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04
May 2024
How Labour defeated the Tories in North Yorkshire’s first mayor election
“We have not been doing the basics,” said David Skaith to reporters huddled around him after becoming the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
It was a seismic victory for Labour over the Conservatives, with a 14,794 majority.
The result at Harrogate Convention Centre on Friday afternoon was the culmination of two competing campaigns.
On the one side, Keane Duncan, for the Conservatives, led an ambitious campaign which included pledges such as buying Scarborough’s Grand Hotel for regeneration.
He also promised free car parking in towns and cities across the county.
Much of Mr Duncan's campaign was focussed on utilising social media to promote his pledges. He published high-production videos and pictures to push his message.
He also went on a tour around the county in his van, which notably did not include anything which mentioned that he was a Conservative.
The 29-year-old emphasised the fact that he was out meeting people and published photographs of himself with residents in North Yorkshire's towns and villages on his social media pages. His campaign appeared to focus on himself as an individual, rather than his political background.
During the campaign trail, Mr Duncan told the Stray Ferret that he had “bold ambition” for York and North Yorkshire. However, on the day, that did not help his election prospects.
Keane Duncan, with Prime Minister RIshi Sunak in Ripon in April.
In fact, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said she felt making pledges which "no-one believes" did not help the public’s trust in democracy.
She said:
Specifically on the Grand Hotel, she said:
In the end, Mr Duncan fell to a clear defeat. When speaking to the press afterwards, he defended his campaign, including the pledge on the Grand Hotel, and said he felt focussing on the coast was “important”.
Regardless of the majority involved, Mr Duncan was magnanimous in defeat and was seen applauding Mr Skaith after the declaration.
A traditional campaign
By comparison, Mr Skaith’s campaign offered little in terms of marquee pledges.
When speaking to the Stray Ferret two weeks ago, the Labour candidate focussed on matters such as transport, a High Street fund and a cost of living fund.
While the policies will resonate with some of the electorate, they were not headline grabbing pledges.
Rather, Mr Skaith appeared to take a traditional campaign route. He was seen canvassing with senior Labour politicians such as Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the exchequer, and Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and North Yorkshire mayoral candidate David Skaith campaigning with Labour Party workers in Harrogate.
After his victory on Friday, he told reporters that he would focus on building affordable housing and improving transport links. However, how that looks in practice remains to be seen.
The campaign has had the desired affect and now Labour has metro mayors in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and further west in Greater Manchester and Liverpool.
Much of Mr Skaith’s 15,000 majority could be attributed to the city of York which includes students and a Labour-controlled city council.
The national picture cannot be overlooked either, with the Tories lagging behind in the polls. One of the candidates, Paul Haslam, was also a former Conservative who threw his hat in the ring as an independent.
However, Labour will not see it that way and will spin it as a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his own back yard.
The party has parked its tanks on traditional Conservative ground in a year which promises more elections to come.
Read more:
- Labour’s David Skaith pledges to ‘get basics right’ as mayor
- Tense day ends in clear victory for Labour’s Harrogate-born mayor
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