The 2008 Harrogate Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control. [1]
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, similarly chartered communities were known as royal burghs, although the status is no longer granted.
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan county and the largest ceremonial county in England by area. It is located primarily in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber but partly in the region of North East England. The estimated population of North Yorkshire was 602,300 in mid-2016.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
After the election, the composition of the council was
The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, known informally as the Tories, and historically also known as the Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom. The governing party since 2010, it is the largest in the House of Commons, with 288 Members of Parliament, and also has 234 members of the House of Lords, 4 members of the European Parliament, 31 Members of the Scottish Parliament, 11 members of the Welsh Assembly, 8 members of the London Assembly and 7,445 local councillors.
The Liberal Democrats are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. Currently led by Jo Swinson, the party has 17 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, 96 members of the House of Lords, 16 members of the European Parliament, five Members of the Scottish Parliament and one member in both the Welsh Assembly and the London Assembly. It was in a coalition government with the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2015.
Before the election the Conservatives held 24 of the 54 seats, the Liberal Democrats 23 and independents 6. [3] A further seat in Lower Nidderdale was vacant after the death of Conservative councillor Elwyn Hinchcliffe. [3]
Nidderdale, historically also known as Netherdale, is one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is the upper valley of the River Nidd, which flows south underground and then along the dale, forming several reservoirs including the Gouthwaite Reservoir, before turning east and eventually joining the River Ouse.
A Councillor is a member of a local government council.
16 seats were contested in the election, all from the rural areas of the council, with the Conservatives the party defending in 13 seats and the Liberal Democrats in 3. [3] 2 incumbent councillors stood down at the election, Nick Wilson from Newby ward and Chris Lewis from Ouseburn ward. [4] The Conservatives contested all 16 seats, the Liberal Democrats 15, British National Party 6, Labour 5, United Kingdom Independence Party 3 and 1 independent. [3]
The incumbent is the current holder of an office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the 2017 Hungarian presidential election, János Áder was the incumbent, because he had been the president in the term before the term for which the election sought to determine the president. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its current leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK government. Founded in 1982, the party reached its greatest level of success in the 2000s, when it had over fifty seats in local government, one seat on the London Assembly, and two Members of the European Parliament.
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasises greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights.
Issues in the election included a possible recycling plant near Boroughbridge and the storage site for toxic chemicals in Melmerby, [5] as well as the issues of transport, affordable housing and the council tax. [4]
Boroughbridge is a small town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated approximately 16 miles (26 km) north-west from the county town of York. Until its road bypass was built, the town lay on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The A1 crosses the River Ure here.
Melmerby is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England, that lies 3.7 miles (6 km) north of Ripon and 0.6 miles (1 km) west of the A1(M) motorway. The population was 386 in the 2011 census.
Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a median household income or below as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on affordable housing refers to mortgages and number of forms that exist along a continuum – from emergency shelters, to transitional housing, to non-market rental, to formal and informal rental, indigenous housing, and ending with affordable home ownership.
The results saw the Conservatives gain 2 seats from the Liberal Democrats to hold 27 seats, exactly half of the council. [6] The Conservatives gained Boroughbridge and Ouseburn wards, by 161 and 731 votes respectively, to reduce the Liberal Democrats to 21 seats. [7] The only seat held by the Liberal Democrats was in Pateley Bridge by 77 votes, but they came 34 votes short of taking Lower Nidderdale and 37 votes from taking Claro. [8] No other party won any seats in the election, while 6 independent councillors remained on the council, after none of them had been defending seats in the election. [6] Overall turnout in the election was 48%, the highest in a decade apart from the all postal voting election in 2004. [6]
Pateley Bridge is a small market town in Nidderdale in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies on the River Nidd.
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Eligibility varies by country, and the voting-eligible population should not be confused with the total adult population. Age and citizenship status are often among the criteria used to determine eligibility, but some countries further restrict eligibility based on sex, race, or religion.
Postal voting is voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed to electors or returned by post, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system. Historically, postal votes must be distributed and placed in return mail before the scheduled election day, it is sometimes referred to as a form of early voting. It can also be used as an absentee ballot. However, in recent times the model in the US has morphed, in municipalities that use postal voting exclusively, to be one of ballots being mailed out to voters, but the return method taking on alternatives of return by mail or dropping off the ballot in person via secure drop boxes and/or voting centers.
