Senior Labour politician in Harrogate to support mayoral campaign

Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, made a quick visit to Harrogate at the weekend to support the mayoral campaign of Labour candidate David Skaith. 

The Leeds West MP, who was formerly an economist at the Bank of England, met local party workers and joined Mr Skaith to canvass in the town centre. 

Mr Skaith, who now lives in Wheldrake near York, grew up in Harrogate and his family still live there. 

Also chair of the York High Street Forum, he has focused many of his pledges on helping people and businesses. He has promised to introduce a cost-of-living support fund to help those who are struggling financially, and launch a high-street fund to support businesses financially and strategically. 

He said: 

“We started the day with the dedicated and hard-working Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party. Showing Rachel Reeves around the town I grew up in and still have so much love for was a real pleasure. 

“I can’t wait to put in place my Mayor’s High Street Fund and the Labour plans for our high streets to really boost investment into towns right across our region.” 

Photo of Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and North Yorkshire mayoral candidate David Skaith campaigning with Labour Party workers in Harrogate.

Rachel Reeves MP and David Skaith with Labour Party workers in Harrogate.

Although Harrogate is not usually considered natural campaigning territory for Labour, the party has said it is the only one that can defeat the Conservatives across York and North Yorkshire as a whole.

The mayoral region includes Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire, where Labour has just 11 of the 90 county council seats, and Labour-controlled York, where the Conservatives have just three of the 47 city council seats. The region stretches from the outskirts of Darlington in the north to within five miles of Doncaster in the south, and from the east coast to within 10 miles of the west coast.

Voting in the mayoral election will take place across the region from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, May 2.

The candidates for mayor are:

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The businessman tasked with winning Labour the North Yorkshire mayoral election

David Skaith is tasked with winning York and North Yorkshire’s mayoral election for Labour in under two weeks’ time.

The York-based businessman joined the party in 2015 after becoming “fed up” with the way the country was going politically.

Born and raised in Harrogate, Mr Skaith studied at York St John University and later set up his men’s clothing brand, Winstons of York, in the city. He has run the business for eight years.

After an unsuccessful campaign to win a seat on Labour-run City of York Council in 2023, he is now tasked with making the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire a Labour one.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret, he says he sees the role as one that is more business-orientated, rather than political.

He said:

“I wanted to stand because I see it as different to a traditional political role, such as an MP or a councillor.

“It lends itself to someone who has come from a business background. It’s a job that is about representing York and North Yorkshire, showing leadership and bringing organisations together.”

Mr Skaith meets Lilla Bathurst, Ripon BID manager, on a visit to Ripon.

Mr Skaith meets Lilla Bathurst, Ripon BID manager, on a visit to Ripon.

Mr Skaith, who is also chair of the York High Street Forum, has focussed many of his pledges on helping people and businesses.

Inspired by a similar scheme in neighbouring West Yorkshire, he has promised to introduce a cost of living support fund to help those who are struggling financially.

He has also announced that his term as mayor would also include a high street fund which will be designed to support businesses financially and strategically.

“That [the high street fund] is going to bring in support and investment to support our high streets across the region.

“I know growing up in Harrogate that Harrogate town centre is not maybe where it was a few years ago. A lot of town centres and high streets are the same, even in York as well.”

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Mr Skaith says he is confident going into the election May 2.

He points to the resurgence of Labour in the national polls, plus the fact that the party has mayors in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

Mr Skaith says he has spoken to and met with current Labour mayors Tracy Brabin in West Yorkshire and Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester during his campaign.

He said:

“They all see York and North Yorkshire as a real key area for the north because it is really going to join up the rest of Yorkshire with the south and west and link that east west connection.”

‘I want to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and nothing else’

With under two weeks to go until voters go to the polls, Mr Skaith says his team will continue canvassing across the county — including in Harrogate, which traditionally has backed Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

When asked why he felt confident going into polling day, he said that he hoped that voters would see him as someone who is passionate about the area.

“This is not something that I’m doing for glory and a title, it’s something I’m doing because I’m completely dedicated to it and passionate about it.

“I’m completely fed up with how the country has gone in the last 14 years and I think that passion is coming through. I’m not just another politician, I have some real world experience of having a business and a family and I think that resonates with people. It’s not just another career politician who is coming in for a pay day and onto the next step.

