The Liberal Democrats threw the kitchen sink at the Ripon Ure Bank by-election — a lord, an MP and numerous activists got involved with campaigning.

But Independent Sherrie Hunt swept to victory last night (November 20) with 46% of the vote. Lib Dem Tom Cavell-Taylor was second with 37% and Reform UK’s Paula Pearse was third with 16%.

That so much time and effort went into a parish council election reflected the high stakes. Here’s what it means:

1 Independents regain control of Ripon City Council

The Independents group led by Councillor Williams now has seven of the 12 seats and has wrestled back control of the council. It means Cllr Williams, whose membership of the Conservative Party has lapsed, is once again calling the shots. Speaking this morning, he said: “We will seek to restore calm, stability and sensible working and put the last few weeks behind us. We will try to demonstrate that the city council does have relevance and can contribute to the positive wellbeing of the city.”

2 Barbara Brodigan becomes lame duck mayor

Speaking today, Lib Dem Cllr Brodigan said she was disappointed, and the result would have a “massive impact”, adding: “The mess that they left behind which we were trying to sort out will continue.” She added she will continue as mayor and work with the clerk to set the agenda for meetings. However, the Lib Dem and unaligned group she leads does not have the numbers to win key votes.

3 Parish poll maintains pressure on Cllr Brodigan

Riponians will vote in a parish poll on Thursday next week asking if they have confidence in Cllr Brodigan. The poll is expected to cost between £5,000 and £7,000 and its outcome is non-binding. Cllr Brodigan has branded it a “waste of money” and pledged to carry on regardless of the outcome. Speaking today, she reaffirmed this position and questioned the merits of having such a “low threshold” to a parish poll, which can be triggered by just 10 people. As unwelcome as the poll is to her, the result could deliver a second blow in the space of a week.

4 Sid Hawke set to stay

Cllr Sid Hawke’s U-turn — when he decided to rejoin Cllr Williams’ group after meeting Cllr Brodigan to draft a resignation letter — was one of the most decisive moments of the last three months because it nudged the delicate political balance of power in the Independents’ favour. Last night’s result shifted it decisively. Cllr Hawke subsequently reported Cllr Brodigan to the police, claiming she had fraudulently submitted an unsigned resignation letter from him. The police dismissed his claims, and his fate was due to be determined at an extraordinary meeting on Monday. Debate on his future is due to be held in private, but Cllr Williams said he would call for it to be heard in public. He said: “I don’t believe issues asking to remove someone from office over whether they handed in a resignation letter should be heard in private.” He is also likely to resist moves to remove Cllr Hawke.

5 Another staff committee to be formed

Ripon City Council continues to have a temporary clerk and no other staff. Under Cllr Brodigan, the city council dissolved the staffing committee whose members belonged mainly to the pro-Cllr Williams camp and set up a human resources committee whose members belong mainly to the pro-Brodigan camp. But Cllr Williams claims the new committee is unlawful because seven members were appointed instead of the six that should have been appointed under the terms of reference. He said: “We do not have a human resources committee. It’s a farce that two months have elapsed and no progress has been made on recruiting senior staff.” He said setting up a “properly constituted” human resources committee and recruiting staff would be a priority.

5 Ripon rejects Reform

Reform UK might be leading national polls, but its Ure Bank candidate Paula Pearse finished last with 16% of the vote. Ms Pearse was the first Reform candidate ever to stand for the city council and was magnanimous in defeat, posting on social media today that Sherrie Hunt was a “well deserved winner” and congratulating her. It’s difficult to read too much into a single parish council by-election but it was not a good night for Reform.

6 No return of the leader role — for now

Cllr Williams resigned as leader, as did deputy leader Cllr Peter Horton, shortly before their roles were due to be abolished by the new regime in September. Cllr Williams, who stood down for health reasons, may no longer hold the title but after last night he is the de facto leader. Asked if he would propose restoring the leader’s role, he said: “For now, given that I’m not firing on all cylinders and have other issues to deal with, I will be concentrating on getting senior staff recruited.”

7 New face on city council

Cllr Sherrie Hunt is a fresh face on the city council. Cllr Hunt, who runs a hairdressing business in a salon, is a lifelong friend of Cllr Jackie Crozier, whose resignation as mayor in the face of a no confidence vote started the recent turmoil, attributed her success to “a lot of hard work from myself and our team”. She added: 

8 An end to chaos?

Cllr Williams echoed Cllr Hunt’s sentiments today, saying he hoped this was the start of a more stable period. He said a coup against Cllr Brodigan as mayor was “the last thing there will be from my group”, adding: “We need to move forward, get back on track and set aside any personal differences.” But will this happen? Only last week Cllr Williams said he had no respect for Cllr Brodigan and her comments today about the town hall mess returning do not indicate a change of tone. With divisions deep, ill feeling is likely to linger until May 2027, when the next city council elections will be held.