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 15 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 93.8 | 65.8 | 11,590 | +27.8% | |
Liberal Democrat | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 6.3 | 27.0 | 4,749 | -18.9% | |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 537 | -5.1% | |
BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 353 | -2.3% | |
Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 258 | -1.8% | |
UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 132 | +0.3% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Galloway | 675 | 68.4 | -2.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Steve Barlow | 312 | 31.6 | +2.5 | |
Majority | 363 | 36.8 | -5.0 | ||
Turnout | 987 | 45.0 | -8.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Windass | 660 | 55.6 | +9.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Peter Phillips | 499 | 42.0 | -12.2 | |
Labour | Pat Foxall | 28 | 2.4 | +2.4 | |
Majority | 161 | 13.6 | |||
Turnout | 1,187 | 50.7 | +1.8 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Alton | 713 | 50.4 | -16.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Malcolm Howe | 676 | 47.8 | +15.1 | |
Labour | Geoff Foxall | 26 | 1.8 | +1.8 | |
Majority | 37 | 2.6 | -32.0 | ||
Turnout | 1,415 | 56.6 | +3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Harrison | 823 | 77.7 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrat | Paul Butters | 173 | 16.3 | -8.8 | |
UKIP | Jennifer Hunter | 32 | 3.0 | +3.0 | |
Labour | Andrew Gray | 31 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 650 | 61.4 | +11.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,059 | 45.1 | -7.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Margaret Atkinson | 765 | 73.3 | +5.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | Albert Weidemann | 210 | 20.1 | -12.1 | |
BNP | Ashley Banner | 68 | 6.5 | +6.5 | |
Majority | 555 | 53.2 | +17.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,043 | 44.8 | -9.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Christine Hill | 648 | 49.7 | -2.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Tom Watson | 614 | 47.0 | -1.3 | |
BNP | James Thackray | 43 | 3.3 | +3.3 | |
Majority | 34 | 2.6 | -0.8 | ||
Turnout | 1,305 | 53.9 | -10.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Savage | 663 | 53.6 | -12.3 | |
Independent | Norman Waller | 537 | 43.4 | +43.4 | |
BNP | Sam Clayton | 36 | 2.9 | +2.9 | |
Majority | 126 | 10.2 | -21.6 | ||
Turnout | 1,236 | 56.1 | +12.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Simms | 594 | 76.4 | +18.5 | |
Liberal Democrat | John Stockdale | 183 | 23.6 | +6.4 | |
Majority | 411 | 52.9 | +19.9 | ||
Turnout | 777 | 39.8 | -16.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nick Brown | 621 | 61.5 | +2.6 | |
Liberal Democrat | Steve Jones | 388 | 38.5 | -2.6 | |
Majority | 233 | 23.1 | +5.3 | ||
Turnout | 1,009 | 42.2 | -8.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Les Ellington | 829 | 74.9 | +27.0 | |
Liberal Democrat | Howard Cohen | 177 | 16.0 | -15.9 | |
BNP | Colin Banner | 72 | 6.5 | -3.6 | |
UKIP | John Upex | 29 | 2.6 | +2.6 | |
Majority | 652 | 58.9 | +32.9 | ||
Turnout | 1,107 | 52.2 | -11.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Leather | 865 | 77.1 | +30.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Clare McKenzie | 134 | 11.9 | -41.9 | |
Labour | John Fisher | 123 | 11.0 | +11.0 | |
Majority | 731 | 65.2 | |||
Turnout | 1,122 | 48.0 | -13.1 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | Stan Beer | 544 | 51.5 | -0.3 | |
Conservative | Kathy Sewell | 467 | 44.2 | -4.0 | |
BNP | Joel Banner | 46 | 4.4 | +4.4 | |
Majority | 77 | 7.3 | +3.7 | ||
Turnout | 1,057 | 53.7 | -4.6 | ||
Liberal Democrat hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Caroline Bayliss | 742 | 75.0 | +6.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | David Tankard | 176 | 17.8 | -14.1 | |
UKIP | Timothy Hunter | 71 | 7.2 | +7.2 | |
Majority | 566 | 57.2 | +21.0 | ||
Turnout | 989 | 41.6 | -11.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Shirley Fawcett | 804 | 75.6 | +11.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Matthew Webber | 121 | 11.4 | -7.0 | |
BNP | Michelle Shrubb | 88 | 8.3 | +8.3 | |
Labour | Richard Wilson | 50 | 4.7 | +4.7 | |
Majority | 683 | 64.3 | +18.5 | ||
Turnout | 1,063 | 43.4 | -13.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Grange | 957 | 79.5 | +5.9 | |
Liberal Democrat | Nick Anderson | 247 | 20.5 | -5.9 | |
Majority | 710 | 59.0 | +11.9 | ||
Turnout | 1,204 | 48.5 | -11.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Chris Brown | 764 | 72.1 | -1.7 | |
Liberal Democrat | Bernard Bateman | 295 | 27.9 | +1.7 | |
Majority | 469 | 44.3 | -3.2 | ||
Turnout | 1,059 | 46.3 | +0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
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