Friday, 10 April 2026
Labour leader Jane Scullion to stand down
Hebden Bridge's Jane Scullion has announced that she is stepping down as Labour's Leader of Calderdale Council and will not be standing for re-election in the forthcoming May election.
Jane, who has represented the ward of Luddenden Foot as a councillor since 2016, has been Council Leader for the past three years. She is reluctantly stepping down for health reasons, as she is currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Jane said, "It has been a real honour to lead the Council. These have been difficult times for all local councils in England, but I feel we have managed to take decisions in a quiet but efficient way here in Calderdale during a period of extreme austerity. I believe that we have done more than survived austerity. We have built the foundations for a strong future. I feel privileged to have served the good and decent people of Calderdale."
Jane has dedicated most of her working life to local democracy, having worked in senior positions in neighbouring local authorities before retiring and becoming a councillor. She has also been active nationally through work for the Local Government Association, and regionally through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Jane adds that she has is grateful for the excellent care and support which she is receiving from NHS staff in the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust and St James Hospital, Leeds.