“I don’t want that. I want to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and nothing else.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The full list of candidates are:

We will feature an interview with Conservative candidate, Keane Duncan, on Monday.

Stray Ferret chairs mayoral hustings event

The Stray Ferret chaired a hustings event this week as the race to become the county’s first directly elected mayor enters its final three weeks.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Conservative Keane Duncan, the Green Party’s Kevin Foster and Labour’s David Skaith were quizzed in front of a live audience of business owners.

Tamsin O’Brien, the owner of the Stray Ferret, chaired the business-themed event, which was jointly organised by the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Make UK.

Each candidate outlined what they stood for and was quizzed by Ms O’Brien as well as audience members.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister is a North Yorkshire councillor and former commercial property lawyer who now owns Swinton Park, near Masham

She said 20,000-acre Swinton Park had doubled in size to employ 150 people and and diversified to include activities such as camping and a cookery school.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“I am the only candidate with the leadership, the business experience and the skills that are essential for this role. I am a politician with a career — I am not a career politician.”

Keane Duncan

Former Daily Star journalist Mr Duncan, who is the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council, pledged a range of initiatives including free car parking for every town and city, support for dualling of the A64, £1 bus fares for under 21s, the region’s first mutual bank for businesses, and buying and restoring Scarborough’s Grand Hotel.

He said:

“I am standing in this election to shake things up, to do things in a different way, to break from the same old status quo politics that have held our region back for too long.”

Asked whether the mayor will be able to fund such schemes such as free parking, he said his plans for two hours or less of free parking currently costed the council £2.9 million and he would pledge that sum.

Kevin Foster

Mr Foster, the Green Party leader on North Yorkshire Council and a former army reservist, said not being a member of one of the large political parties meant he would be able to unite the different factions at Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-run City of York Council.

He talked about the need for “a first class bidding system when we go for grants”, and creating “a better, cleaner, greener place for our businesses”. Mr Foster said:

“If one of the big parties get in it could be politics again as normal. i’ve never been whipped by my party, they would never tell me what to do, I’ve got freedom to make my own choices. I am focused on the task and have leadership skills.”

David Skaith

Harrogate-born Labour candidate David Skaith, who owns a shop and chairs York High Street Forum, said the first thing he would do as mayor would be to introduce a high street fund that would provide access to funding and support for businesses.

Mr Skaith said:

“Coming from having my own business, I don’t believe in having huge bold plans that are not realistic. I can’t buy into that and it’s not how business functions.

“We must build truly affordable homes for ownership and for rent, an integrated transport system with simpler harmonised ticketing system.”

The evening was a selective hustings event, run in accordance with electoral commission guidelines. This meant the Independent candidates, Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam, were not eligible to take part.

Voters go the polls to elect the mayor on May 2.

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Labour Party selects candidate to stand for North Yorkshire mayor

The Labour Party has selected York businessman David Skaith as its candidate for the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Skaith owns Winstons of York clothing shop and spent three years as chair of York High Street Forum. He was also secretary of IndieYork, an organisation that promotes independent businesses.

He lives in the village of Wheldrake near York with his wife and two children.

The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.

The role will also take on the powers of police and crime commissioner. An election is expected to be held for the position in May 2024.

Following his selection, Mr Skaith said:

“It is an honour to be selected as Labour’s candidate for North Yorkshire Mayor. We need the first ever Mayor of North Yorkshire to be a strong voice on the side of local residents. I am passionate about growing our local economy through strong industry and business, restoring the reliable transport connections we desperately need and delivering on the priorities of our communities here in North Yorkshire.

“We have been taken for granted by the Conservatives for too long, and our region is being left behind as a result. We have so much to offer, and as North Yorkshire’s Mayor I will always fight for what we deserve.”

The Conservatives Party has selected North Yorkshire councillor Keane Duncan as its candidate for the position. Cllr Duncan is also the executive councillor for highways on the authority.

Meanwhile, Pateley Bridge businessman Keith Tordoff has announced he will stand as an independent candidate for mayor.

North Yorkshire councillor, Kevin Foster, will contest the election for the Green Party.

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