Cabbies infuriated by ‘pedantic’ parking wardens in RiponRow over Ripon ‘Tory puppet’ councillor continues

The row over Ripon independent councillor Andrew Williams’ decision to align himself with the Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council continued at a meeting last night.

North Yorkshire’s Conservatives recently revealed that three independent councillors have formed a new Conservatives and Independents group to avoid the risk of the party losing overall control.

One of the councillors to join the alliance is Ripon Minster & Moorside councillor Andrew Williams, who was elected as a Ripon Independent in May 2022 with 1,453 votes.

Cllr Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last week that he made the decision in the best interests of the city and to ensure stability on the council.

But the move has not been popular with everyone in the city as Liberal Democrat councillor for Ripon Ure Bank & Spa, Barbara Brodigan, then accused Cllr Williams of being a “Tory puppet” and under the control of council leader Carl Les.

Both councillors also sit on Ripon City Council and at the town hall yesterday evening Cllr Brodigan argued that opposition parties already offer a stable alternative to the Conservatives before taking a veiled swipe at Cllr Williams’ decision.

Cllr Brodigan said: 

“All opposition groups — Lib Dems, Labour, Greens — on North Yorkshire work together regularly. That’s stability.

“On a personal level I was elected as a Liberal Democrat by my residents and I remain so. I sit in my group and I vote with my Liberal Democrat colleagues.”

Read more:

In response, Cllr Williams referred to the recent resignations of Harrogate councillor Michael Schofield from the Liberal Democrats and Scarborough councillor Tony Randerson from Labour and said opposition parties “seem unable to put together an alternative, constructive administration”.

He added: 

“I was born here, educated here and have resided here all my life. The decision I took to join the Independents and Conservative group is to ensure a stable administration for North Yorkshire and to get a fair deal in Ripon.

“I remain independent and can vote on every issue that comes before North Yorkshire Council according to my conscience and will always do so. I have not and never will be a Tory puppet.

“Cllr Brodigan, I can assure you that nobody has their hand up my backside, the least of all the leader of the council.”

Ripon councillor rejects ‘Tory puppet’ accusations

Ripon independent councillor Andrew Williams has defended his decision to align himself with the Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council.

Last week, North Yorkshire’s Conservatives revealed that three independent councillors will form a Conservatives and Independents group to avoid the risk of the party losing overall control of the authority.

This is because the balance of power was finely poised with the Tories having 45 councillors — the same number as the opposition parties and independents when combined.

One of the councillors to join the alliance is Ripon Minster & Moorside councillor Andrew Williams, who was elected as a Ripon Independent in May 2022 with 1,453 votes.

But his decision was criticised by the Liberal Democrat councillor for Ripon Ure Bank & Spa, Barbara Brodigan, who told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Cllr Williams had put party politics before the residents of Ripon and will now be a “Tory puppet” on the authority.

During last year’s election the Conservative candidate in Cllr Williams’ division registered only 334 votes and Cllr Brodigan said the the move was a “betrayal of the residents” who voted for him as an independent.

However, Cllr Williams defended his decision in an interview with the LDRS this morning and said the move was necessary to maintain stability on the council.

He argued his independence will be maintained and that residents voted for him to put the interests of Ripon first.

Cllr Williams said:

“There needs to be stability and governance on the council. With a £30 million budget shortfall to resolve and local government reorganisation in its infancy, the last thing that’s needed is complete chaos in the council chamber.

“That would suit the the Lib Dems fine, but it doesn’t do anything for local residents. I haven’t agreed to do anything else. The only commitment I’ve made is to join a group for the stable governance of North Yorkshire.

“Residents knew by voting independent I wouldn’t run the council, I would work to secure the best deal for Ripon.

“I will take each issue as it comes to council, my views of the world haven’t altered. I remain independent and not a member of any political party. I believe there’s an opportunity to influence the decision-making process in Ripon’s favour and I’ll press Ripon’s case as a consequence.“

Read more:

Cllr Williams is also the leader of Ripon City Council which has put in a bid to run the city’s market square and town hall under North Yorkshire Council’s “double-devolution” pilot scheme. A decision on which bids are successful is expected next year.

