Former mayors, 2001-2010

• Party: Conservative
• Term of Office: 2010 - 2011
• Mayoress: Mrs Elizabeth Palfreeman
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Eric Firth
• Charity Appeal: Combat Stress

Details:

• Born in Batley - a proud Yorkshireman.
• Graduated from Brunel University with an Honours Degree in Government Studies and Law.
• Was Leader of the Conservative Group on two separate occasions, and appointed first Chair of Overview and Scrutiny.
• Served as a Member of the Cabinet.
• Proud to have hosted a Freedom Parade by The Yorkshire Regiment in Huddersfield in June 2010.
• Great love is cricket.

• Party: Green
• Term of Office: 2009 - 2010
• Consort: Darrel Turner
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Andrew Palfreeman
• Charity Appeal: Supporting people in crisis in Kirklees, 4 charities: the Mission Cafe and the Welcome Centre (Huddersfield), Care Dewsbury and Daybreak (Dewsbury)

Details:

• Born in Richmond, Surrey.
• Moved to Yorkshire in 1991.
• Campaigned to save Lockwood and Salford Village Green.
• A founder of the Yorkshire Games.
• Became a Kirklees Green Party Councillor in May 2002.

• Party: Liberal Democrat
• Term of Office: 2008 - 2009
• Mayoress: Mrs Nasreen Akhtar - housewife and daughter-in-law of the Mayor.
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Julie Stewart-Turner
• Charity Appeal: In aid of Dewsbury and District Hospital Diabetes Centre Appeal and the Laura Crane Trust.

Details:

• Born in the Free State of Jammu and Kashmir.
• He immigrated to the United Kingdom at the age of fifteen and has lived in the area for the past thirty years.
• Served as Executive Member for Kirklees Racial Equality Council and as a trustee of a local mosque.
• Elected to serve as councillor for the Dewsbury West Ward in 1998, the first Liberal Democrat to be elected in this ward.
• Campaigned to save Crow Nest Park Museum and to bring improvements to local parks.
• In recognition of his work, he was appointed Chairman of the Crow Nest Working Group.
• In 2004, he was elected to serve as Vice-Chairman of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, becoming Chairman the following year.
• Served as portfolio-holder for Environment and Leisure, Chairman of Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing Management Group and District Spokesman for Kirklees on the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority.
• Had four children.

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2007 - 2008
• Consort: Mr Shane Eastwood - played football for Huddersfield District and Sunday Leagues. Supporter of Huddersfield Town Football Club.
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Karam Hussain
• Charity Appeal: In aid of the west Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust.

Details:

• Born at Hill Top, Slaithwaite.
• Educated at Slaithwaite Church of England Primary School, Colne Valley High School and Huddersfield Technical College.
• Member of Slaithwaite Amateur Operatic Society and Woodhouse Operatic Society.
• Elected to Kirklees Metropolitan Council in 1992.
• Chairman of the Women's Rights Committee and launched the Domestic Violence Policy of the council.
• Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
• Chaired the Regeneration Committee for Deighton and Brackenhall Initiative Partnership.

• Party: Conservative
• Term of Office: 2006 - 2007
• Mayoress: Mrs Ann Firth - worked for Kirklees Metropolitan Council and a member of Almondbury Methodist Church.
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Jean Calvert
• Charity Appeal: In aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Huddersfield Epilepsy Group.

Details:

• Born at Fulstone Hall, New Mill.
• Educated at New Mill Infant and Junior School, Holmfirth Secondary School and Batley Technical College.
• Employed as an electrician in Holmfirth and remained there until retirement.
• Elected in 1989, but lost his seat in 1995, regaining it in 1999.
• Served on the Planning Sub-Committee (Huddersfield Area) and as the Lead member on the Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Transportation.
• Chairman of the Holme Valley South Area Committee.
• Elected to serve on Home Valley Parish Council for the Fulstone Ward in 1986.
• Chaired the General Purposes Committee and Chairman of the Parish Council between 1995 and 1996.

• Party: Liberal Democrat
• Term of Office: 2005 - 2006
• Consort: Mr Barry Fearnley
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Donald M. Firth
• Charity Appeal: In aid of Kirkwood Hospice and the Laura Crane Trust.

