Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

07

May 2021

Last Updated: 07/05/2021
Politics
Politics

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

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 07 May, 2021
Comment

0

The Liberal Democrat candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, Andrew Kempston-Parkes, said the result "was not what we hoped for". The Conservative party won the seat at a by-election today.

andrewkp
Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

The Liberal Democrat candidate for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election has said he is "very sorry" for the result after the Conservatives took the seat from the party.

Speaking today, Liberal Democrat Andrew Kempston-Parkes said the election result was “not what we hoped for”.

Matt Scott, the Conservative candidate, won the North Yorkshire County Council seat for the Tories by 352 votes.

The by-election was held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber who died in March after holding the seat since 2017.

Mr Kempston-Parkes said after the result:

“I look to my comrades in the Labour Party and my sisters and brothers in the Green Party and say as long as the parties of the centre and left continue to fight each other, Conservatives will continue to have power even though they get less than 50% of the vote.”




Cllr Scott, who already represents the area on Harrogate Borough Council, won the North Yorkshire County Council seat this morning by a margin of 352 votes ahead of second-placed Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Kempston-Parkes.

His victory marks a shift in power away from the Lib Dems who had previously won six out of eight county council elections in Bilton in the last 16 years.



Read more:






Speaking after being announced as winner at the Pavilions of Harrogate today, Cllr Scott said:

“I’m very grateful to the people of Bilton and Nidd Gorge – it’s been a pleasure to serve as the Harrogate borough councillor in Bilton Woodfield since 2018.
“It’s a real privilege to be the county councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge as well.”


There are two Bilton and Nidd Gorge seats on the county council, the other being held by Conservative Paul Haslam whose position was not up for election.

Cllr Scott won today with 1,991 votes, followed by Liberal Democrat Andrew Kempston-Parkes (1,639), Labour’s Tyler Reeton (434), Green Party’s Anrold Warneken (430), Yorkshire Party’s John Hall and  , independent Harvey Alexander (46).

Voter turnout was 37.4% of eligible voters and there were 19 spoiled ballots.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Labour candidate Tyler Reeton gave a message to other young aspiring politicians and promised the party will “come back stronger”.

He said:

“If you are young don’t be scared to run in politics. Politics is yours and you are the future generation. As a 19-year-old, I am honoured to have stood here today with rather strong competitors.
“The Labour Party is not going anywhere in Harrogate – we are going to come back stronger next year and we will win Bilton.”