2004 Harrogate Borough Council election

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Map of the results Harrogate wards 2004.svg
Map of the results

The 2004 Harrogate Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council. [1]

Contents

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 28 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 21 seats and there were 4 independents. [3] The Conservatives had gained a majority after 2 Liberal Democrats defected to the Conservatives in autumn 2003. [4] 16 seats were contested in the election, all from the rural areas of the council. [5] The candidates in the election were 16 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats, 2 independents and 1 candidate from the British National Party. [5] The election was held under all postal voting, [5] for the first time in Harrogate. [6]

A significant issue in the election was the future of the Royal Hall in Harrogate. [5] The Conservative administration refused to fund the restoration of the building and said they would consider financing other projects elsewhere in the council area from the money saved. [5] However the Liberal Democrats would have put 2.6 million pounds towards restoring it, as they said future generations would have to spend even more if the council did not take action. [5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives stay in control, with no change in the party composition of the council. [4] The Conservatives gained Lower Nidderdale from the Liberal Democrats, but Conservative cabinet member Brian Lumsden was defeated in Boroughbridge by Liberal Democrat Peter Phillips, [4] in what had been considered a safe seat. [7] The Conservatives won 62.5% of the vote, compared to 34.2% for the Liberal Democrats. [4] As a result, the Conservatives remained on 29 seats, the Liberal Democrats on 21 and 4 independents. [8]

Meanwhile, the British National Party came in last in the only seat they contested in Nidd Valley with 131 votes, [4] with Leslie Ellington holding the seat for the Conservatives, after having defected from the Liberal Democrats since the 2003 election. [9] Overall turnout in the election was 55.2%, [4] an increase on the 34.7% in the 2003 election and the 38.7% at the 2002 election. [10]

Harrogate local election result 2004 [11] [12]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 1311081.362.512,168+17.8%
  Liberal Democrats 311018.834.26,661-12.3%
  Independent 000002.5495-1.5%
  BNP 000000.7131+0.7%

Ward results

Bishop Monkton [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ian Galloway78270.9+16.2
Liberal Democrats Sarah-Jane Smith32129.1−16.2
Majority46141.8+32.4
Turnout 1,10353.0+3.7
Conservative hold Swing
Boroughbridge [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Phillips59254.2+19.0
Conservative Brian Lumsden50145.8−10.4
Majority918.3
Turnout 1,09348.9+19.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Claro [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Alton85867.3−2.0
Liberal Democrats Helen Lyon41732.7+2.0
Majority44134.6−4.0
Turnout 1,27552.9+6.9
Conservative hold Swing
Killinghall [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Harrison87574.9+1.2
Liberal Democrats Pauline Watson29325.1−1.2
Majority58249.8+2.4
Turnout 1,16852.5+8.2
Conservative hold Swing
Kirkby Malzeard [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Margaret Atkinson80967.8−1.5
Liberal Democrats John Stockdale38432.2+1.5
Majority42535.6−2.9
Turnout 1,19354.7+7.5
Conservative hold Swing
Lower Nidderdale [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Elwyn Hinchcliffe77151.7+2.1
Liberal Democrats Thomas Watson72148.3−2.1
Majority503.4
Turnout 1,49264.4+9.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Marston Moor [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Sturdy93678.1+24.6
Liberal Democrats Richard Hall26221.9−16.7
Majority67456.3+41.3
Turnout 1,19855.9+12.4
Conservative hold Swing
Mashamshire [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nigel Simms60257.9−13.9
Independent Thomas Mould25924.9+24.9
Liberal Democrats Bernard Bateman17917.2−11.0
Majority34333.0−10.6
Turnout 1,04055.8+16.0
Conservative hold Swing
Newby [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nicholas Wilson68958.9−3.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Jones48141.1+3.8
Majority20817.8−7.5
Turnout 1,17050.4+17.2
Conservative hold Swing
Nidd Valley [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Leslie Ellington74857.9+22.8
Liberal Democrats Patricia Hutchinson41231.9−33.0
BNP Colin Banner13110.1+10.1
Majority33626.0
Turnout 1,29163.5+16.8
Conservative hold Swing
Ouseburn [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Christine Lewis74353.8−11.1
Conservative John Savage63746.2+11.1
Majority1067.7−22.2
Turnout 1,38061.1+11.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pateley Bridge [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Stanley Beer61551.8−36.2
Conservative Richard Beecroft57248.2+48.2
Majority433.6−72.4
Turnout 1,18758.3+20.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ribston [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Caroline Bayliss82268.1−3.3
Liberal Democrats Christine Willoughby38531.9+3.3
Majority43736.2−6.5
Turnout 1,20753.2+16.1
Conservative hold Swing
Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Shirley Fawcett86964.2−11.1
Liberal Democrats Jayne Jackson24918.4−6.3
Independent David Rimington23617.4+17.4
Majority62045.8−4.9
Turnout 1,35457.3+15.0
Conservative hold Swing
Washburn [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Grange96373.6−7.8
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Fox34626.4+7.8
Majority61747.1−15.7
Turnout 1,30959.8+17.3
Conservative hold Swing
Wathvale [11] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Brown73473.8
Liberal Democrats John Walton26126.2
Majority47347.5
Turnout 99546.2
Conservative hold Swing

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References

  1. "Harrogate council". BBC News Online . Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  2. "Local councils". Financial Times . 12 June 2004. p. 7.
  3. "Parties go head-to-head in district's first postal election". Harrogate Advertiser. 14 May 2004.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tories stay in overall control". Yorkshire Evening Post . 11 June 2004.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Election preview: Labour rulers in difficulty at boom city". Yorkshire Post. 14 May 2004. p. 1.
  6. "Nidderdale prepares for June's council elections". Harrogate Advertiser. 28 May 2004.
  7. "Shock defeat for long-serving councillor". Harrogate Advertiser. 18 June 2004.
  8. "The fallout from first postal voting". Harrogate Advertiser. 18 June 2004.
  9. "Turnout increases but no change". Yorkshire Post. 12 June 2004. p. 1.
  10. "Turnout higher for elections". Harrogate Advertiser. 11 June 2004.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "District Council election" (PDF). Harrogate Borough Council. Retrieved 16 January 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. "Ballot box". The Times . 12 June 2004. p. 26.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Cabinet member loses seat". Harrogate Advertiser. 11 June 2004.