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23
May
Opposition parties have welcomed the chance to end 14 years of Conservative domination in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the general election.
Andrew Jones has held the seat for the Tories since 2010, winning four elections in a row.
But with some national forecasts predicting a Liberal Democrat win, and Labour buoyant after David Skaith's mayoral victory, there appears to be everything to play for on July 4.
Electoral Calculus currently gives the Lib Dems a 65% chance of success in Harrogate and Knaresborough, compared with 22% for the Conservatives and 12% for Labour.
But UK Polling Report says the Conservatives have a 35.78% chance, the Lib Dems 35.62%, Labour 24.05% and the Greens 4.1%
Tom Gordon, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate said it was a “once-in-a-generation chance to kick the Conservatives out of power”, adding:
Conrad Whitcroft, who was named Labour's parliamentary candidate yesterday (May 22) just hours before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election, said:
Green Party candidate Shan Oakes said a vote for her party was "a vote for real change", adding:
John Swales, Reform UK's candidate, said he hoped to poll a higher percentage of votes in Harrogate and Knaresborough than the 12% to 14% the party was generating nationally.
Mr Swales said Harrogate was no longer a genteel spa town; it had expanded hugely and many people had concerns about issues such as housing that were shared by Reform, he said, adding it was the only real party for change.
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