Voters in some parts of the Harrogate district will fall under a new constituency in six weeks’ time.

Polling day on July 4 will be the first time that the Wetherby and Easingwold seat will be contested.

The constituency replaces part of the former Selby and Ainsty seat, which will now be known as Selby.

In this article, the Stray Ferret looks at the implications of the new constituency and explains why it has been introduced and what it means for voters in our district.

Why has Wetherby and Easingwold been introduced?

In June 2023, the Boundary Commission made final recommendations to government over changes to constituency boundaries.

As part of a periodical review of the 650 constituencies in the UK, it looked at whether some seats needed to be reduced in size, increased in size or abolished altogether.

Among the recommendations was to introduce a new constituency called Wetherby and Easingwold.

At the time, Tim Bowden, secretary of the Boundary Commission, said the proposals were made following extensive consultation.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

He added that the move to change the boundaries was made to “best to reflect local community ties”.

The changes, which include retaining a total of 650 constituencies across the UK, see each seat contain no less than 69,724 voters and no more than 77,062.

Where in the Harrogate district will fall under the new constituency?

Wetherby and Easingwold will take in areas of five current constituencies including Harrogate and Knaresborough, Thirsk and Malton, Elmet and Rothwell, Selby and Ainsty and Skipton and Ripon.

A total of 5.6% of the current Harrogate constituency will fall under the new seat.

This includes Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton, Follifoot, Spofforth and Burton Leonard will also be added to the seat.

The estimated electorate size of the new constituency will be 71,455.

Who will be contesting the seat?

It’s early days in the election campaign, but two candidates have already been announced for the seat.

Current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrook, will contest the constituency for the Conservatives.

Mr Shelbrook’s current seat is among those being abolished as part of the boundary review.

Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan as its candidate and James Monaghan will stand for the Liberal Democrats in the new constituency.

So far, Labour and Greens have yet to announce candidates for the seat.

Read more:

• Who will be standing in the Harrogate district at the general election?
• Opposition parties prepare for chance to end Tory stranglehold in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Reform UK has announced Mike Jordan will stand as its candidate in Wetherby and Easingwold at the next general election.

The new constituency was created as part of parliamentary boundary changes announced by government and will include locations including Boroughbridge, Spofforth and Bishop Monkton in the Harrogate district.

The next general election, which has to be held no later than January 28, 2025, will be the first time the seat will be contested.

Mr Jordan, who has been a North Yorkshire councillor for 15 years, resigned from both the Conservative Party and Yorkshire Party before joining Reform UK.

He said:

“I am delighted to be chosen to contest Wetherby and Easingwold in the forthcoming general election.”

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party has chosen current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrooke, to stand for the constituency.

Mr Jordan becomes the latest Reform UK candidate to stand for election in the Harrogate district.

The party announced Richard Brown as its candidate in Harrogate and Knaresborough and Simon Garvey will stand in Skipton and Ripon.

The right-wing party was founded as the Brexit Party with support from Nigel Farage in 2018.

It was renamed in 2021 and is now led by Richard Tice.

The party announced last year that it would field candidates in every UK parliament constituency at a general election.

Read more:

• Reform UK announces local parliamentary candidates
• Reform UK sets out Harrogate and Knaresborough priorities