2014 Craven District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2014 Craven District Council election. Conservatives in blue and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2014. Craven UK local election 2014 map.svg
Map of the results of the 2014 Craven District Council election. Conservatives in blue and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2014.

The 2014 Craven District Council election took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of Craven District 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 as follows:

Background

After the last election in 2012 the Conservatives had a 2-seat majority with 16 councillors, compared to 10 independents and 4 Liberal Democrats. [3] The Conservative majority was increased in 2013 when the independent councillor for Hellifield and Long Preston Chris Moorby joined the Conservatives. [4] By the time of the 2014 election a further seat was vacant after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Polly English, meaning that before the election the council had 17 Conservative, 9 independent and 3 Liberal Democrat councillors. [5]

9 seats were contested in 2014 with no candidates from the Liberal Democrats standing, even in Aire Valley with Lothersdale where the Liberal Democrat councillor for the previous 12 years, Mark Wheeler stood down at the election. [5] However Labour for the first time in many years put up candidates for all 9 seats contested, despite not holding any seats on the council before the election. [6] The Conservatives stood in 8 seats, just not standing in Sutton-in-Craven against independent councillor, Stephen Place, who was allied with the Conservatives. [5] Other candidates included a further two independents, including sitting councillor Philip Barrett, and one candidate from the UK Independence Party. [5]

Election result

Only one seat changed hands at the election with the Conservatives gaining a seat from the Liberal Democrats to have 18 councillors. [7] [8] The Conservative gain came in Aire Valley with Lothersdale where Patrick Mulligan picked up the seat vacated by Liberal Democrat Mark Wheeler to become the only new councillor after the election. [8] This reduced the Liberal Democrats to 2 seats on the council, while there remained 9 independents and 1 seat was vacant in Skipton West. [8]

Craven local election result 2014 [2] [9]
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Conservative 710+177.851.64,816+1.5%
  Independent 200022.220.31,893+6.1%
  Labour 0000024.72,309+8.3%
  UKIP 000003.4318+3.4%
  Liberal Democrats 001-1000-17.1%

Ward results

Aire Valley with Lothersdale [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Patrick Mulligan73861.9−1.1
Labour Alan Hickman45538.1+1.1
Majority 28323.7−2.2
Turnout 1,19341.7+8.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Bentham [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Linda Brockbank81469.9+30.2
Labour James Black35030.1+30.1
Majority 46439.9
Turnout 1,16422.1−25.0
Conservative hold Swing
Gargrave and Malhamdale [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Alan Sutcliffe71571.8+6.2
Labour John Pope28128.2+3.2
Majority 43443.6+3.0
Turnout 99640.6−15.0
Conservative hold Swing
Glusburn [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Philip Barrett72657.5−2.5
UKIP Roger Baxandall31825.2+25.2
Labour Hazel Keirle1108.7−9.0
Conservative Tanya Graham1098.6−13.7
Majority 40832.3−5.4
Turnout 1,26341.2−2.1
Independent hold Swing
Hellifield and Long Preston [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Moorby50072.3+24.1
Labour Brian Parsons19227.7+27.7
Majority 30844.5
Turnout 69239.0−14.5
Conservative hold Swing
Ingleton and Clapham [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Carl Lis75958.9−15.8
Independent Anthony Macaulay33926.3+26.3
Labour Christine Rose19114.8+14.8
Majority 42032.6−16.8
Turnout 1,28941.2+6.0
Conservative hold Swing
Penyghent [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Welch43069.8+8.5
Labour Katherine Lloyd18630.2+30.2
Majority 24439.6+17.1
Turnout 61642.9−32.5
Conservative hold Swing
Settle and Ribblebanks [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Staveley75168.2+1.7
Labour Peter Madeley35031.8−1.7
Majority 40136.4+3.3
Turnout 1,10138.0+2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Sutton-In-Craven [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Stephen Place82881.0+4.8
Labour Vivien Thompson19419.0−4.8
Majority 63462.0+9.6
Turnout 1,02235.2−5.2
Independent hold Swing

By-elections between 2014 and 2015

A by-election was held in Skipton West on 2 July 2014 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Polly English. [10] The seat was gained for Labour by Peter Madeley with a majority of 42 votes over Liberal Democrat Edward Walker. [10] The victory meant Peter Madeley became the first Labour councillor on Craven council since 1999. [10]

Skipton West by-election 2 July 2014 [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Madeley18524.0+3.0
Liberal Democrats Edward Walker14318.5−18.0
Conservative Tim Hudson-Brunt13117.0−3.5
UKIP Roger Baxendall12616.3+16.3
Independent Bernard Clarke12015.5−6.5
Green John Launder678.7+8.7
Majority 425.4
Turnout 77225.3−9.3
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References

  1. "Craven". BBC News Online . Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Results Elections 2014". The Times . NewsBank. 24 May 2014. pp. 88–89. ISSN   0140-0460.
  3. "Non-Metro". The Guardian . NewsBank. 5 May 2012. ISSN   0261-3077.
  4. "Switch by Long Preston councillor Chris Moorby branded 'morally wrong'". Craven Herald & Pioneer . 30 January 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Moore, Lindsey (1 May 2014). "No Lib Dem candidates as battle commences for seats". Craven Herald & Pioneer . NewsBank. ISSN   0961-1908.
  6. "Labour bid for Craven Council wards". Telegraph & Argus . NewsBank. 12 May 2014. ISSN   0307-3610.
  7. "Harrogate and Craven Councils remain under Conservative control". BBC News Online. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 "Just one seat changes hands as Conservatives retain control of Craven District Council". Craven Herald & Pioneer . NewsBank. 25 May 2014. ISSN   0961-1908.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Craven District Council. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 White, Clive (4 July 2014). "Results of triple Skipton election". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 24 March 2015.