Cllr Brodigan accused Cllr Williams of “taking the Tory shilling” but he denied that any formal deal had been agreed that would see Ripon City Council’s bid being chosen in return for supporting the Conservatives in Northallerton.

He added:

“It’s in Ripon’s best interests to have a councillor that can influence in Ripon’s favour. We have any number of issues that need addressing. I believe this is the best way of doing that rather than in isolation.“

Cllr Williams, who was a Liberal Democrat councillor on Harrogate Borough Council during the 1990s, described Cllr Brodigan’s criticism as “hypocrisy“.

He said:

“The hypocrisy of the Lib Dems to complain about somebody seeking to work with others to deliver for the local community is astounding as they are a party that believes in PR [proportional representation] and the inevitable necessity for a coalition of different political views for the benefit of local residents.

“I won’t take lectures off any Lib Dem. They sacrificed every principle they had in 2010 to enter the coalition. I have not sacrificed one single commitment to residents by joining the group.“

Ripon hopeful of controlling its destiny under new council

Ripon has never sat comfortably within the Harrogate district.

An ill feeling has lingered in the cathedral city since the last local government reorganisation in 1974 when several smaller councils were brought together to create Harrogate Borough Council.

Whether it’s fair or not, there has been a perception in some quarters of the city that the council has always looked on Harrogate as the crown jewel to Ripon’s detriment.

This will all change on April 1, when Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished and Ripon will fall under the control of a new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council.

Councillors are optimistic the city can reap the rewards.

Andrew Williams is the leader of Ripon City Council and an independent councillor on North Yorkshire County Council for Ripon Minster and Moorside.

The 53-year-old has lived in Ripon all his life and said he first became conscious of the sentiment towards Harrogate Borough Council as a teenager.

Photo of Cllr Andrew Williams

Cllr Andrew Williams

He claims “Harrogate council has been dominated by Harrogate” and that Ripon has “suffered badly” under the current system.

He added:

“What the new council arrangement will do is ensure there will be no unfair advantage to anybody.

“Across North Yorkshire, there are a lot of places like Ripon — Malton, Thirsk, Easingwold, Skipton and Richmond — that have a similar sized population to Ripon with not dissimilar issues. The focus on resolving those will be given a much higher priority.”

A central pledge in the case for reorganisation, called “double devolution”, was that town and parish councils could be handed more powers if they can make a successful business case.

Cllr Williams believes it will provide a golden opportunity for Ripon City Council to take control of assets that Harrogate Borough Council assumed when it was formed almost 50 years ago, such as the city’s neoclassical town hall.

He said:

“We’re hopeful of being selected as a pilot area for double devolution. We believe the new arrangements will provide a better opportunity for Ripon to have a greater control over its destiny.”

Taking back control

Cllr Barbara Brodigan is the Liberal Democrat councillor for Ripon Ure Bank & Spa and was elected in May 2022.

The former teacher has lived in Ripon for five years but before than lived in Knaresborough for 30 years. She’s excited about the potential benefits of double devolution.

Barbara Brodigan

Cllr Brodigan, pictured above, said:

“Ripon has long felt neglected but Ripon City Council could now have more control over our assets. I’m in favour of that. Ripon should be making decisions about Ripon.”

Read more:

Harrogate Borough Council would point to its multi-million-pound investment into the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre as an example of its commitment to the residents of Ripon.

But Cllr Brodigan described the project as an “ongoing farce” due to the location the council decided to build it and spiralling costs.

Other borough council projects, such as work on a masterplan for the regeneration of the city centre have been put on hold, which Cllr Brodigan said is holding Ripon back.

She added:

“People are waiting for the Ripon Renewal masterplan to be implemented so nothing can move forward. It’s sitting on a shelf in Harrogate. That would make a huge difference to city centre.

“When you come to Ripon you can’t see anything because of all the cars. It’s not attractive at all. Tourism is our major income stream yet we have a car park in the centre.”