Details:

• Elected to serve as councillor for Colne Valley Ward in 1997.
• Served on the Huddersfield Planning Committee, Social Services Committee and the Education Committee.
• Chairman of the Colne Valley Area Committee.
• Member of the Environment, Social Affairs and Culture and Leisure Scrutiny Panels.
• Past member of the Marsden Mechanics Management Committee and past President and Chairman of the Huddersfield Flower Club.
• Trustee and founding member of Kirkwood Hospice.
• Involved with the Haydn Wood Music Festival (as Vice-Chairman) and as Secretary of the Colne Valley Twinning Association.
• Trained and qualified as a nurse at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary becoming a Ward and Departmental Sister.
• Became a lecturer in Nursing Studies at the West Yorkshire College of Health Education and Huddersfield University.
• Had three children.

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2004 - 2005
• Consort: Mr Gerald Harkin (died in office, 21st August, 2004)
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Margaret Fearnley
• Charity Appeal: In aid of Home-Start Kirklees, supporting families with children under the age of five.

Details:

• Born and educated in Batley.
• Studied Business Studies at Batley Technical School.
• Employed as a secretary by Fox's Biscuits (now a subsidiary of Northern Foods p.l.c.).
• Elected to serve as councillor for the Batley East Ward in 1990.
• Served on the Education Committee, Social Services Committee and the Environment Committee.
• Served as Chairman of Batley Area Committee.
• Member of the Devolution Advisory Committee, the Grants Advisory Committee, the Licensing and Safety Committee and the Education Scrutiny Panel.
• Member of the Management Committees of both Batley Surestart and Batley Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
• Governor of Dewsbury College and Park Road Junior, Infants and Nursery School.
• Member of Batley Family Community Resource Centre, Dewsbury District Society for the Blind and Environment Concern.
• Chairman of the Wm Henry Coulter Trust.

• Party: Liberal Democrat
• Term of Office: 2003 - 2004
• Consort: Mr Roy Allonby
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Mary Harkin
• Charity Appeal: Launched in aid of the Forget Me Not Trust which has the aim of constructing a hospice in Calderdale or Kirklees for terminally ill children.

Details:

• Elected to serve as councillor for the Lindley Ward in 1994.
• Served on the Huddersfield Planning Sub-Committee and Appeals Panels, the Council Business Committee, the Historic Buildings Trust and the Yorkshire Museums Council.
• Attended Royds Hall Grammar School and the School of Art at the University of Manchester.
• Employed as a teacher of art at Huddersfield New College for sixteen years.

• Party: Conservative
• Term of Office: 2002 - 2003
• Mayoress: Mrs Sandra Thompson
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Barbara Allonby, B.A.
• Charity Appeal: In aid of the Dewsbury, Batley and Spenborough Centre for the Deaf and the Huddersfield Society for the Deaf.

Details:

• Elected to serve as councillor for the Spen Ward in 1987 and served until 1991.
• Re-elected to serve as councillor for the Birstall and Birkenshaw Ward and remained in post for four years.
• Served on the Social Services Committee, the Planning Committee, the Women's Rights Committee, the Race Equality Committee and the Regeneration Committee.
• Involved with Batley Family Community Centre Management Panel and the Dewsbury and District Police Crime Prevention Panel.
• Involved with the Society for the Blind and the Centre for the Deaf in Dewsbury since 1987.
• Appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire in 2003.
• Married with three children.

• Party: Labour
• Term of Office: 2001 - 2002
• Mayoress: Mrs Asha Sokhal
• Deputy Mayor: Councillor Margaret R. Bates
• Charity Appeal: In aid of Kirkwood Hospice.

Details:

• Represented Paddock Ward on Kirklees Metropolitan Council since 1989.
• Employed as a bus driver for thirty two years.
• Governor of Reinwood Junior School.
• Represented Kirklees for ten years on the West Yorkshire Police Authority.
• Served as Chairman of the Huddersfield, Batley and Spenborough Police community forums.
• Member of Kirklees Racial Equality Council's Management Committee.
• Involved with Huddersfield Indian Workers Association for twenty years.
• Trustee and member of the Sikh Leisure Centre.