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07
Jun 2024
On the road: Is election excitement mounting in Harrogate?
This week, we have been reporting on voters' views on the general election across the district. This article, which collates the views of people in Harrogate, is the fifth in the series.
Much like the national picture, Harrogate and Knaresborough has been Conservative since 2010.
For 14 years, the constituency has in four separate elections returned a Tory MP and reflected the government of the day.
In the last election in 2019, Andrew Jones was elected to the House of Commons with a majority of 9,675 after fending off his Liberal Democrat opponents yet again.
But the political climate has changed both locally and nationally.
Recent local elections have emboldened the Liberal Democrats to think they can take back Harrogate and Knaresborough for the first time since 1997. National polling suggests Labour may be in pole position to unseat the Conservative government.
The political change could be seismic - but do people in Harrogate share that sentiment?
The Stray Ferret went out on Wednesday morning to canvass opinion and to see if election fever is sweeping the streets of the historic spa town.
Stephen Card.
If you asked Stephen Card if he was looking forward to the election, the answer would be 'no'. Mr Card, who was in the army for six years before leaving in 1994, said he would not be voting.
He felt that the parties were the same and that they would offer nothing for Harrogate or other areas of the UK.
Mr Card said:
They promise things to people in this country, but they have done nothing.
They are all talk.
Mr Card was not alone in his disdain at the prospect of going to the polls. Numerous people told us they were uninterested in the election campaign.
One man who had lived in Harrogate all his life, but did not wish to be named, said politicians were making “the same old promises”.
The sentiment was shared by Poppy, from Scotton — although, she admitted she felt guilty due to the lengths that the suffragettes went to to secure the vote for women.
I don’t follow politics and I probably won’t vote. I don’t like any of them.
I do feel guilty about not voting because women fought for their vote, but I don’t want to vote for something that I don’t believe in. I just stay out of it.
Land Winnifred.
However, Land Winnifred, who lives in Harrogate, said she would be voting on July 4.
Ms Winnifred said she had received a lot of literature about Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat candidate in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
She said:
I don’t know a lot about him, but I’ve had stuff posted with his picture on it. He’s got a lovely big smile.
But Ms Winnifred appeared the be the exception to the rule among those we spoke to. Some were undecided about whether to vote Conservative or to opt for Reform UK following the comeback of Nigel Farage as leader.
Dean Baylin, owner of Jenny's Tea Shop.
The uncertainty over the election extended to business owners, who were unsure over whether a change of government would have any benefit for trade.
Dean Baylin, who runs Jenny’s Tea Shop on Montpellier Street, told the Stray Ferret that he had little faith that any of the parties would improve his business prospects.
He said:
There is no help for high streets. It’s never been as bad. Everything seems to be stacked against us right now. We’ve owned the tea shop for nine years and the last two years have been the worst.
I have no faith in any of them.
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