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02
Apr
Knaresborough councillor tight-lipped about reasons for leaving Tories
A councillor who was one of only two Conservatives on Knaresborough Town Council is remaining tight-lipped about her decision last week to leave the Tory Party and sit as an independent.
Cllr Kathryn Davies, who represents the Aspin and Calcutt ward and was mayor of Knaresborough in 2022-23, stood down from the party last week, but is not known to have published any statement explaining her decision.
One of her council colleagues, however, called on her to seek a new mandate.
In a press release sent to the Stray Ferret by the office of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon, Cllr Andy Bell, a Liberal Democrat representing Knaresborough Scriven Park, said:
Voters in Aspin and Calcutt ward elected a Conservative councillor, not an Independent. Residents deserve the opportunity to have their say on this change of affiliation.
We therefore call on Councillor Davies to seek a fresh mandate from voters by standing as an Independent, and not to join Reform or any other party before facing the electorate again.
The Stray Ferret contacted Cllr Davies and asked her why she had left the Conservatives, whether she planned to stand at election as an independent, and whether she had any plans to join Reform UK.
But she replied simply to say:
At the present time I do not wish to make any statement.
This is not the first time the Liberal Democrats have called for a by-election following a political defection.
In February, they made a similar appeal when Cllr John Mann, who represents the Oatlands and Pannal division on North Yorkshire Council, left the Conservatives to become an Indepedent and then joined Reform.
But the Liberal Democrat Party is not itself immune to defections. In 2023, Cllr Mike Schofield, who represents the Harlow and St George’s division on North Yorkshire Council, left the Lib Dems to serve as an independent, before switching to the Green Party in December 2025.
Cllr Bell said the situation regarding Cllr Davies’ apparent change of heart reflected “a growing pattern seen with Conservative councillors across the country, and recently here in Harrogate with John Mann, where voters are left represented by individuals they did not elect under their current political affiliation".
He added:
Local people deserve transparency, accountability, and the right to choose who represents them.
Cllr Davies' move leaves Knaresborough with just one Conservative town councillor: John Batt, who represents the Knaresborough Eastfield ward. There are also two Greens and eight Liberal Democrats.
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