On the road: Could Boroughbridge’s electorate vote against expectations?Editor’s Election Diary: Candidates declare as campaigns – and journalists – hit the roadHome schooled children reaches record number in North YorkshireCouncil facing questions over 76% rise in expulsions

North Yorkshire Council is facing calls to explain the reasons behind the “shocking” 76% rise in expulsions.

An officer’s report to a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday (May 28) has revealed the latest available figures – for the academic year ending last July – saw 95 children permanently excluded from mainstream schools, an increase from 54 from the previous year.

The report states the trend has continued into the current academic year and that there were also 1,607 more suspensions in the year to the end of March, an increase of 34%.

The authority’s executive member for education, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, has been approached for comment.

When asked what was behind the increase, council officers did not directly respond, instead stating “persistent and general disruptive behaviour is the primary reason for exclusions in North Yorkshire accounting for over half of all exclusions”.

However, teaching unions have stated schools have insufficient resources to support pupils and earlier this year it emerged schools across North Yorkshire had forecast they are likely to face a collective annual deficit of more than £11m in just over two years.

Officers said the financial challenges were partly due to the high costs of providing education across a vast rural area not being being properly recognised by the government.

According to the latest Department for Education data, England and Wales saw the largest number of suspensions on record for one term last spring.

The Association of School and College Leaders says mental health issues, unmet special educational needs, disengagement with the curriculum and family issues are behind the national trend.

An Ofsted study published last year found 42 per cent of teachers had noted a decrease in behavior standards since the pandemic, partly due to a lack of “socialisation”.

Nevertheless, research by IBB Law published in March found exclusion rates for the five years to 2022 to be markedly higher in Yorkshire and the North-East than anywhere else in the country.

In 2019 the authority unveiled detailed plans to support a sea change in the way children at risk of exclusion were handled, described by the authority as a “preventative and inclusive culture”.

When asked if its strategies to reduce the number of children being excluded were working, a council spokesman said:

“Data relating to exclusions in North Yorkshire is similar to or below national levels. Preventative work is underway and is resulting in a number of children successfully remaining in schools.”

Former teacher and North Yorkshire Council’s children and families scrutiny committee chair, Councillor Barbara Brodigan, said she wanted to know how deeply the council was investigating the reasons behind the “shocking” exclusions rise.

Cllr Brodigan, who used to work with children at risk of exclusion and those who had been excluded, said changes the council introduced in 2019 “had not had any impact at all”.

She said:

“Is it linked to Ofsted inspections? Schools have been known to suspend children prior to an inspection because they don’t want disruptive children in the school.

“When I used to ask permanently excluded young people why they didn’t engage at school it was often due to the curriculum offer and how it was delivered.

“Locality boards are working with head teachers to develop creative alternative solutions. Schools hands are tied with the curriculum, but not how it is delivered. These children need extra support.”

Read more:

Explained: The new constituency which will cover part of the Harrogate district

Voters in some parts of the Harrogate district will fall under a new constituency in six weeks’ time.

Polling day on July 4 will be the first time that the Wetherby and Easingwold seat will be contested.

The constituency replaces part of the former Selby and Ainsty seat, which will now be known as Selby.

In this article, the Stray Ferret looks at the implications of the new constituency and explains why it has been introduced and what it means for voters in our district.

Why has Wetherby and Easingwold been introduced?

In June 2023, the Boundary Commission made final recommendations to government over changes to constituency boundaries.

As part of a periodical review of the 650 constituencies in the UK, it looked at whether some seats needed to be reduced in size, increased in size or abolished altogether.

Among the recommendations was to introduce a new constituency called Wetherby and Easingwold.

At the time, Tim Bowden, secretary of the Boundary Commission, said the proposals were made following extensive consultation.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

He added that the move to change the boundaries was made to “best to reflect local community ties”.

The changes, which include retaining a total of 650 constituencies across the UK, see each seat contain no less than 69,724 voters and no more than 77,062.

Where in the Harrogate district will fall under the new constituency?

Wetherby and Easingwold will take in areas of five current constituencies including Harrogate and Knaresborough, Thirsk and Malton, Elmet and Rothwell, Selby and Ainsty and Skipton and Ripon.

