Independent Re-election Sparks New Era for Garforth and Swillington

The political landscape across Leeds has shifted dramatically, proving that no single party holds ultimate power anymore. Following the recent Leeds City Council elections, Councillor Mark Dobson secured a vital victory for the Garforth and Swillington ward, overcoming Reform UK candidate Dave Butterfield. For local residents, the result sends a clear message about the evolving mood of the community.

“In our world, I think it sends a signal that we wanted change,” Dobson says, reflecting on the local triumph. “People might vote conservative liberal green reform. But they have not given any party. The whip hand to do what they want unfettered. 

He argued that independent councillors can speak more freely on local issues without being tied to party structures or “a party wip”.

“One of the reasons I become disillusioned with being a member of a council for the political group,” he said, “was because I think if you enter politics you do so because you want to make a positive difference both to the city, living and your community.”

“You have to be disciplined in that process, and often there’s a conversation that’s held behind closed doors, the decisions reached, and then you have to collectively own that decision.

Most times you can do that. But there are the odd times when, for example, I left Labour because they wanted to outsource dementia care, which I thought was a very poor idea and I became independent.

“Right across Leeds what the results show us is there is now a whole range of diverse people with different views who want a say in how things are run, and I think in terms of our world. My argument is the public has won.”

First elected in 2017, Dobson believes his re-election validates a decade of dedicated local representation. He argues that true power lies in breaking away from rigid party lines. Since becoming an independent, he argues that he has more freedom to fight decisions he believes are not in the best interests of his community, such as a major housing plan that was earmarked for Garforth and Swillington.. 

He explained: “If I’d have been a member of a political party, I would not have been able to go to the planning inquiry and I would not have been able to say the planning inspector. Is a really lousy idea to build 10000 houses around my community with no support in infrastructure,” he insists. “And we won the argument”. 

While Dobson acknowledged Leeds needs more housing, he insisted development should prioritise brownfield land and proper infrastructure.

He explained: “If developers want to talk sensibly about what a community would look like and how it’s delivered in a, in a more holistic way, then we’re open for that conversation. What we’re not open for is a developer to acquire a huge piece of green belt, call themselves volume house builders, but would actually rather just deliver 250 units a year with minimum community infrastructure levy and no support plan for that community in terms of infrastructure. If that is the case, I will always push back hard on that, very hard.”

Looking ahead to the next four years, Dobson remains deeply committed to protecting the unique identity of the area. He advocates utilizing existing brownfield spaces, such as a former block-making factory that successfully delivered 240 units with sustainable drainage, rather than encroaching on the green belt.

Born to market traders and raised on East Leeds council estates, Dobson maintains that his heritage is embedded in his DNA. He is determined to ensure ordinary voices continue to shape the community’s future.

“My big aspiration to the ward is to keep our unique identity. That’s what our community wants, and as one of their three advocates, we must always be led by what your community is telling you, not what you might think they want, which is often where politicians go wrong,” he concludes.