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08
Feb 2023
Key Masham by-election to be held tomorrow: Meet the candidates
Voters in the Masham and Fountains division will go to the polls tomorrow to choose their next councillor.
The North Yorkshire County Council by-election follows the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson in November.
Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who is the Countess of Swinton, is taking on the Conservative Brooke Hull.
The seat will become part of the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, from April 1. It is a large, rural division that includes Kirkby Malzeard, Galphay, Grantley, Sawley, Cundall, Dishforth, Melmerby and North Stainley as well as Masham.
Following last May’s local elections, the Conservatives’ control of the 90-member authority was significantly dented.
They now hold 47 seats, with 43 belonging to opposition parties so they currently have a slender majority of just four in Northallerton, adding extra importance to tomorrow’s by-election. A Liberal Democrat victory would reduce the Tories’ majority to just two.
Last May’s election in the division saw Ms Atkinson win 1,076 votes, followed by Ms Cunliffe-Lister, who stood as an independent, with 738 votes. Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper received 620 votes.
To find out locations of polling booths visit here.
Brooke Hull — Conservative Party
Brooke Hull lives in Burnt Yates and is employed by the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Party Association.
Her husband is Nathan Hull, the Conservative county councillor for the Washburn and Birstwith division, and they have five children together.
Ms Hull said family was at the heart of her decision to stand.
She said:
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The 89 politicans that currently make up the council in Northallerton are overwhelmingly older males. Ms Hull hopes that by standing she can inspire younger women into politics.
She said:
Nationally, the Conservative Party is having a difficult time but Ms Hull said she believes voters will put those issues to one side and focus on things that matter to them. She said:
For her, the key issues in the division include making sure young people can afford to live in the villages in which they grew up, tackling rural crime, supporting farmers and protecting the environment.
She added:
Felicity Cunliffe-Lister — Liberal Democrats
Ms Cunliffe-Lister has lived in Masham for 23 years and owns and runs the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate with her husband, which includes a luxury hotel and spa.
Ms Cunliffe-Lister believes she made a big impression during last year’s election but in order to win she needed to represent a party. She said the Liberal Democrats shared her “ethos and priorities.”
She hopes to give the rural division a strong voice on the new council. She believes the area has been neglected on Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished in less than two months’ time.
Ms Cunliffe-Lister added:
She said the key issues for people in the division are feelings of isolation due to unreliable public transport, the state of the roads and motorists speeding through villages. She backs the 20's Plenty campaign in areas where the community wants it.
Ms Cunliffe-Lister also believes the new council needs to ensure the environment is at the top of its agenda.
Additional reporting by Stuart Minting, Local Democracy Reporter
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