The Mayor
The role of the Mayor of Kirklees is a ceremonial role which is appointed to every year at the council's Annual General Meeting.
The Mayor is the First Citizen of the Borough of Kirklees. This means they take precedence in the Borough over everyone except members of the Royal Family and the Lord Lieutenant or their representative.
The Mayor attends a variety of engagements throughout the year with many invitations coming from local groups, organisations, schools and businesses. Should the Mayor be unavailable, the Deputy Mayor may attend in their place.
Invite the Mayor to your event
If you would like to invite the Mayor to your event, simply complete our online form and we'll be in touch.
Clock Completing this form takes around 5 minutes.
Invite the MayorAfter you've submitted your request
- Once your form has been submitted your invitation will be shared with the Mayor and a response sent to you to confirm if the Mayor is able to accept.
- If they are unable to attend you may be notified that the Deputy Mayor will attend in their place if available.
- You will be asked to provide further details of your event including confirmation of timings, venue, parking arrangements etc.
About the Mayor
Councillor Karen Allison
Councillor Karen Allison was elected to the Newsome Ward in May 2014 and has been re-elected twice.
Prior to being a councillor Karen worked for Kirklees for 23 years in the Estates Departments so has seen the Council from both sides. Since being elected Karen has been an active ward councillor, taking up many local issues and concerns.
She has been the Business Manager for the Green Group, up until recently a long standing member of the Lawrence Batley Theatre Board and in her spare time is on the Management Committee of the Newsome Centre.
When she is not being a Councillor, Karen is a wardrobe mistress for Longwood Theatre Productions and a Squirrel Scout Leader for Newsome 45th Scouts.
Karen is married to Mark, has two grown up children and is a proud grandma to Poppy Rae.
Councillor Lee Cliff
Lee left Batley High School in 1976 and fell into engineering where he eventually became a production engineer for a Bradford company. After 15 years in engineering, it was time to move on, then after a short spell in sales, he retrained as a heating engineer where he ran his own business until April this year serving the local community.
Lee was born in Dewsbury and is deeply rooted in the Spen Valley, where he lives with his wife Patricia. They have been married 42 years and have a daughter.
Initiated into a Freemasons Lodge in Huddersfield in 2009 where he has held a number of rolls and is currently the lodge secretary, he supports the Masonic Charitable Foundation, a number of local charities together with a national men's prostrate cancer charity.
His hobbies include gardening, pottering about in the garage, DIY and musical theatre.
Councillor Cliff is looking forward to serving his local community as Ward Councillor, and the wider borough in his Civic capacity as Deputy Mayor.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are paid an allowance to cover any personal costs incurred whilst undertaking their role.
Current allowances
2026 - 2027:
- Mayor: £20,010
- Deputy: £8,638
The Mayor has chosen to support the Uniform Exchange during her term as Mayor of Kirklees
Uniform Exchange is a local charity that supports families across Kirklees by providing free school uniforms and essential clothing to children in need. By redistributing donated items, the organisation helps reduce the financial pressure on households while ensuring children can attend school feeling confident and included. Alongside tackling child poverty, Uniform Exchange promotes sustainability through a zero-waste, circular approach - reusing clothing, reducing textile waste and encouraging families to choose second-hand as a positive, stigma-free option.
To find out more and how to donate vist: Uniform Exchange
Contact the Mayor
- Address Civic Office, PO Box 1720, Huddersfield, HD1 9EL
- Phone 01484 221905
- Email civic.office@kirklees.gov.uk
- Mayor of Kirklees
Former Mayors
You can view the former Mayors of Kirklees dating back from 1974 to present.