Labour calls for increase in number of North Yorkshire councillorsLabour activist claims national party blocked him standing for MP in RiponLabour names candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough

The Labour Party has selected Conrad Whitcroft as its candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next general election.

Mr Whitcroft, who has never previously stood for parliament, lives in York and works as a project manager for insurance firm Aviva.

He was elected to represent Fishergate on City of York Council this month and supported David Skaith’s successful mayoral campaign for Labour.

Mr Whitcroft attended school in Northampton then graduated from the University of York with a degree in politics.

A profile on the York Labour Party website describes him as an ‘active union rep’ and environmental campaigner. He has also been an intern in the House of Commons.

Mr Skaith’s victory in this month’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election boosted local Labour supporters.

But the party faces an uphill battle to win in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next general election. Mark Sewards, its candidate in 2019, polled just 10% of votes to finish third behind Conservative Andrew Jones and Liberal Democrat Judith Rogerson.

Mr Jones will defend the seat for the Tories while Tom Gordon will stand for the Lib Dems.

Conrad Whitcroft with supporters.

In a Labour press release today, Mr Whitcroft said Harrogate and Knaresborough “has been let down by more than a decade of Conservative-led government”.

He added:

“It will be an honour to lead the campaign for Labour in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

“My priorities in our area include tackling anti-social behaviour, building more affordable housing and working closely with David Skaith.

“I know Harrogate and Knaresborough well and enjoy campaigning there with the local Labour Party. I particularly enjoy the Knaresborough-based Turning Point Brewery which I have had a tour of in the past.”

The press release added:

“As a councillor, Conrad has delivered ward funding to fight the cost of living crisis and has recently taken a leading role in a campaign to stop a new takeaway in a residential area.

Harrogate-born Mr Skaith said:

“Conrad worked hard for my election campaign and has proven himself as a councillor. He will make an excellent Labour candidate for my home town.”

Chris Watt, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said:

“As Labour’s win in Harrogate and Knaresborough in the recent mayoral election showed, it’s all to play for locally and when Rishi Sunak finally has the courage to call the election the choice will be clear: more chaos under the Tories or real change and a fresh start with Labour.

“Conrad has shown that’s he an effective and energetic campaigner who gets results and we are looking forward to working with him for the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

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Labour and Reform UK by-election candidates reveal Harrogate priorities

Labour and Reform UK’s candidates in a forthcoming Harrogate by-election have spoken of their priorities if elected.

Voters in Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone will go to the polls on April 11 to vote for a successor on North Yorkshire Council to Liberal Democrat Pat Marsh, who resigned after making anti-semitic posts on social media.

Labour and Reform UK were the last two parties to reveal who they had selected after the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens previously announced candidates.

In a press release, Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party described its candidate, Geoff Foxall, as “a tireless community campaigner in Harrogate, where he has lived all his life, working as a teacher at Harrogate High School then school governor at Harrogate High, Harrogate College, the grammar school, and Starbeck school in retirement”.

It added he was an advocate for public libraries, a community archaeologist, and keen walker.

Mr Foxall said:

“If elected, I will work passionately to deliver a fresh start for the area that I love and for the town where I was born and have lived in my entire life.

“My eight years as a Labour councillor on Harrogate District Council including four years as group leader, have given me the experience to hold the Conservative council to account for poor quality roads, unreliable public transport, and cuts to our public services. The North Yorkshire Labour Group is influential and growing and if elected I would join their ranks to advocate for a fairer and stronger North Yorkshire.

“As chair of Starbeck Residents Association I was active in opposing a relief road through the Nidd Gorge and creating a community woodland in the green belt between Harrogate and Knaresborough. I have also opposed overdevelopment in the Starbeck and Kingsley Road areas of Harrogate.

“My priorities if elected would be to bring together politicians and community groups from all walks of life to deliver improved roads, better and more reliable public transport, and investment in our care services and local schools.”

Reform candidate focused on station gateway

Harrogate-born Jonathan Swales, whose family were the original owners of Yorkshire Farmers Limited and Swales (Harrogate) Wholesale Fruit and Veg businesses, will attempt to become Reform UK’s second North Yorkshire councillor after Cllr Mike Jordan’s defected to the party.

