting out their campaign aims, with six weeks to go until the general election on Thursday 4th July.
Both Labour's John Grogan and the Conservatives' Robbie Moore have released social media videos following the announcement of the date of the election by Rishi Sunak on Wednesday - you can watch both below.
Voters across the area will go to the polls on 4th July to elect a new MP for Keighley and Ilkley, as well as one for Skipton and Ripon.
In Keighley and Ilkley, Mr Moore was elected in 2019 with a majority of 2,218 after polling 25,298 votes compared with Mr Grogan's tally of 23,080.
Mr Grogan had been the MP between 2017 and 2019 with a majority of 239 (polling 24,056 votes compared with Conservative candidate Kris Hopkins' total of 23,817.
Confirming that he would again by the Conservative candidate for the area in this year's election, Robbie Moore said: “Over the past five years I’ve met thousands of local people, held hundreds of advice surgeries and helped resolve over 36,000 local issues. I’ve made it my mission to be our most active MP in a generation. I've learnt that real change within our community starts not from the top down but from the ground up - with local people first.
“This election is about whether in the years ahead we have more local power - or less. Whether we take back our independence from Bradford Council - or keep our community under their control. Finish the rebuild (of Airedale Hospital) - or go back to delay. Stand up for our green spaces - or let them tear them down. Have our grooming gangs inquiry - or not.
“Every voice, every street, every community - if re-elected as your local member of Parliament, your community champion, I will never stop fighting for you.
“Nobody ever said that this was going to be easy but if there’s one thing that I have learnt in the job so far it’s that you never ever underestimate the voices of local people.”
Labour candidate John Grogan, who was the MP for the constituency between 2017 and 2019, told Rombalds Radio: "I am honoured to be contesting the seat of Keighley and Ilkley as the Labour Party candidate for the fourth time in a decade. Five times since the war the majority in the constituency has been less than a thousand and I expect it once again to be a close run contest between Labour and the Conservatives.
"My priorities if elected will include cutting waiting lists at Airedale Hospital (the institution which unites this diverse constituency) and reinvigorating our town and village centres. Local schools urgently need more teachers and there are many environmental issues to address not least sewage in the Aire, Wharfe and Worth valleys.
"I look forward to a passionate but measured debate and as a cricket fan in politics I shall always seek to play the ball, not my opponent. If successful I shall aim to unite and not divide and work with all - whatever their politics. I want nobody in Keighley and Ilkley to be held back and nobody to be left behind."
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Local food and drink delights at Ilkley Cycle Races
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