[1] The ward is one of 21 in the Wakefield district, and has been held by Labour since the current boundaries were formed for the 2004 Council election.

[3] Like all wards in the Wakefield district, Pontefract North has 3 councillors, whom are elected on a 4-year-rota.

The current councillors are Clive Tennant, Patricia Garbutt and Lorna Malkin, all of whom are Labour.

[4] The last time a Conservative councillor represented the ward was Philip Thomas who elected in the 2008 Council election however, he ran for re-election as an independent as was subsequently defeated in the 2011 election by Paula Sherriff who would later serve as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dewsbury between 2015 and 2019.

[5] *The by-election follows the resignation of Paula Sheriff who was elected the MP for Dewsbury.