Newly-elected Reform councillor makes concerning confession during first meeting
A newly-elected Reform UK councillor has made cause for concern after a chaotic first full meeting of Kirklees Council ended without a new leader being chosen.
The meeting, held on Wednesday (20 May), came after Reform became the largest political party on the West Yorkshire council, taking 29 seats but falling six short of an overall majority.
That left the authority in a hung position, with councillors attempting to work out who should take charge.
Reform councillor Sarah Wood and Green Party councillor Andrew Cooper both put themselves forward for the role of council leader, but neither was able to secure enough support from the chamber.
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The situation then became more heated after a Conservative councillor suggested suspending standing orders so the two candidates could face questions before another vote.
It was during that discussion that Wood made the admission now being widely shared online, as she explained why she objected to the move.
At that point during the meeting (around a minute under the two-hour mark), which was later uploaded to YouTube, she said: "I do not understand the constitution. I have not had sufficient time to read that as of yet. I don't understand what standing orders are, what they're made up of, nor do I understand what an amendment is."
Wood argued that newer UK councillors were being asked to make a procedural decision without enough time to understand what was happening.
She continued: "We understand that just because we don't understand it, it may not be constitutional. But we are at a disadvantage, and we do not necessarily know what we are voting for, and therefore, this we consider this not to be a democratic process. We are willing and able to take the time to understand those things."
The clip has since prompted a strong reaction, largely because the comments came during talks over whether Wood herself could become leader of the council.
Standing orders are the formal rules used to manage council meetings, debates, and votes. Suspending them can allow councillors to do things outside the usual procedure, which in this case would have opened the way for a head-to-head debate between the two candidates.
Reform councillors claimed the proposal put their group at a disadvantage, with fellow councillor Rob Butler also raising concerns in the chamber.
He said: "We are being manoeuvred with a game play when we do not know the rules, and I do not think that is right."
However, not everyone was convinced by the argument.
Independent councillor Tanisha Bramwell later described the exchange as ‘appalling’ after confronting Wood in the chamber.
As noted by The Mirror, she said: "A lot of their supporters have commented to us and said, 'How can they be expected to know that, they're only two weeks in?'
"I absolutely agree with that. They deserve breathing space, so that they can learn the ropes as a councillor."
Bramwell also argued that Kirklees could not afford further poor leadership, saying it was important that the right people were put in charge.
Bramwell added: "They should also acknowledge the fact that if they're not there yet in meeting the requirements of being a basic councillor, surely they are not meeting the requirements to be the leader of our council. Kirklees council has had poor leadership and negligence, and these people were voted out in May of 2026."
"We cannot afford any more incompetence. We've lost everything: council tax increases, youth opportunities and social housing. It is so important we have the correct people leading us in that council and in charge of those positions, because when we don't, it affects us, our families and the people we love, and we can't have it anymore."
In the end, councillors did vote on whether to hold the proposed head-to-head, but the motion was defeated.
The meeting was adjourned, leaving Kirklees Council still without a leader and due to return to the issue on Thursday (28 May).
Ben Williams