Birstall and Birkenshaw Cllr Andrew Palfreeman is set to be proposed as the next Mayor of Kirklees at the council’s Annual Meeting and Mayor-making ceremony on Wednesday May 26, with Cllr Eric Firth nominated as Deputy Mayor.

A local man, Andrew Palfreeman was born in Batley and has lived in Birkenshaw all his life. He became a Kirklees councillor in 1992. After training as a lawyer he embarked on a career in local government that has included two terms as Leader of the Kirklees Conservative Group, six and a half years as the first Chair of Overview and Scrutiny and latterly as a member of the council’s Cabinet .

He has been married to Liz, who will be his Mayoress, for 31 years. They have one son, Mark, aged 26.

Cllr Palfreeman is active in many organisations in the Birstall, Birkenshaw and East Bierley areas gaining most satisfaction from helping individual constituents who seek his help. Outside the council his main passion is his love of cricket and a determination to live life with a smile, even if the joke is on him.

Joining Cllr Palfreeman in the civic team for 2010-11 will be Cllr Eric Firth who was born and bred in Dewsbury.  He became a councillor in 1994 and, despite losing his seat in 2006, was returned in the same ward in 2007.  He has been active in the trade union and Labour movement all his adult life.

Eric Firth represents the Dewsbury East ward where he has always lived, and working for the people and organisations within it gives him a great deal of satisfaction. 

He has been married to his wife Janet for 40 years and has two children and two grandchildren. 

Eric loves spending time with his grandchildren and watching Dewsbury Rams and Shaw Cross ARLFC.