At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting in 2021, Conservative deputy leader Graham Swift described the grievances of Ripon Independent councillor Pauline McHardy as like listening to the Scottish National Party.

Whether or not residents and councillors have justifiable frustrations at the relationship with Harrogate Borough Council, there is excitement within the city about the opportunities that local government reorganisation could bring.

Ripon’s new councillors to focus on roads, housing and crime

Ripon voters heralded in a new era at both city and North Yorkshire level when they went to the polls last week.

Independent Andrew Williams was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council by a landslide in the Minster and Moorside division while Barbara Brodigan, standing for election for the first time, won comfortably for the Lib Dems in the Spa and Ure Bank division.

Prior to Thursday, Ripon’s north and south wards had been represented at North Yorkshire County Council by Conservatives Mike Chambers and Stuart Martin.

However, Cllr Chambers, who is also a member of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet, lost his county seat while first-time Conservative candidate Thomas Averre saw the seat formerly occupied by Cllr Martin change hands in emphatic fashion.

Conservatives relegated to third

Cllr Williams, who has served as Ripon City Council leader since 2020, was elected with the largest majority of any candidate standing in the 21 Harrogate district divisions.

He took the seat more than 1,100 votes clear of second placed Lib Dem Thomas Cavell-Taylor, while Mr Averre finished third of the three candidates.

Cllr Chambers will, like Cllr Martin, remain a member of Harrogate Borough Council until its abolition in April, when the new unitary authority comes into being.

He finished third of the four candidates in the Spa and Ure Bank division, behind victor Barbara Brodigan and lndependent  Sid Hawke, who won his city council seat and will remain on Harrogate Borough Council until it ceases to exist.

Survey of Ripon residents highlighted the issues

Cllr Brodigan, who will be one of 10 Lib Dems from the Harrogate district on the new unitary authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“We surveyed Ripon residents earlier this year to ask them about the main issues they want to have addressed.

Cllr Barbara Bridigan

Roads that can cope with traffic associated with new homes is a priority for newly-elected councillor Barbara Brodigan.

“These were principally over-supply of housing in the city and lack of a suitable road infrastructure to accommodate the extra traffic generated by the new homes.

“In addition, there are major concerns about the lack of facilities for young people, which is seen as one of the reasons for the high incidence of antisocial behaviour in the city.”

The former teacher, who has years of experience working in Leeds with students who had been expelled from their schools, hopes her expertise in dealing with disruptive children can be put to good effect locally and at North Yorkshire level.

Ripon’s needs ahead of party politics

Cllr Williams said:

“We had a clear message that the needs of Ripon and its citizens come before party politics and that resonated with the voters.

“They told us on their doorsteps, that they are worried about rocketing fuel prices, the cost of living crisis, the dreadful state of roads and pavements in Ripon and the poor standard of policing in the city.

“During weeks of campaigning, we knocked on thousands of doors and it was clear from those that we spoke with that illegal parties at Number Ten was barely an election issue.”

Looking ahead, Cllr Williams added:

“We will seek to work with Harrogate Borough Council, while it still exists and North Yorkshire County Council in its present form, to see power devolved and community assets returned to Ripon.

“We will also look to address other outstanding issues – a key one being the need for rapid improvement of policing in our city, which is not fit for purpose.

“The city council made a formal complaint to North Yorkshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, in March and we are still awaiting her response.

“The anti-social behaviour  that has plagued Ripon for years, grew worse with the covid lockdowns and we will be focusing on a root cause, which is  the very poor provision by HBC and NYCC of facilities and activities for young people.”

In addition to Cllr Brodigan’s election to the city council for the Lib-Dems, other new faces are Independents Jackie Crozier, Tony Duncan, Stuart Flatley and Julie-Ann Martin-Long, who join fellow Independents Jo Bate, Chris Hardisty, Sid Hawke, Peter Horton, Pauline McHardy, Eamon Parkin and Andrew Williams – all of whom were re-elected.

Read more: