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04
Apr
Green Party and Reform candidates outnumber Labour at Harrogate Town Council elections
The Labour Party will field fewer candidates than both the Green Party and Reform at forthcoming local elections to form two new town councils in North Yorkshire.
Voters will go to the polls for the new Harrogate and Scarborough local authorities on Thursday, May 1.
A total of 129 candidates will contest the elections.
In Harrogate, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will have candidates in all 19 one-councillor wards, with Reform having 18, the Green Party 14 and Labour eight.
Two independents are also standing.
There will be five three-councillor wards in Scarborough, meaning 15 councillors in total.
The Conservatives have 15 candidates , with the Green Party having 14 and Reform 11.
Despite Labour seizing control of the Scarborough and Whitby constituency from the Tories at the 2024 General Election and holding most Scarborough divisions on North Yorkshire Council, the party has just five candidates standing to be a councillor on the new authority.
Three independents and one Social Justice Party candidates are also contesting the election in the town.
A Labour Party spokesperson said:
It is not common practice for the party to stand a full slate of candidates in all town council elections across the region.
The focus for the Labour Party on May 1 is Doncaster City Council elections for which the party is standing a full slate of candidates while the Conservatives have failed to do so.
It is understood the Labour Party does not organise at town and parish council level.
A Green Party spokesperson said they were pleased to be able to field a large number of candidates in both elections:
The Greens feel that as consequences of climate change are becoming more dangerous, it is vital that the new councils play a central role in the organisation to mitigate the effects of climate change and build resilience.
There is far too little year-round effort from all the other political parties, and our Green candidates will be hard-working and committed councillors, always working in the best interests of our residents, communities and businesses.
The elections are being held because Harrogate and Scarborough were the only parts of North Yorkshire that were previously unparished.
Officials say the creation of the two new town councils will ensure that local communities have a say on how services are delivered as effectively as possible.
North Yorkshire Council’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, who is the returning officer for the town elections, said:
With the creation of the two new town councils, it will mean that all of our communities have a voice in local democracy at a grassroots level.
Now that the nominations for candidates have closed, it is the next step towards the elections being held at the start of next month.
I would urge anyone who is eligible to vote to make sure that they are registered so they can take part in the elections in Harrogate and Scarborough.
The poll on May 1 will be held to elect councillors to these new town councils for a term of two years.
Elections will be held again in 2027 for a four-year term to align with elections for North Yorkshire Council and all other parish councils.
Voting will take place on Thursday, May 1, from 7am to 10pm.
The counts for each town council election will take place the following day.
Information on the candidates as well as details on how to vote is available at www.northyorks.gov.uk/HGSBTownCouncils
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