The 2002 Harrogate Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 5.[1] The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[2]

Campaign

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council with 39 councillors, compared to 19 Conservatives and 1 Labour councillor.[3] Boundary changes meant that every seat was being contested for the first time since 1974.[3] The changes reduced the number of councillors by five from 59 to 54, while increasing the number of wards from 32 to 35.[4]

As well as candidates from the 3 main political parties, there were also 5 independents.[3] However Wathvale ward saw the Conservative former group leader Chris Brown elected after no other candidates were nominated for the ward.[3]

Car parking charges in Ripon were an issue in the run up to the election, with the Conservatives attacking them, but the Liberal Democrat council announced that they would end the charges in the market place in the month before the election.[3]

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats lose their majority on the council,[5] after winning exactly half the seats on the council.[6] The results came down to the final ward to declare in Bilton, with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives winning one seat each in the ward.[6] This meant the Liberal Democrats has 27 seats, compared to 26 for the Conservatives and 1 independent, Andrew Williams.[6]

Harrogate local election result 2002[7][8]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 27 -12 50.0 46.3 32,370 +2.2%
  Conservative 26 +7 48.1 45.0 31,520 -1.7%
  Independent 1 +1 1.9 2.9 2,020 +2.9%
  Labour 0 -1 0 5.8 4,073 -3.3%

