Harrogate Council election, 2002
Encyclopedia
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. The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control
.
s, compared to 19 Conservatives
and 1 Labour
councillor. Boundary changes meant that every seat was being contested for the first time since 1974. The changes reduced the number of councillors by five from 59 to 54, while increasing the number of wards
from 32 to 35.
As well as candidates from the 3 main political parties, there were also 5 independents
. However Wathvale ward saw the Conservative former group leader Chris Brown elected after no other candidates were nominated for the ward.
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.
, with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives winning one seat each in the ward. This meant the Liberal Democrats has 27 seats, compared to 26 for the Conservatives and 1 independent, Andrew Williams.
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...
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000
Harrogate Council election, 2000
The 2000 Harrogate Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council....
reducing the number of seats by 5. The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to 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...
.
Campaign
Before the election the Liberal Democrats had a majority on the council with 39 councillorCouncillor
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:...
s, compared to 19 Conservatives
Conservative 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...
and 1 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...
councillor. Boundary changes meant that every seat was being contested for the first time since 1974. The changes reduced the number of councillors by five from 59 to 54, while increasing the number of wards
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:...
from 32 to 35.
As well as candidates from the 3 main political parties, there were also 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...
. However Wathvale ward saw the Conservative former group leader Chris Brown elected after no other candidates were nominated for the ward.
Car parking charges in 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...
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.
Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats lose their majority on the council, after winning exactly half the seats on the council. The results came down to the final ward to declare in 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...
, with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives winning one seat each in the ward. This meant the Liberal Democrats has 27 seats, compared to 26 for the Conservatives and 1 independent, Andrew Williams.