‘The general election can’t come soon enough’ Wakefield MP reflects on his first year since dramatic by-election victory

Mr Lightwood won the seat back from the Conservatives on June 23, 2022, in a dramatic by-election victory.

Reflecting on his first 12 months serving the city, he said: “It was a real rollercoaster ride, the whole by-election experience.

“Yes, you are standing here in Wakefield, but you have also got national expectations on your shoulders.

“It was a really rewarding experience.

“We got a lot of support across Wakefield and it was great to see the Labour Party coming together as a movement and to connect with the people of Wakefield.

“It was a fantastic experience but it has also been good to get on with the job, and that’s what I have been doing.”

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan, who quit the party after being convicted of sex offences against a teenage boy.

Mr Lightwood won the by-election with 13,166 votes.

The Tories had won in Wakefield for the first time since the 1930s with victory at the 2019 general election.

Mr Lightwood said he was inundated with requests for help from constituents who had been left unrepresented.

He said: “Over the year we have had something like 6,500 cases in the office.

“That is an enormous number and I think it shows we are doing our job and doing it well.

“Also, it shows the pent up demand there.

“We didn’t have an MP for over a year.

“From the moment I was elected I was flooded with hundreds and hundreds of emails from people who needed help and wanted their voice to be heard in parliament.”

Mr Lightwood said highlights of the past year have been a successful campaign to prevent the closure of Wakefield’s city centre NHS walk-in centre, on King Street.

He said: “I have fought tooth and nail to make sure it stays in the city centre, because it serves some of the poorest communities in Wakefield.

“I want to pass on my thanks to everyone who signed the petition and made their views known.

“Another highlight for me was becoming a shadow transport minister.

“I’m really proud to be doing that because we know that here in Wakefield the buses are a real issue for us.

“The bus services in Wakefield are abysmal.

“People can’t get to their jobs, they can’t get to their GP appointments – if they can get GP appointments.

“Those that do have services are finding that they are not as frequent or they just don’t turn up.

“We have got to do more on that.”

The MP said helping constituents through the cost of living crisis and tackling anti-social behaviour remain key challenges for him.

Earlier this year, it was reported how a high number of commercial burglaries had taken place in the city centre at a time when many CCTV cameras were not working.

Calls were also made for Wakefield Council to stop housing homeless people at Citilodge hotel, claiming it contributed to crime and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Lightwood added: “The council is working really hard in terms of making sure that they have got the new CCTV system, so we have got that new deterrent across the city centre.

"I have been really pleased with the commitment of the council and really pleased with the commitment of the police. "But let me be clear, I want Citilodge in its current format to be closed down.

"It's in the wrong location and it is causing all sorts of consequences for business owners in the city centre."

Mr Lightwood called for more help from government to help regenerate the city, saying: "They talk the talk about the council being a levelling up partner, but where is the action?

"Nothing has happened.

"I want to see (levelling up secretary) Michael Gove matching his rhetoric with real action.

"It's important that we are listening to the people of Wakefield.

"I think Tileyard is a good example of regeneration. It is a really exciting, multi-million pound investment into Wakefield.

"As a whole I think we punch well above our weight in attracting inward investment and jobs into the district."

The geography of the Wakefield constituency looks likely to change at the next election.

Boundary Commission proposals include Horbury, Ossett and Wakefield Rural wards being lost while areas including Rothwell in Leeds, are included in Mr Lightwood's constituency.

He said: "I have mixed emotions about this. "I am really sad to potentially lose Ossett, Horbury and rural. We have done some fantastic work and built up some amazing relationships over the past year.

"I'm not going to take my foot off the pedal when it comes to fighting for those communities.

"On the flip side, it is really exciting to welcome in those communities such as Wrenthorpe and Outwood West, Stanley and Outwood East and Rothwell.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the candidacy for the new Wakefield constituency.

“I don’t think the next general election can come soon enough. I think the Tories are out of steam, out of ideas.

“The sooner that people are given a say about the government for this country the better.”

Asked about his confidence for success a second time around at the ballot box, Mr Lightwood said: “I hope that people will judge me on the actions that I have taken.

“I made a number of promises at the by-election and I have delivered on them.

“Over the last year we have done an awful lot of work. Imagine what we can do with five years.”