A press release announcing his candidacy said he was married to fine artist Helen, with whom he has two children, and has “extensive management and business experience, having held a number of senior level management, and director roles in the construction industry”.

Mr Swales said:

“I am very proud of my Harrogate roots, and Yorkshire heritage.

“As a local resident I am well aware of the local issues that people are concerned about and how national issues feed into local issues. I share the frustration when people’s views are just ignored.”

Mr Swales cited the Harrogate Gateway Project as one of his priorities. He said:

“A failing of the process around that project was that local councillors didn’t engage with council cabinet members and council officers. There was an opportunity to influence, and get a better outcome, that opportunity was lost.

“Everyone wants a better town centre, and this project could have been part of that overall improvement, but we now have a scheme that doesn’t really deliver anything for anyone — and that includes the cyclists, people on foot or people arriving by bus or train.

“In the Stray,  Woodlands and Hookstone division, there are also planning matters, such as the racket courts near to Hookstone Woods. Then there are the ongoing concerns of potholes, roads being used for click-throughs, and the area being used for parking by the schools and the hospital.”

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Reform UK leader Richard Tice said the party was building a base in North Yorkshire and the by-election would give an indication of how people may vote in the general election, when Richard Brown will contest Harrogate and Knaresborough for Reform UK. Mr Tice added:

“No longer will Harrogate be a Conservative vs Lib Dem, it will be ‘vote Reform UK, get Reform UK’.”

The full list of by-election candidates is:

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

Residents of the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division have until midnight on Friday, March 22, to register to vote and until 5pm on Monday, March 25, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post they have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, to apply for a proxy vote.

 

Local Labour activist bids to stand for election in Skipton and Ripon

A local Labour Party activist has announced he is seeking the party’s nomination to contest Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

Starbeck man Chris Watt, 46, has worked for the NHS for 15 years and is involved in a range of community organisations. He previously worked in Westminster for a minister in the last Labour government.

Candidates have until January 10 to put forward their names to stand against Conservative Julian Smith, who has held the seat since 2010.

Announcing his candidature today, Mr Watt said he used to work for the health trust that runs Ripon Community Hospital and community healthcare across the area.

Skipton and Ripon has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

It has been designated a “non-battleground” seat by Labour, which is believed to be focusing more on Keighley.

But local Labour members were boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining Skipton and Ripon.

Mr Watt said:

“I’ve really enjoyed being out on the doorstep already with the Skipton and Ripon Labour team, talking to local voters about their concerns. It’s clear that tackling the cost of living crisis, improving public services and tackling anti-social behaviour are at the top of people’s minds.

“The latest polls show that it’s all to play for in Skipton and Ripon, with Labour poised to give Julian Smith and the Tories a real run for their money and potentially take the seat.

“So I think we need a candidate who not only has a track record of organising excellent campaigns, but who is dedicated to public service and can hit the ground running to deliver a brighter future for the area should they be elected by local people.”

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, has already announced he intends to seek the party nomination again.

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Labour starts search for Skipton and Ripon candidate

The Labour Party has begun the process of finding a candidate for Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

Julian Smith, who has been MP since 2010, increased his majority to 23,694 at the last election in 2019 when he won 60% of the vote.

Although the rural constituency is widely regarded as a safe Tory seat, Labour was boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining it.

Labour invited potential candidates to put forward their names on Friday last week (December 8). The deadline for applying is January 10.

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, said he intended to seek the party nomination again.

With an election expected next year, Mr McDaid said he hoped a candidate would be selected quickly to allow as much time as possible for campaigning.

He said:

“Labour’s visibility in Skipton and Ripon has increased a lot. We have worked hard to show people that the Lib Dems aren’t the second party.

“We have done a lot of door knocking and the phrase ‘where is Julian Smith and what has he contributed locally?’ comes up a lot.”

Skipton Town Council has five Labour councillors, but Ripon City Council has none and Mr McDaid admitted the party needed to focus more on the city.

Keir Mather’s by-election success in Selby and Ainsty.

He said the party had been inspired by Keir Mather’s victory in July’s Selby and Ainsty by-election, when he overturned a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the seat for Labour.

He added:

“Polls are showing it could be a Labour gain but we aren’t taking anything for granted.”

