Harrogate Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Harrogate Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Harrogate
Borough
Council in North Yorkshire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
ran the council, but without a majority, with 27 seats, compared to 22 Liberal Democrats and 5 independents
. 20 seats were contested in the election, with 1 of the seats being a by-election
in Marston Moor ward
after the resignation of the Conservative councillor
. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were defending 9 seats in the election, while independents held 2.
The election saw the British National Party
contest 15 of the 20 seats, more than Labour
who only contested 9 seats, and up from only 1 in 2006. The leader of the British National Party Nick Griffin
visited Ripon
during the campaign, with the party campaigning against migrant workers, such as those from Poland
, who they said were "undercutting British workers" by working for low wages. For the first time the United Kingdom Independence Party
also contested 2 seats in the election.
and Knaresborough
King James from the Conservatives, but the Conservatives remained the largest party on the council with 25 seats compared to 23 for the Liberal Democrats.
The balance on the council was held by 6 independents, after independents won all 3 seats contested in Ripon. This included gaining Ripon Spa by 171 votes from Liberal Democrat Paul Freeman, who had held the seat for 16 years. No other party won any seats, with the British National Party coming no better than third in every seat they contested, despite having 15 candidates.
Harrogate (borough)
Harrogate is a local government district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Harrogate but it also includes surrounding towns and villages...
Borough
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
Council in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
25 - Liberal Democrat 23
- IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
6
Campaign
Before the election the ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
ran the council, but without a majority, with 27 seats, compared to 22 Liberal Democrats and 5 independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. 20 seats were contested in the election, with 1 of the seats being a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Marston Moor ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
after the resignation of the Conservative councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were defending 9 seats in the election, while independents held 2.
The election saw the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
contest 15 of the 20 seats, more than Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
who only contested 9 seats, and up from only 1 in 2006. The leader of the British National Party Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
visited Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
during the campaign, with the party campaigning against migrant workers, such as those from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, who they said were "undercutting British workers" by working for low wages. For the first time the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
also contested 2 seats in the election.
Election result
The results saw no party win a majority on the council after the Liberal Democrats gained 2 seats from the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats gained BiltonBilton, Harrogate
Bilton is a major suburb of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, situated to the north-east of the town centre. It is a well-served suburb with access to four churches, two primary schools and its own library. In addition there are a number of shops and a wide variety of pubs. The Red Cat Cottage , a Grade...
and Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
King James from the Conservatives, but the Conservatives remained the largest party on the council with 25 seats compared to 23 for the Liberal Democrats.
The balance on the council was held by 6 independents, after independents won all 3 seats contested in Ripon. This included gaining Ripon Spa by 171 votes from Liberal Democrat Paul Freeman, who had held the seat for 16 years. No other party won any seats, with the British National Party coming no better than third in every seat they contested, despite having 15 candidates.