Wakefield by-election: The view from the margins

The Wakefield contest poses a big test for whether Labour can win back its former heartlands

As the Wakefield by-election nears, prospective candidates would do well to look outside the city and to the hundreds of thousands of potential voters in the rest of the constituency.

The upcoming Wakefield by-election is seen by many as a must-win contest for Boris Johnson. The West Yorkshire constituency was taken by the Conservatives in 2019 for the first time in decades as Labour's so-called Red Wall tumbled to the Tories. Losing the seat would lead to more questions over the PM's leadership.

Wakefield itself makes up a relatively small part of the constituency that bears it name. The boundary spreads far outside the urban centre, and its varied environs contain voters with wildly differing views on what they want from their MP. As with any political seat dominated by a large town or city, those away from the hustle and bustle often complain of being forgotten about.

But strip away the political point-scoring and what actually matters to people in the surrounding towns and villages?

Ossett - one of the district's biggest towns - sits three miles outside the city centre. On Tuesdays and Fridays the pedestrianised area in front of the town hall is filled with market stalls, drawing in plenty of locals and visitors. Sunny days especially attract a swell of people, either milling around stalls, sitting on benches or eating fish and chips in the precinct.

Ossett is a market town with a population of about 21,000

Deli owner Debbie Squires is busy prepping food, but is quick to give her thoughts. In her view, Ossett has a pressing need to address: the lack of accessible public toilets.

She believes the issue deters some shoppers from coming.

"Public toilets are an absolute must. That's the first thing the new MP wants to be doing for us," she says.

"We need a facility that is accessible, clean and attended. There's some in the town hall but they're not always open which isn't good enough."

Debbie and husband Peter opened Squires Family Deli 10 years ago, having previously had a market stall for many years.

Along with other volunteers, she is a driving force behind a number of community events including a festival to mark the town getting back on its feet after Covid.

But Debbie questions whether the sense of community means Ossett gets forgotten by those in power and wants the new MP to rally against that.

"We've got a really good market and people get behind all the organised events so I think there's a feeling that we don't need any help because we're doing ok.

"I'm not a political person but in my opinion that's the wrong approach. They should be thinking: 'that town is doing well but let's see what we can do to make it even better'."

Debbie Squires hopes the incoming MP will push the council to promote the town better

Across from the deli, Cara Bolland is sitting in the afternoon sunshine with her 16-month-old son Brodhi.

She talks about poor public transport links, and the loss of the 117 Wakefield to Leeds via Ossett bus, which was axed earlier this year.

The 34-year-old works as a radiography assistant in nuclear medicine at St James's Hospital in Leeds.

"I have a car but if I wanted to get to work on the bus I'd have to go to Wakefield or Dewsbury now.

"It's also isolated my grandparents who used the bus to come to my house. It means they can't get out and about as much."

Cara Bolland has lived in Ossett all her life and wants better buses to Leeds

Shopper Lisa May, 38, wants the incoming MP to put pressure on building a train station in the town and deliver on "empty promises" to level up the north.

"It feels like up here and smaller towns especially get forgotten about when it comes to investing in better transport and making it easier for us to get around."

The traditional Tory voter says she is undecided where her loyalties lie in the by-election but believes there is "no point getting bogged down in Partygate" because all "politicians are the same".

Outside the precinct, bakery owner Ian Harrison has been working 16 hours a day to try and keep spiralling costs down.

He and wife Emma opened Cupalicious Cakes two years ago and were recently crowned Yorkshire's best bakery in England's Business Awards.

But the cost of living crisis means things are tough and Mr Harrison doubts whether the government understands people's everyday struggles.

"I don't think anyone in power is really thinking about small businesses and how tough it is for us at the moment," he says.

"We need our MP to be supportive, especially businesses in the outer towns. Do more to increase footfall here and have our backs."

Ian Harrison, who owns Cupalicious Cakes with his wife, urged politicians to not "forget about outer towns"

South of Wakefield in rural Newmillerdam, a lack of buses and speeding traffic on the main A61 Barnsley Road crop up.

Richard Holey owns the village's Beuley Cafe, having taken it over from his parents, who first opened it when he was two years old.

The 49-year-old describes the busy road as a "race track" and wants to see speed cameras installed.

He adds: "It's absolutely disgusting. This must be the busiest place in Wakefield some weekends and the cars fly round. It's been a problem for years and it feels like the the only time something will change is when someone is killed."

Richard Holey says drivers pay no attention to the 30mph limit on the village's main road

Newmillerdam's country park and lake is the focal point of the village

June Collinson, 81, is mixed on her political viewpoint but unhappy that the village is served by only two buses an hour.

"Especially with the rising cost of fuel it would be helpful to have the option of being able to use public transport more but the services are poor and it's a half mile walk to the nearest bus stop," she says.

Back in Ossett, Lynne Lightfoot believes the starting point for Wakefield's MP is simple - make themselves known to people rather than getting embroiled in political in-fighting.

The 68-year-old, who owns knitting shop Spinning Yarns, says: "They need to come and introduce themselves so we know who they are. That way if we have any issues we know who we're dealing with and the best way to get in touch.

"All this political point-scoring against each other is no good for the ordinary people who just get left behind."

Below is the full list of candidates for the Wakefield byelection (listed alphabetically by surname):

• Nadeem Ahmed, Conservative Party

• Akef Akbar, Independent

• Paul Bickerdike, Christian Peoples Alliance

• Mick Dodgson, Freedom Alliance. Real People. Real Alternative

• Sir Archibald Stanton Earl 'Eaton, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

• Jayda Fransen, Independent

• Jordan James Gaskell, UK Independence Party

• David John Rowntree Herdson, Yorkshire Party

• Therese Hirst, English Democrats

• Christopher Richard Jones, Northern Independence Party

• Simon Robert Lightwood, Labour Party

• Jamie Luke Needle, Liberal Democrats

• Ashley Theo Blue Routh, Green Party

• Ashlea Simon, Britain First

• Chris Walsh, Reform UK