A total of 5.6% of the current Harrogate constituency will fall under the new seat.

This includes Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton, Follifoot, Spofforth and Burton Leonard will also be added to the seat.

The estimated electorate size of the new constituency will be 71,455.

Who will be contesting the seat?

It’s early days in the election campaign, but two candidates have already been announced for the seat.

Current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrook, will contest the constituency for the Conservatives.

Mr Shelbrook’s current seat is among those being abolished as part of the boundary review.

Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan as its candidate and James Monaghan will stand for the Liberal Democrats in the new constituency.

So far, Labour and Greens have yet to announce candidates for the seat.

Read more:

Editor’s Election Diary: Is 5,000 days of local Tory control ending?

It’s been 5,134 days since Andrew Jones and Julian Smith were elected Conservative MPs for Harrogate and Knaresborough and Skipton and Ripon respectively in 2010.

Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a general election on July 4 means they could have just 40 days left in Westminster.

The national polls don’t look good for the Tories but unlike some of their colleagues, who have chosen to stand down, Messrs Jones and Smith are preparing to fight.

Mr Jones will be up against two men in their 20s from the main opposition parties: Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon and Labour’s Conrad Whitcroft.

The latter, whose candidature was announced just hours before Mr Sunak called the election, informed me he was too young to vote in the Brexit referendum when we met on Friday. Look out for the interview on Bank Holiday Monday.

While Mr Gordon has been attacking the Tories’ record, Mr Jones has been questioning his youthful opponents’ local credentials.

Having two twenty-somethings in the race is a step forward for better representation of young people in politics but so far just one of the five candidates declared — Shan Oakes of the Green Party — is female.

Reform UK has actually had two parliamentary candidates so far. It emerged this week that original selection Richard Brown had been replaced by John Swales after a dispute that resulted in Mr Brown saying of Mr Swales that he “didn’t want to see the bugger again”.

The website Electoral Calculus gives Mr Gordon a 62% chance of winning but UK Polling Report has Mr Jones slight favourite, giving him a 36.72% likelihood of success against Mr Gordon’s 35.4%. These regularly updated forecasts will be compulsive but perhaps not wholly reliable viewing in the weeks ahead given the disparities.

Electoral Calculus says Labour has a 59% chance of winning in Skipton and Ripon, but at the time of writing Keir Starmer’s team hadn’t even named a candidate. With an autumn election expected, the announcement of a July election caught many people on the hop — expect a busy week ahead of more candidates being announced. Will the Official Monster Raving Loony Party detect enough local lunacy to throw its hat in the ring?

It will be particularly interesting to see the outcome in the new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency, which includes Boroughbridge and numerous villages in the former Harrogate district.

The Stray Ferret will be in Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Knaresborough, Ripon, and Harrogate this week speaking to readers, local groups and businesses to find out what matters to you.

We also have several articles this weekend setting the scene for the campaign ahead. Stay tuned, as Election ’24 hots up.

Read more:

Five key issues in Harrogate district at the upcoming election

Over the next six weeks, politicians will be vying for votes and clashing over what they see as the key issues in the Harrogate district.

From the state of the NHS to the quality of water in our rivers, candidates of all party colours will be having their say on topics as they head into a six-week election campaign.

With this in mind, the Stray Ferret has looked at what could be the key election issues in the Harrogate district.

Water quality

Perhaps the most pertinent issue over the last six months is the quality of water in the district’s rivers.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, led the campaign for bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido.

Mr Jones is likely to use the success of the Nidd being granted bathing water status as part of his election pitch to emphasise his record as the town’s MP.

Robbie Moore, Defra Minister, and Andrew Jones at the Nidd.

But, Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate, will likely point to the amount of sewage dumped into the district’s rivers as a counter narrative.

As recently as Thursday, Mr Gordon highlighted river pollution as one of the key issues in the area. Labour candidate Conrad Whitcroft also cites the state of the Nidd as one of his key issues.

Health service

Much like the rest of the nation, the Harrogate district is not immune to pressures on the NHS.