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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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Labour designates Harrogate and Knaresborough ‘non-battleground’ seat

The Labour Party has designated Harrogate and Knaresborough as a “non-battleground” seat at the next election.

The party published a list online of 211 seats which it considers to be non-target constituencies.

Among them is Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well Skipton and Ripon, both of which are currently held by Conservative MPs.

Local Liberal Democrats have claimed the move means the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency will be a “two horse race” at the next election.

Tom Gordon, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“This constituency will be a two horse race between the Liberal Democrats and a desperately out of touch Conservative party.

“Even Labour have now admitted they cannot win here. The Liberal Democrats are on a winning streak locally, as people send this government a message.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, which has yet to name a parliamentary candidate, for comment.

It comes as speculation over the date of the next general election has increased amid continued infighting in government.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has been selected to fight the seat for the Tories again.

He is aiming for a fifth straight election win in the constituency at the next election.

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Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves visits Knaresborough banking hub

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited Knaresborough banking hub on Friday.

Ms Reeves joined shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and shadow Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq at Kirkgate.

Reeves hailed the hub, which opened on November 17, as an example of what the Labour Party would like to see across the country if it wins the next general election, which is expected to take place in 2024.

Labour has committed to setting up at least 350 banking hubs following a 64 per cent drop in the number of banks in Yorkshire since 2015.

Ms Reeves said:

“There’s now 20 banking hubs around the country.

“Banking hubs are there to replace bank branches because Knaresborough was without a bank for three years.

“[There’s] not a single bank branch in this town and banking hubs are an alternative to banks.

“When there are no banks left in the town the idea is that the banks come together to open a hub that you can use whichever bank you’re with, but there’s only 20 of them and we know that there are many more high streets in towns and villages that don’t have banks at all.

“Labour is making a commitment today that in the first term of a Labour government, we would open at least 350 banking hubs so that more people have access to banking facilities and to cash, which is something that unfortunately today too many people don’t have access to.”

Ms Siddiq added:

“When a local community no longer has access to a bank branch, we know it is the poorest in society along with high street businesses who lose out the most from the loss of vital in-person services.”

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Knaresborough photographer Charlotte Gale came to get cash from the banking hub and speak to the three members of Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet about why she needs cash for her business.

Ms Gale said:

“I always run out of 5ps.

“That’s the way my stuff is priced – it’s 95p.

“There’s always a struggle to get a 5p.”

Alongside its plans to bring back banking to communities, Labour also pledged to give councils the power to tackle shuttered-up shops, tackle antisocial behaviour and shoplifting through dedicated police patrols, replace business rates with a fairer system and end late payments to support small businesses.

Mr Reynolds said:

“Under the Conservatives, our high streets have been allowed to fall into decline, with more and more high street anchors like banks closing.

“Labour will put an end to boarded-up premises and ghost high streets with our plan to bring banks back to the high street, fix business rates, tackle empty properties and get police back on the beat on your high street.”

In Yorkshire and the Humber 464 banks – or 64 per cent – have closed since 2015 and just 264 remain open.

This is the second biggest percentage of bank closures in the country, with 66 per cent of banks being closed in the south-west.

In the whole of England, there are 3,208 bank branches.

Selby and Ainsty by-election candidates have their say – Part 3

This article is the third of a series of six.

Voters across parts of the district will be heading to the polls next Thursday (July 20), when Selby and Ainsty holds a by-election triggered by the dramatic resignation last month of MP Nigel Adams. 

Most of the Selby and Ainsty constituency lies beyond our district’s borders – it stretches almost as far as Goole and Doncaster – but its northern end does encompass Huby, Follifoot, Spofforth and some of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Tockwith, Green Hammerton and Long Marston. 

There’s a broad field to choose from – there are 13 candidates – but who are they, and what do they believe? 

In the lead-up to the by-election, we’re spotlighting two or three each day, giving constituents the opportunity to read about the people who wish to represent them at Westminster – in their own words. 

So far, we’ve featured independent Andrew Gray, Claire Holmes of the Conservative Party, Mike Jordan of the Yorkshire Party and Dave Kent of Reform UK.

