A Burley resident has announced he will stand as an independent candidate in the Kirkstall ward at May’s Leeds City Council elections.
Stuart Long has lived in Kirkstall for over 40 years, attending Beecroft Primary and Kirkstall Middle Schools.
“This ward is deeply part of who I am: from the historic Abbey and our valued green spaces to the everyday concerns of families on our streets,” he said.
“My commitment to standing comes from years of direct experience campaigning on local health and safety matters. I’ve focused particularly on radon gas, a naturally occurring, invisible radioactive gas that can seep into homes from the ground.
“Beyond radon, I’m passionate about Kirkstall’s future: improving recycling rates (where Leeds lags behind other councils), supporting local businesses, enhancing public transport, addressing homelessness, fixing poor road infrastructure to reduce accidents at key junctions, and preserving our heritage like opposing any threats to Abbey House Museum.”
The current political make up of Kirkstall ward is three Labour councillors. Current councillor Hannah Bithell has be reselected to stand as Labour’s candidate.
WLD will be approaching candidates from all seven wards in our patch for 300-word profiles ahead of the Leeds City Council elections. These will be published a fortnight before the elections on 7 May.
All 33 council wards in Leeds will be contested at the elections.
Follow WLD’s coverage of the 2026 local elections here.
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