Ward results

Bilton (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Heather Adderley 798
Liberal Democrats Morris Lightfoot 787
Conservative Robin Adderley 776
Liberal Democrats David Richold 665
Labour Norman Dobell 115
Turnout 3,141 38.5
Bishop Monkton[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Galloway 572 54.7
Liberal Democrats Phillip Barlow 474 45.3
Majority 98 9.4
Turnout 1,046 49.3
Boroughbridge[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Lumsden 379 56.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Phillips 237 35.2
Labour Ruth Dicken 58 8.6
Majority 142 21.1
Turnout 674 29.6
Claro[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Bean 774 69.3
Liberal Democrats Keith Rothwell 343 30.7
Majority 431 38.6
Turnout 1,117 46.0
Granby (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Fox 818
Liberal Democrats Margaret-Ann De Courcey-Bayley 783
Conservative David Pearson 222
Conservative Pamela Singleton 203
Labour David King 114
Turnout 2,140 26.5
Harlow Moor (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Simister 1,080
Conservative Simon Theakston 1,051
Liberal Democrats Jane Blayney 754
Liberal Democrats Peter Turner 655
Independent Andrew Bradwell 201
Labour Kenneth Jones 75
Turnout 3,816 46.0
High Harrogate (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Macare 658
Liberal Democrats Matthew Webber 546
Conservative William Hartmann 404
Conservative Catherine Peyton 400
Independent Peter Armitage 177
Labour Eric Cunningham 119
Turnout 2,304 28.1
Hookstone (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Patricia Marsh 1,114
Liberal Democrats Reginald Marsh 1,030
Conservative Michael Laycock 645
Conservative David Rimington 628
Labour Mark France 96
Turnout 3,513 41.6
Killinghall[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Bury 723 73.7
Liberal Democrats John Stockdale 258 26.3
Majority 465 47.4
Turnout 981 44.3
Kirkby Malzeard[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Atkinson 703 69.3
Liberal Democrats Ernest O'Keefe 312 30.7
Majority 391 38.5
Turnout 1,015 47.2
Knaresborough East (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Bill Hoult 647
Liberal Democrats David Tankard 630
Conservative Robert Aspin 402
Conservative Malcolm Jackson 394
Labour Althea Farmer 289
Labour Malcolm Hayton 264
Turnout 2,626 34.2
Knaresborough King James (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Smith 760
Conservative Diana Smith 756
Liberal Democrats Richard Hall 714
Liberal Democrats Terence Maude 690
Labour David Crosthwaite 170
Labour Simon Hutchings 127
Turnout 3,217 42.5
Knaresborough Scriven Park (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anne Jones 550
Liberal Democrats Kevin Hawkins 541
Labour Andrew Wright 516
Conservative Michael Hill 416
Labour Alan Beatham 401
Conservative Myra Smith 383
Turnout 2,807 37.6
Low Harrogate (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Eric Cooper 885
Conservative Jean Butterfield 882
Liberal Democrats Ruth Alliston 553
Liberal Democrats John Marshall 512
Labour Christine Colman 102
Turnout 2,934 36.6
Lower Nidderdale[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Watson 646 50.4
Conservative Elwyn Hinchcliffe 637 49.6
Majority 9 0.7
Turnout 1,283 55.0
Marston Moor[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Sturdy 508 53.5
Liberal Democrats Gillean Firth 366 38.6
Labour Patrick O'Connor 75 7.9
Majority 142 15.0
Turnout 949 43.5
Mashamshire[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Simms 525 71.8
Liberal Democrats John Foster 206 28.2
Majority 319 43.6
Turnout 731 39.8
New Park (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Joan Crowther 755
Liberal Democrats Wendy Richards 749
Conservative Andrew Dennis 277
Conservative Sally Dennis 266
Labour Bryan Robinson 103
Turnout 2,150 27.7
Newby[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clifford Wilson 490 62.7
Liberal Democrats Penelope Harriso 292 37.3
Majority 198 25.3
Turnout 782 33.2
Nidd Valley[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Leslie Ellington 603 64.9
Conservative David Carter 326 35.1
Majority 277 29.8
Turnout 929 46.7
Ouseburn[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christine Lewis 724 64.9
Conservative William Alton 391 35.1
Majority 333 29.9
Turnout 1,115 50.1
Pannal (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Willis 1,434
Conservative Michael Gardner 1,376
Liberal Democrats Joan Newby 764
Liberal Democrats Ann Morris 706
Independent Bryan Dunsby 246
Labour Cynthia Coltman 81
Turnout 4,607 54.2
Pateley Bridge[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stanley Beer 654 88.0
Labour Stephen Boyden 89 12.0
Majority 565 76.0
Turnout 743 37.7
Ribston[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Caroline Bayliss 613 71.4
Liberal Democrats Pamela Godsell 246 28.6
Majority 367 42.7
Turnout 859 37.1
Ripon Minster (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stuart Martin 568
Liberal Democrats Sidney Hawke 501
Conservative Andrew Collyer 489
Conservative Stanley Mackintosh 475
Turnout 2,033 27.4
Ripon Moorside (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Andrew Williams 1,101
Conservative Anthony Simpson 379
Liberal Democrats Stephen Jones 375
Liberal Democrats David Harrison 356
Conservative Francis Woodward 341
Turnout 2,552 38.9
Ripon Spa (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Skidmore 813
Liberal Democrats Paul Freeman 755
Conservative Rosemarie Curlewis 610
Conservative Peter Pearson 587
Turnout 2,765 38.9
Rossett (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Nash 1,259
Conservative James Clark 1,209
Liberal Democrats Trevor Chapman 746
Liberal Democrats Philip Boddy 724
Labour George Mountford 114
Turnout 4,052 45.0
Saltergate (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Newby 710
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Webber 704
Conservative Brenda Galvin 326
Conservative Karen Payne 303
Turnout 2,043 24.8
Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shirley Fawcett 758 75.3
Liberal Democrats Jean Burdett 248 24.7
Majority 510 50.7
Turnout 1,006 42.3
Starbeck (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Philip Broadbank 899
Liberal Democrats Granville Ward 785
Conservative John Fletcher 279
Conservative Phillip Dixon 255
Labour Patricia Foxall 134
Turnout 2,352 29.7
Stray (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clifford Trotter 1,016
Conservative Patricia Jones 937
Liberal Democrats Claire Kelley 880
Liberal Democrats Charles Kilpatrick 733
Independent Barbara Coultas 295
Labour Roger Newby 92
Turnout 3,953 47.6
Washburn[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Grange 804 81.4
Liberal Democrats Roger Wensley 184 18.6
Majority 620 62.8
Turnout 988 42.5
Wathvale[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Brown unopposed
Woodfield (2)[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Goss 714
Liberal Democrats John Wren 693
Labour Geoffrey Foxall 487
Labour Peter Caunt 452
Conservative Adam Pritchard 208
Conservative Denis Muldoon 206
Turnout 2,760 35.0

References

  1. ^ "Harrogate". BBC News Online. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Full results". Financial Times. 4 May 2002. p. 7.
  3. ^ a b c d e Parsley, Steve (19 April 2002). "Changes ahead in council chamber". The Northern Echo. p. 6.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "Harrogate Election Results". Yorkshire Evening Post. 3 May 2002. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Still no sign of recovery for the Tories". The Times. 3 May 2002. p. 1.
  6. ^ a b c Tapping, Colin (4 May 2002). "Labour suffers disappointment in triplicate at mayoral elections". The Northern Echo. p. 9.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "District Council election" (PDF). Harrogate Borough Council. Retrieved 15 January 2011.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Election results; Local Election". The Times. 4 May 2002. p. 16.
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