I AM very proud and humbled to have been elected as Labour Party councillor for Keighley West in the local elections.

I would like to thank each and every person who voted for me.

I am replacing Cllr Jan Smithies, who decided to step down this year and I would like to thank her for her valuable contribution and hard work. She will be sorely missed.

I vow to continue Jan’s good work in the ward, working closely with my colleagues and residents to ensure that their voices are heard at Bradford Council and that Keighley West receives a fair share of funding from the budgets allocated to the district council by central government.

This will not be an easy task, as budgets from Westminster will no doubt continue to be cut and difficult decisions will have to be made about how the money available is spent, but I will always keep the interests of local people in mind.

I will be holding regular surgeries in the ward with my fellow Labour councillor, Adrian Farley. I have set up a Facebook page (Cllr CathBacon) to show the work I am undertaking and I hope to become a regular contributor to this paper.

COUNCILLOR CATH BACON