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18
May 2022
Harrogate's Independents vow to stand again
A group of five Independents has vowed to stand in future elections after they failed to win a seat on the new North Yorkshire Council.
Anna McIntee (Stray, Woodlands, Hookstone), Lucy Gardiner (Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate), Sarah Hart (Harlow Hill and St Georges) Daniel Thompson (Coppice Valley and Duchy) and Jon Starkey (Boroughbridge & Claro) all stood for the election on May 5.
Using the motto 'Time for a Change' and sporting pink uniforms, they pledged to put a stop to housebuilding in the area and oppose transport schemes like the Harrogate Station Gateway.
In the end, the district's electorate voted for change, but it was the more familiar yellow of the Liberal Democrats that they chose.
But during their concession speeches at the election count, Ms Hart, Mr Thompson and Ms Gardiner all suggested they'd stand again in future elections, with a potential Harrogate Town Council on the horizon.
'Same old faces'
It was a disappointing set of results for the Independents, in contrast to the strong showing by Independents in Ripon.
Over the past couple of years, thousands of people signed petitions set up by Anna McIntee and Lucy Gardiner to oppose the Oatlands Drive one way scheme and the Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood.
However, they weren't able to translate successful petitions into votes.
Ms McIntee came fourth in her division with 167 ticks next to her name.
Ms Gardiner and Ms Hart fared better, receiving over 300 votes each, but they didn't come close to beating the victorious Tory and Lib Dem councillors they were up against.
The five candidates met for a debrief last week where they reflected on the campaign.
Ms Gardiner said they were disappointed to see "the same old faces and old ideas being returned for another five years".
She said:
Mr Starkey said he was disappointed by the low turnout.
Read more:
- What cost the Tories votes in the Harrogate district?
- Stunning Green win in Ouseburn sets blueprint for future collaborations
Upsets
Before the election, it was difficult to predict who would vote for the 'Time for a Change' five.
Would it be disgruntled Conservative voters? Or people who don't usually vote but who were attracted to their anti-establishment message?
The Conservatives failed to win three of the five seats where the independents stood.
These included the current deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Cllr Graham Swift. He came a close second in the Coppice Valley and Duchy division, in a big upset for the Lib Dems.
Daniel Thompson came third and suggested his 199 votes helped to deny Cllr Swift the win.
Ms Gardiner said they succeeded in part of their aim of getting "the wrong people out".
She said:
Mr Thompson added:
Local issues
Following the abolition of HBC next year, it's expected that a Harrogate town council will be set up to potentially manage local assets such as the Stray and Harrogate Convention Centre.
Elections could take place in 2024, and Ms Gardiner said the independents want to ensure Harrogate has a strong "community" voice, free from the shackles of party politics.
She said:
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