'The legacy will continue': Jonathan Pryor speaks out after losing deputy leader role and council seat

The former deputy leader of Leeds City Council, Jonathan Pryor, has spoken out after losing his Hyde Park and Headingley seat to the Green Party in last week’s local elections.

“People may have seen that I lost the election in Headingley & Hyde Park last week. This was a role I truly loved, and elections are brutal in that once you lose, you lose your job overnight,” Mr Pryor wrote on Sunday (May 10).

Reflecting on his 12 years on the council, serving as its deputy leader since 2021, the Labour and Co-operative Party candidate said he will leave knowing that his “legacy will continue to make a difference long after my time in office”.

“From improving local air quality to helping lead our schools through Covid; from building new play areas for families to being part of the team that improved pay for some of the lowest-paid workers in Leeds; from ensuring Hibiscus Rising was built to supporting countless local community groups to grow and thrive; from getting new schools built to working on the redevelopment of Elland Road, these are things I will always carry with me,” he continued.

“And, most fittingly for today, as I ran it for the fourth time, playing my role in helping to bring the Leeds Marathon back. This has already raised over £14 million for charity since 2023.

“For now, I’m going to take some time to reflect on what comes next for me, spend more time with my fiancé, and recharge after what has been an intense and rewarding chapter of my life.

“Thank you to everyone who has played a part in this, and I hope to work with many of you again in another capacity!”

Mr Pryor, who also served as the council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Transport and Sustainable Development, received 1,278 votes, while the Green Party’s Nilesh Chohan received 4,334.

Following the result, the new councillor, Chohan, said: “I’m lost for words - immensely proud to be representing the ward where I was born and bred in Leeds, Headingley and Hyde Park.

“I’ve lived here all my life and I love the community. I’ve got a lot of passion for the community, and I’ve volunteered for over 15 years.”

He said that the Green Party was “part of real hope and change”, adding: “The community can see exactly how we can make a difference and how we are here together - community cohesion is paramount.”

Overall, Labour lost its overall control of the authority, remaining the largest party with 48 seats out of 99 - two short of a 50 per cent majority. The Greens gained six seats, taking them to 11 councillors. Reform UK, which also made significant gains, won eight seats and now has ten councillors.

James Lewis, Labour leader of Leeds City Council, said he was “hugely disappointed” by the result.

He said: “Jonathan has been a great councillor for Headingley, been a great part of changing the city for the better, putting more money in people’s wages, getting huge projects developed.

“I’m hugely disappointed, but I know Jonathan will be back.”