2004 Harrogate Borough Council election

The 2004 Harrogate Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Campaign

Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 28 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 21 seats and there were 4 independents.[3] The Conservatives had gained a majority after 2 Liberal Democrats defected to the Conservatives in autumn 2003.[4] 16 seats were contested in the election, all from the rural areas of the council.[5] The candidates in the election were 16 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats, 2 independents and 1 candidate from the British National Party.[5] The election was held under all postal voting,[5] for the first time in Harrogate.[6]

A significant issue in the election was the future of the Royal Hall in Harrogate.[5] The Conservative administration refused to fund the restoration of the building and said they would consider financing other projects elsewhere in the council area from the money saved.[5] However the Liberal Democrats would have put 2.6 million pounds towards restoring it, as they said future generations would have to spend even more if the council did not take action.[5]

Election result

The results saw the Conservatives stay in control, with no change in the party composition of the council.[4] The Conservatives gained Lower Nidderdale from the Liberal Democrats, but Conservative cabinet member Brian Lumsden was defeated in Boroughbridge by Liberal Democrat Peter Phillips,[4] in what had been considered a safe seat.[7] The Conservatives won 62.5% of the vote, compared to 34.2% for the Liberal Democrats.[4] As a result, the Conservatives remained on 29 seats, the Liberal Democrats on 21 and 4 independents.[8]

Meanwhile, the British National Party came in last in the only seat they contested in Nidd Valley with 131 votes,[4] with Leslie Ellington holding the seat for the Conservatives, after having defected from the Liberal Democrats since the 2003 election.[9] Overall turnout in the election was 55.2%,[4] an increase on the 34.7% in the 2003 election and the 38.7% at the 2002 election.[10]

Harrogate local election result 2004[11][12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 13 1 1 0 81.3 62.5 12,168 +17.8%
  Liberal Democrats 3 1 1 0 18.8 34.2 6,661 -12.3%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 2.5 495 -1.5%
  BNP 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 131 +0.7%

Ward results
Bishop Monkton[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Galloway 782 70.9 +16.2
Liberal Democrats Sarah-Jane Smith 321 29.1 -16.2
Majority 461 41.8 +32.4
Turnout 1,103 53.0 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing
Boroughbridge[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Phillips 592 54.2 +19.0
Conservative Brian Lumsden 501 45.8 -10.4
Majority 91 8.3
Turnout 1,093 48.9 +19.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Claro[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Alton 858 67.3 -2.0
Liberal Democrats Helen Lyon 417 32.7 +2.0
Majority 441 34.6 -4.0
Turnout 1,275 52.9 +6.9
Conservative hold Swing
Killinghall[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Harrison 875 74.9 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Pauline Watson 293 25.1 -1.2
Majority 582 49.8 +2.4
Turnout 1,168 52.5 +8.2
Conservative hold Swing
Kirkby Malzeard[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Atkinson 809 67.8 -1.5
Liberal Democrats John Stockdale 384 32.2 +1.5
Majority 425 35.6 -2.9
Turnout 1,193 54.7 +7.5
Conservative hold Swing
Lower Nidderdale[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elwyn Hinchcliffe 771 51.7 +2.1
Liberal Democrats Thomas Watson 721 48.3 -2.1
Majority 50 3.4
Turnout 1,492 64.4 +9.4
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Marston Moor[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julian Sturdy 936 78.1 +24.6
Liberal Democrats Richard Hall 262 21.9 -16.7
Majority 674 56.3 +41.3
Turnout 1,198 55.9 +12.4
Conservative hold Swing
Mashamshire[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nigel Simms 602 57.9 -13.9
Independent Thomas Mould 259 24.9 +24.9
Liberal Democrats Bernard Bateman 179 17.2 -11.0
Majority 343 33.0 -10.6
Turnout 1,040 55.8 +16.0
Conservative hold Swing
Newby[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Wilson 689 58.9 -3.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Jones 481 41.1 +3.8
Majority 208 17.8 -7.5
Turnout 1,170 50.4 +17.2
Conservative hold Swing
Nidd Valley[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Leslie Ellington 748 57.9 +22.8
Liberal Democrats Patricia Hutchinson 412 31.9 -33.0
BNP Colin Banner 131 10.1 +10.1
Majority 336 26.0
Turnout 1,291 63.5 +16.8
Conservative hold Swing
Ouseburn[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christine Lewis 743 53.8 -11.1
Conservative John Savage 637 46.2 +11.1
Majority 106 7.7 -22.2
Turnout 1,380 61.1 +11.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pateley Bridge[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stanley Beer 615 51.8 -36.2
Conservative Richard Beecroft 572 48.2 +48.2
Majority 43 3.6 -72.4
Turnout 1,187 58.3 +20.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Ribston[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Caroline Bayliss 822 68.1 -3.3
Liberal Democrats Christine Willoughby 385 31.9 +3.3
Majority 437 36.2 -6.5
Turnout 1,207 53.2 +16.1
Conservative hold Swing
Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shirley Fawcett 869 64.2 -11.1
Liberal Democrats Jayne Jackson 249 18.4 -6.3
Independent David Rimington 236 17.4 +17.4
Majority 620 45.8 -4.9
Turnout 1,354 57.3 +15.0
Conservative hold Swing
Washburn[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Grange 963 73.6 -7.8
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Fox 346 26.4 +7.8
Majority 617 47.1 -15.7
Turnout 1,309 59.8 +17.3
Conservative hold Swing
Wathvale[11][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Brown 734 73.8
Liberal Democrats John Walton 261 26.2
Majority 473 47.5
Turnout 995 46.2
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Harrogate council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  2. "Local councils". Financial Times. 12 June 2004. p. 7.
  3. "Parties go head-to-head in district's first postal election". Harrogate Advertiser. 14 May 2004.
  4. "Tories stay in overall control". Yorkshire Evening Post. 11 June 2004.
  5. "Election preview: Labour rulers in difficulty at boom city". Yorkshire Post. 14 May 2004. p. 1.
  6. "Nidderdale prepares for June's council elections". Harrogate Advertiser. 28 May 2004.
  7. "Shock defeat for long-serving councillor". Harrogate Advertiser. 18 June 2004.
  8. "The fallout from first postal voting". Harrogate Advertiser. 18 June 2004.
  9. "Turnout increases but no change". Yorkshire Post. 12 June 2004. p. 1.
  10. "Turnout higher for elections". Harrogate Advertiser. 11 June 2004.
  11. "District Council election" (PDF). Harrogate Borough Council. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  12. "Ballot box". The Times. 12 June 2004. p. 26.
  13. "Cabinet member loses seat". Harrogate Advertiser. 11 June 2004.
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