The heart of Yorkshire, all of England in one seat
John Grogan is the Labour Party candidate for Keighley and Ilkley 🗳️
What were your key achievements between 2017 and 2019?
Working with many others, I helped:
Save Keighley Cougars from bankruptcy and transfer the club to new owners
Kickstart Keighley Creative, Keighley Transport Heritage Festival and Keighley Park Run
Campaign to stop the discharge of sewage into the River Wharfe and initiated the idea of making an application for bathing water status
Support and encourage the Keighley and Aire Valley Campaign against incineration
Start the campaign to rebuild Airedale General Hospital
Secure the transfer of assets such as Silsden Town Hall, Ilkley and Haworth toilets and Low Wood Scout Activity Centre from Bradford Council to local community groups and parish councils
Campaign successfully to reduce the local housing targets regarding green belt development
Work with local schools and agencies to improve safeguarding programmes for children
Get extra resources for Keighley Charity Project 6 to combat drug and alcohol dependency
Assist organisations involved in forthcoming development plans for Keighley and promoted local infrastructure projects such as the restoration of the rail line between Skipton and Colne, which will open up another link across the Pennines
Why do you think you lost the election in 2019?
Brexit and too many promises made by us in the election campaign.
What have you been up to since the last general election in 2019?
I have been involved in a wide variety of activities, including:
Co-chairing One Yorkshire committee, which campaigns to get more powers and resources for the county
Setting up the Yorkshire and Humber Labour Business Forum to promote the party’s economic message
Supporting the campaign to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club more inclusive and open to all – from whatever background
Contributing to national and local campaigns to remove sewage from our rivers and to place a moratorium on new incineration projects in England
Working with a charity which encourages young Muslims to get involved in mainstream politics
Organising events to encourage the development of trade between the UK and emerging democracies in the Balkans and Mongolia
Helping to lead a successful campaign to save The Hermit Inn in Burley Woodhead and prevent it from joining the 90 pubs that have closed in the county since the lockdown
Campaigning to keep big sporting events like the Olympics on free to air tv to inspire the next generation to be active
Co-chairing the Keir Starmer Labour leadership campaign in West Yorkshire
Serving as a member of the Regional Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber Labour Party
Being a member of steering committees that respectively set up the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission and organised the 2022 Yorkshire Flood Forum
Working to support Ukraine on projects designed to get more early warning systems to the country and to create a new government-backed agency to build back the economy after the war
Contributing to the debate on how to best prevent flooding as honorary vice president of the Association of Drainage Authorities
How have you found the general election campaign so far, nationally and locally?
Tough but democracy in action is always a joy to behold.
How historic do you feel this general election is?
In retrospect, you can see 1906, 1945, 1979, 1997 and 2010 as historic elections over the last century or so, but it’s hard to be sure at the time. It all depends on what happens next.
How do you think Robbie Moore has fared as an MP for the last five years?
He has energy and enthusiasm. As a cricket fan, I always try to play the ball and not the man. And, if elected, I would seek to unite and not divide and blame others by getting people from all political parties around a table to get things done.
Do you think Labour is going to get into number 10?
History has taught me to presume nothing about election results before the ballots are counted.
Why do you want to be MP for Keighley and Ilkley again?
Since 2013 I have been the Labour parliamentary candidate for Keighley and Ilkley most of the time. Between 2017 and 2019 I had a short time as the local MP before I lost again.
If there’s a Labour government elected as well, I hope to get a decent chance to make some progress on all the issues I have been talking about for the last decade. There is so much to do across the constituency.
I am also eager to contribute to debates in Parliament, particularly on devolution, the economy, climate change, electoral reform and building back closer links with our friends and partners in Europe.
What are the key issues in the area and how are you looking to overcome them?
The future of Airedale Hospital and the waiting lists. When Labour left office in 2010, 100% of cancer patients who had an urgent referral from their GPs were undergoing treatment at the hospital within the national target of two months. Now one third are still waiting after two months.
Improving access to GPs and dentists, tackling crime, improving resources in schools and educational attainment and developing better transport links are other key issues that need addressing. Labour has carefully costed plans to get more police, doctors, nurses and teachers into our area. It will take time but we have clearly identified first steps.
What does Keighley and Ilkley mean to you?
The heart of Yorkshire. All of England in one seat. The countryside, the history, the pubs, the sports grounds, the people.
How will you be a strong MP for the constituency?
I will not seek ministerial office so that I can concentrate on dealing with local issues. I will also speak out on important national and international issues.
Historically this is something of a marginal swing seat. Why are you hopeful that this time around things will be different?
I have been the candidate in four general elections in Keighley and Ilkley. Our canvass returns are much better than they have been in previous elections.
How will Reform UK's presence in the election impact things?
The right-wing vote is split. A similar split in the left-of-centre vote did not go well for Labour and the SDP in the 1980s.
How are you splitting addressing local issues and national issues?
The two are related. I first found out about the problem of sewage in our rivers at a Saturday morning advice surgery in Ilkley back in 2018. This is now an important national issue. Local and national concerns often flow seamlessly from one to the other.
Keighley and Ilkley are very different in many ways – how do you deal with that fact?
The two towns are 11 miles apart. For every mile you go from Ilkley to Keighley, you lose a year of average life expectancy if you’re a man, and it’s a similar pattern for women. The most acute social problems are in Keighley and have to be dealt with, but I will also stand up for Ilkley’s interests. Having a diverse constituency gives you a better understanding of what makes our county and our nation tick.
What are you hearing on the doorsteps?
It’s time for a change.
What’s your message for voters heading to the polling booths next month?
It’s time for ordinary people. Nobody left behind, nobody held back. We need some basic decency back in our national politics.
What are your views on climate change?
There is no more important subject facing the world. I am a great believer in the old green slogan, ‘think global, act local’. A new green renewable economy can stimulate well-paid jobs, cut energy prices and increase energy security.
Do you believe in a free Palestine?
Yes. A Labour government cannot bring this about alone, but I want to be in parliament the day when the UK, perhaps, alongside Germany and France, recognise the state of Palestine.
Five years from now, what would you like to have achieved?
Working with others inside and outside Parliament, I would like to have played a part in the following:
Seeing Airedale Hospital well on its way to being rebuilt
Reducing the volume of sewage being poured into our rivers drastically
Seeing the building of the bridge between Silsden and Steeton
Seeing work getting underway to re-open the Skipton Colne rail link
Putting electoral reform at the centre of the political agenda
Building back better links with our partners in Europe in terms of trade, education, professional standards and so on
Banning new incinerators
Better funding of the BBC
Narrowing of the gap between rich and poor
Creating a better bus network – particularly in Ilkley, which has seen cuts in recent years
How would your friends and family describe you?
I would hope they would say I have a decent sense of humour.
What do you like beyond politics?
Bradford City. Yorkshire County Cricket. Running. Five a side football (goalkeeper). Cinema.
Is England going to win the Euros?
One sunny day.