David Blackburn is 58 and is married with a grown-up son and daughter. He has lived in West Leeds all his life, and for the past 28 years in Farnley and Wortley ward. Blackburn was elected to Leeds City Council in 1998 as the City's first Green Party councillor, and has continued to represent the Farnley and Wortley area (which makes up 25 per cent of the Leeds West Constituency) on the council since then. He is chair of the West Outer Area Committee, and the Bawn and Gambles and Heights Local Area Management Plan Groups.