The area particularly struggles with GP appointments and dentists, with Harrogate in particular acutely lacking NHS provision for dentistry.

It’s a topic that has not escaped the attention of some of the candidates on July 4.

Tom Gordon pictured with Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem health spokesperson.

Tom Gordon pictured with Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem health spokesperson.

Both Mr Jones and Mr Gordon have raised the issue in their own way.

The Conservative MP brought up the topic of dentistry in the House of Commons in September while Mr Gordon met with the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson to raise the issue in March last year.

Expect the lack of dentistry in Harrogate to raise its head again at some point in the next six weeks.

Housing

Whether it be new estate off Kingsley Drive or 3,000 homes in the west of Harrogate, or the Manse Farm development in Knaresbrough, housing is a major issue.

The Stray Ferret has covered the extensive housebuilding in the area and its knock on effect onto local residents extensively.

Given its prominency in Harrogate and Knaresborough, the topic is expected to be debated extensively by candidates.

Mr Jones raised the issue over new build estates in the House of Commons as recently as April, where he pointed out he had run a ‘fair deal for new estates’ campaign for over a year.

Meanwhile, Mr Gordon is no stranger to criticising the government’s record on housing.

In April, he told the Stray Ferret that new homeowners should be protected from “dodgy developers” by strengthening the law on leaseholds and freeholds.

Education

The provision of education is always a hot topic at elections.

Both Mr Gordon and Mr Jones have clashed before over the issue of funding for schools.

But, in the Harrogate district, perhaps a more pressing issue is the provision for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Read more:

The Stray Ferret reported recently on a significant increase in demand for SEND places.

A report before councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on March 14 showed a significant increase in the number of education health and care plans submitted to the council.

The plans detail a child’s needs and are given to schools to consider ahead of a potential admission.

The matter has even seen parents from Harrogate go to Leeds to demonstrate over provision for SEND pupils.

Transport

The need for people to get around is another issue frequently raised in Harrogate.

Mr Jones, who is a former rail minister, has campaigned for better rail services and championed the town’s electric bus fleet.

Some of this has led to noticeable improvements in the town, such as more direct services to London. But other areas remain questionable.

Take for instance the pledge by government to divert millions of pounds of HS2 money towards potholes and road repairs.

While some roads in the Harrogate district have benefited from resurfacing, others still await repair.

Readers of the Stray Ferret this week shared with us pictures of some roads in the district which they feel are in need of some attention.

It’s a topic which election candidates in Harrogate may face at some point this campaign.

Harrogate district set to become election battleground

As the door to 10 Downing Street slammed on Wednesday evening, it effectively signalled the starting bell for a six-week election campaign.

The Prime Minister’s announcement that an election will be held on July 4 created political battlegrounds across the country’s 650 constituencies.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, the outlook is no different.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives for 14 years. In that time, Andrew Jones, the incumbent MP, has won four elections.

He has seen off three different Liberal Democrat candidates vying for the seat, as well as numerous other opposition parties.

(Left, clockwise) Andew Jones, Tom Gordon, Shan Oakes, John Swales and Conrad Whitcroft.

(Left, clockwise) Andew Jones, Tom Gordon, Shan Oakes, John Swales and Conrad Whitcroft.

But the Lib Dems see the 2024 election as a different proposition. Tom Gordon, who will be contesting Mr Jones, has described it as a “once in a generation” election and a chance to kick out the Tories.

Mr Gordon’s challenge will be to overhaul the Conservative’s 9,675 majority – a required swing in the region of 8%.

The 29-year-old has framed the election in Harrogate as a choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories, a sign that the party is eyeing the seat as a major scalp.

Meanwhile, there are three other candidates so far in Conrad Whitcroft (Labour), Shan Oakes (Green Party) and John Swales (Reform UK) who are preparing to put a dent in the Tory dominance in the constituency.

But, despite the reported discontent within the Conservative backbenchers at the prospect of a summer election, Mr Jones has been defiant.

The day after Mr Sunak’s announcement, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP issued a combative statement which he pledged to win voters trust.

He said:

“On 5 July we will wake up with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister or Keir Starmer. No other outcome is possible. And there has only ever been a Labour Prime Minister when this constituency has elected anyone other than a Conservative.

