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May 2021

Last Updated: 11/05/2021

Politics

Conservative Matt Scott: litter, schools and transport top priorities for Bilton

by John Plummer

| 11 May, 2021

His victory in the Bilton by-election was a major blow to the local Lib Dems, which had previously won six of eight county elections in the area in the last 16 years.

Conservative councillor Matt Scott has said he feels “privileged” to represent Harrogate at county level after his by-election win tightened the Tories’ grip on the town.

He was elected onto one of two Bilton and Nidd Gorge seats on North Yorkshire County Council on Friday.

His victory was a major blow for the Liberal Democrats, which had previously won six out of eight county elections in the area in the last 16 years.

It means the Conservatives have strengthened their power on the county council by lifting their total seats to 57 out of 72.

Speaking on Monday to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Scott said he was pleased with the result as he also set out his top priorities for his new term:

“My message to those who voted for me is the same as my message to those who did not vote for me – I am privileged to be able to represent the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on the county council and will be pleased to help anyone who gets in touch with me.

“I am interested in positive outcomes, not the political allegiance of someone who has come to me for help.

“As a sitting district councillor I will continue to work hard on tackling litter and protecting our green spaces.

“In terms of county council issues I will be doing all I can to support Woodfield Community Primary School. I will also be taking a keen interest in sustainable transport issues as a means of tackling congestion.”

Cllr Scott, who already represents the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council and is employed as a caseworker for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joins Paul Haslam as one of two Conservative county councillors serving the area.

The by-election was held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber, whose party previously had a strong foothold during the last four elections.

Conservatives win Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election

Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate 'very sorry' after by-election defeat

Standing to replace him was Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who was second by a margin of 352 votes.

Mr Kempston-Parkes, a local businessman and former borough councillor, said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the result but promised the party will come back “stronger than ever”. He said:

“I know we will continue the fight against this stranglehold on local politics – we are certainly not finished."

Mr Kempston-Parkes also criticised the first-past-the-post voting system, which meant the Conservatives won with 43% of votes. He expressed hopes that other opposition parties could form an alliance to contest elections as one group in the future.

He said:

“Perhaps the Lib Dems, Greens and Labour need to come together and form a progressive way of working in order to give the electorate one clear choice.

“If that had been the case in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, the Conservatives would have come second, which is the really sad thing about this election – the majority of people didn’t vote for the person who won.

“As long as the parties in the centre and to the left continue to stand against each other then the Conservatives will continue to rub their hands in glee and rule in the majority when in fact they are the minority.”

The by-election held last week was the only local council election held in the Harrogate district.

A full election for all seats on North Yorkshire County Council was scheduled to take place but was cancelled because of the ongoing local government reorganisation.

Under the plans, elections to a new unitary council structure – which will replace the current two-tier system in North Yorkshire – could happen in 2022 depending on government approval.

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election results in full are:

Matt Scott, Conservatives – 1,991 votes 43%

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrats – 1,639 35%

Tyler Reeton, Labour Party – 434 9%

Anrold Warneken, Green Party – 430 9%

John Hall, Yorkshire Party – 136 3%

Harvey Alexander, Independent – 46 1%

Voter turnout was 37.4% (4,696 votes) and there were 19 spoiled ballots.

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Conservative Matt Scott: litter, schools and transport top priorities for Bilton

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