Continuing to take their surnames in alphabetical order, today’s candidates are Keir Mather of the Labour Party, independent Nick Palmer, and Guy Phoenix of the Heritage Party. 

Tomorrow: Sir Archibald Stanton (Official Monster Raving Loony Party), and Matt Walker (Liberal Democrats).

Keir Mather, Labour Party

Keir Mather was born in Hull and grew up near Selby before going to Oxford University. Keir has most recently worked at the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). His candidacy was supported by the GMB and Unison. 

“I’m standing to be Selby and Ainsty’s MP because this brilliant place has been let down for too long. We are facing the biggest hit to living standards in a generation. Mortgages, food and fuel prices are all soaring. Our public services are broken. Meanwhile the Conservative Government is too distracted by its own infighting and chaos to deliver, and the MP for Selby and Ainsty abandoned the people he was elected to serve, all because he didn’t get a peerage. 

“I have been having thousands of conversations on the doorstep, hearing directly about what matters most to our local communities. These conversations shaped my plan for Selby and Ainsty, which starts with supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis, with our Warm Homes Plan to bring down energy bills by £1,400 and financial support surgeries across the constituency to provide vital support immediately in the crisis. 

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their communities, but in North Yorkshire theft is up 14% in the last year, and knife crime is now nearly twice as high as it was in 2010. Where the Conservatives have cut police on the streets, Labour will restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs. 

“My plan will also see us restore frequent and reliable public transport, protection from flooding and sewage dumping, and ensure our NHS services are built for the future. It’s time for a fresh start in Selby and Ainsty. If you’ve felt taken for granted or let down, I urge you to put your faith in me on July 20.” 

Nick Palmer, Independent 

One of the few candidates to live in the constituency, Nick Palmer has an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Belgium and is managing director of Bizenko, a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between the worlds of education and employment. 

“How many voters feel politically ‘homeless’ in the United Kingdom? I doubt anybody knows the true scale of this problem. But we should. I pledge to find out. 

“Voters hate broken promises and tribal squabbling from the different political parties. It makes them feel angry and frustrated. When voters are angry and frustrated, it becomes a problem for society. I’m standing as a candidate to give frustrated voters a meaningful option on Thursday, July 20. 

“Despite being a Westminster election, the Selby and Ainsty by-election will have zero impact at Westminster. Frustrating, isn’t it?! 

“The day after this by-election, Rishi will still be the Conservative Prime Minister, with a healthy majority in Parliament. Sir Keir will still be the Labour leader of the Opposition. 

“Many voters tell me that they can’t stand one party, and can’t trust the other. They feel they have to vote for a ‘big’ party in order to deny their enemy ‘sneaking in’. But that won’t mean anything here. The Westminster situation is already determined. There will be no change. 

“Tactical voting to block either main party, even in desperation, is a missed opportunity. We can make our vote more meaningful!  

“Typically, challenger parties cannot ‘win’ their argument and implement their by-election plans unless they win a general election. Until then, we have the Conservatives. 

“Traditionally, only two parties can win a general election. Which fuels the toxic culture that depresses so many voters. Therefore, this by-election is a ‘free hit’ to send a protest vote. As long as the protest vote doesn’t need a general election victory to come true, then we can make our vote meaningful. 

“Let that message be ‘#DoBetter, Westminster! We want better politics, and until you improve your culture, we choose an independent MP!’

“For floating voters, the most meaningful vote here is for an independent candidate who is not trying to win a general election. A candidate with a skillset for identifying failed systems, processes and cultures. Someone who can highlight the change needed to restore trust in politics.  

“In this by-election, that means a vote for Nick Palmer.”

Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party 

Guy Phoenix is owner and managing director of Ripon-based IT support firm Fresh Mango Technologies, which has two other offices in Yorkshire and provides an out-of-hours service from a team based in the British Virgin Islands. The Heritage Party is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist and socially conservative party founded in 2020. 

“I am a local businessman with offices in Ripon, Leeds and Skipton, employing 23 people. I have been canvassing door-to-door across the constituency and I’m hearing the same comments from people – we want change. 

“So, I ask them if they want real change, and when they say yes then my response is simple. The only way to get that change is to discard the old parties and vote for a new, socially conservative and principled party. That’s the Heritage Party.”

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