“Choosing that local champion combined with choosing our next Prime Minister is the responsibility that lies with us all on 4 July. I hope that Harrogate and Knaresborough residents will choose me again and I will be working hard win that trust once more.”

Skipton and Ripon

In six weeks’ time, Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, will be tasked with defending his 23,694 majority.

The former Northern Ireland secretary will be hoping to make 2024 his fifth election win in the constituency.

He will also be looking to continue a legacy for the Conservative Party in holding the seat at every election since it was created in 1983.

Standing in his way will be Green Party candidate Andy Brown, who will contest the constituency for a fourth time. Simon Garvey will be standing for Reform UK.

Wetherby and Easingwold

This election will see some voters in the Harrogate district fall under a new constituency.

Wetherby and Easingwold, which replaced the old Selby and Ainsty seat, will cover areas such as Spofforth, Follifoot and Boroughbridge.

The new seat offers all parties a chance to stake their claim to become the first to hold the constituency.

So far, the Tories have announced that current Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrook will stand for the party. Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan on polling day.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen James Monaghan as its candidate for the new constituency.

Read more:

Knaresborough man to stand for Lib Dems in Wetherby and Easingwold

The Liberal Democrats have today revealed their parliamentary candidate for Wetherby and Easingwold.

James Monaghan, who lives in Knaresborough, will run as the party’s first candidate for the newly formed constituency.

Mr Monaghan has been involved in the party as a campaigner for more than 20 years.

He was formerly a Knaresborough town councillor and Leeds city councillor, and currently works as a director for a local financial services company.

Mr Monaghan said:

“It is a privilege to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Wetherby and Easingwold.

“As a brand-new constituency, the Liberal Democrats have a real opportunity to challenge the Conservatives for change here.”

He also previously chaired the Leeds Climate Change Partnership and Knaresborough Civic Society.

Mr Monaghan added:

“The Liberal Democrats and I are fighting to get a better deal for Wetherby and Easingwold. We’re demanding better access to GP and dental services, fighting for a fair deal for our NHS and calling for real action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

The new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency was formed after the Boundary Commission for England review concluded in June last year.

Locally, it means Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd have all been removed from the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency – currently held by Conservative Andrew Jones.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton and Burton Leonard have also been added to the new seat.

The election is being held on July 4 this year.

Read more:

Are these the worst pothole roads in the Harrogate district?

They are the bane of drivers’ lives and the Harrogate district is not immune to them.

Potholes can damage cars, buckle wheels on bikes and make some roads intolerable to drive down.

This past week, we asked readers to share what they feel are some of the worst roads for potholes in the Harrogate district.

In response, we received pictures from streets across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Among them were Pannal Ash Road, Coppice Drive, York Place, Victoria Avenue and St Andrew’s Avenue in Harrogate.

Pictures of Kirkby Road and Firby Lane in Ripon, as well as Stockwell Road in Knaresborough were also sent to us.

Sharow Lane also made an appearance, which one resident described as in need of “long overdue maintenance” despite the council earmarking it for repairs.

You can take a look at the roads in our video below.

The Stray Ferret sent the list of roads to North Yorkshire Council and asked for a response to the concerns that they are in need of repair.

A spokesperson sent us the authority’s highways capital programme, which includes some of the roads, such as Sharow Lane.

They added that residents should report any potholes or road repairs directly to the council.

Read more:

The council had also previously earmarked Pannal Ash Road for a £300,000 resurfacing scheme in September 2023, which is due to be carried out in the summer this year.

In April, the authority announced that its annual roads repair programme would total £25.3 million and include 142 miles of roads across North Yorkshire.

At the time, Karl Battersby, corporate director of environment at the authority, said:

“Keeping our roads in the best condition for the money we have available is one of our key priorities.

“The annual surface dressing programme is a proactive measure that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising.

“We carefully choose the routes and work closely with our contractors to ensure we deliver a cost-effective scheme despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The schedule will benefit residents in all areas of the county.”

Do you have a road which is riddled with potholes? Share your pictures with us via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or message us on Facebook.