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07
Aug
Rampant Lib Dems leave rivals searching for answers in Harrogate
To lose one by-election may be regarded as misfortune; to lose two in succession might have looked like carelessness.
So after their surprise loss to the Conservatives in Valley Gardens in March, the Liberal Democrats settled any potential jitters with a crushing win in Coppice Valley yesterday (August 6).
First time candidate Rebecca McManus annihilated the opposition with 579 votes. A total of 62% – almost two of three voters — ticked the box alongside her name.
Nearest challengers, Reform UK and the Conservatives, were miles behind on 147 votes (16%) and 118 votes (13%) respectively.
Harrogate, so long a Conservative stronghold, remains yellow, with a Lib Dem MP and 14 of 19 seats on Harrogate Town Council.
The Lib Dems have often said it’s a straight choice between them and the Conservatives in Harrogate but after last night’s result Tom Gordon MP claimed the Tories were now “irrelevant” in the town, and that it was a shoot-out between the Lib Dems and Reform.
He added:
“Under Kemi Badenoch, the Tories have chased Reform to the hard right, and voters can no longer tell the difference between the two parties.”
The count at the Coppice Valley by-election on August 6, 2026.
Reform’s share of the vote fell from 25% in 2025 to 16% and despite toppling the Tories and Labour, the party is struggling to breakthrough. It has just one seat on the town council.
Reform candidate Darren Townend admitted “we thought it would be closer” but denied suggestions the party has peaked in the polls. “Reform are not going anywhere,” he said.
Dirty tactics?
Mr Townend also accused the Lib Dems of dirty tactics by questioning his credentials and likening the party to Donald Trump.
Lib Dem campaigns organiser Felix Andrew responded: “People vote on national and local issues and a lot of people aren’t happy with Reform and the way they are cosying up to Trump.”
Conservative Jonathan Shrago admitted he was “extremely disappointed” and summed up the dilemma his party faces:
While I thought it would be difficult, being stuck between the rock and hard place of Reform and ‘anyone but Reform’ is a difficult position to be in.
The most common refrain I heard from people — notionally Conservative people particularly — was that they would vote for whoever would stop Reform. A position that makes the Lib Dem message quite simple - a message that they did a superb job of saturating voters with.
This is something that both we and Reform will need to come to terms with.
Rebeca McManus pictured shortly after the result was declared.
Toby Holbrey offered Labour supporters the chance to vote for their party, something that doesn’t always happen in Harrogate, but the message was that not many people wanted to do so.
There was no Burnham bounce — the party’s share of the vote fell from 10% to 5%. The only consolation was that it received one more vote than the Green Party to avoid finishing last.
It was a bad night for everyone except the Lib Dems.
The size of the challenge their rivals face was illustrated the next day when Mr Gordon put up a photo of “some of the fantastic team out today for the Coppice Valley by-election” featuring no fewer than 14 people.
The Lib Dems hit the doorstep hard with a well-oiled machine that is, once again, used to winning.
With nine months to go until the next Harrogate Town Council and North Yorkshire Council elections, their rivals don’t have long to find answers.
Coppice Valley by-election result
• Clare McManus - Liberal Democrat 579
• Darren Townend - Reform UK 147
• Jonathan Shrago - Conservative Party 118
• Toby Holbrey - Labour Party 48
• Tamsin Worrall - Green Party 47
The turnout was 31%,
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