Harrogate and Knaresborough
UK Parliament constituency (since 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harrogate and Knaresborough (/ˈhærəɡət ... ˈnɛərzbərə, -ɡeɪt -, -ɡɪt -/)[2][3] is a parliamentary constituency in North Yorkshire which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Tom Gordon, an MP from the Liberal Democrats. The constituency was formed in the 1997 boundary changes, before which it was named Harrogate.
| Harrogate and Knaresborough | |
|---|---|
| Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Interactive map of boundaries from 2024 | |
Location within Yorkshire and the Humber | |
| County | North Yorkshire |
| Electorate | 76,777 (December 2019)[1] |
| Major settlements | Harrogate and Knaresborough |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1997 |
| Member of Parliament | Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrats) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Harrogate constituency |
Constituency profile
The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency is located in North Yorkshire. It covers the large town of Harrogate, which has a population of around 77,000,[4] the nearby smaller town of Knaresborough and surrounding villages including Killinghall and Pannal. Harrogate and Knaresborough are affluent spa towns with low levels of deprivation.[5] Harrogate is popular with tourists due to its proximity to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape, and the town was voted the country's "happiest place to live" by property website Rightmove in 2013, 2014 and 2015.[6][7][8] House prices in the constituency are higher than the national average and considerably higher than the rest of Yorkshire.[9]
In general, residents of the constituency are older, well-educated and more religious than the rest of the country.[9] Household income is high and a high proportion of residents work in professional and scientific occupations.[10] White people made up 95% of the population at the 2021 census.[9] At the local council, Harrogate and Knaresborough are mostly represented by Liberal Democrats whilst the surrounding villages elected Conservatives. An estimated 53% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the national figure of 48%.[9]
History
Before 1950 the two eponymous towns had been part of the Ripon constituency. The constituency was created as Harrogate and following boundary changes in 1997 the name was changed to 'Harrogate and Knaresborough'.
The current constituency embraces three former borough constituencies: Aldborough (now a suburb of Boroughbridge civil parish) and Boroughbridge, which were abolished as 'rotten boroughs' by the Reform Act 1832, and Knaresborough, abolished in 1885.
An area with little unemployment, a relatively large retired population and large neighbourhoods of high house prices[n 1][11] the former Harrogate constituency was a safe Conservative seat. When former Chancellor Norman Lamont stood for the Harrogate and Knaresborough seat in the Labour landslide general election in 1997, Harrogate moved the way of other spa towns in England such as Bath, and more urban and less touristic Cheltenham, by returning a non-Conservative candidate. The Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis was elected, and served until Andrew Jones regained the seat for his party on Willis's retirement in the 2010 general election with a swing of 9.1% and a margin of 1,039 votes.[12]
Jones retained the seat until the 2024 general election, when Tom Gordon regained it for the Liberal Democrats, on a virtually identical percentage swing to that in 1997.
Boundaries
1997–2010: The Borough of Harrogate wards of Bilton, Duchy, East Central, Granby, Harlow, Knaresborough East, Knaresborough West, New Park, Pannal, Starbeck, Wedderburn, and West Central.
2010–2024: The Borough of Harrogate wards of Bilton, Boroughbridge, Claro, Granby, Harlow Moor, High Harrogate, Hookstone, Killinghall, Knaresborough East, Knaresborough King James, Knaresborough Scriven Park, Low Harrogate, New Park, Pannal, Rossett, Saltergate, Starbeck, Stray, and Woodfield.
Current
Under the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was defined as being composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:
- The Borough of Harrogate wards of: Claro; Harrogate Bilton Grange; Harrogate Bilton Woodfield; Harrogate Central; Harrogate Coppice Valley; Harrogate Duchy; Harrogate Fairfax; Harrogate Harlow; Harrogate High Harrogate; Harrogate Hookstone; Harrogate Kingsley; Harrogate New Park; Harrogate Oatlands; Harrogate Old Bilton; Harrogate Pannal; Harrogate St. Georges; Harrogate Saltergate; Harrogate Starbeck; Harrogate Stray; Harrogate Valley Gardens; Killinghall & Hampsthwaite; Knaresborough Aspin & Calcutt; Knaresborough Castle; Knaresborough Eastfield; Knaresborough Scriven Park.[13]
Minor changes to align with revised ward boundaries.
However, before the new boundaries came into effect, the Borough of Harrogate was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of North Yorkshire with effect from 1 April 2023.[14] Consequently, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
- The District of North Yorkshire electoral districts of: Bilton & Nidd Gorge; Bilton Grange & New Park; Boroughbridge & Claro (majority); Coppice Valley & Duchy; Fairfax & Starbeck; Harlow & St Georges; High Harrogate & Kingsley; Killinghall, Hampsthwaite & Saltergate; Knaresborough East; Knaresborough West; Oatlands & Pannal; Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone; Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate.[15]
As its name suggests, the constituency is centred on the towns of Harrogate and Knaresborough, with no parts more than 10 miles (16 km) away from either.
Members of Parliament
Harrogate prior to 1997
| Election | Member[16] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Phil Willis | Liberal Democrats | |
| 2010 | Andrew Jones | Conservative | |
| 2024 | Tom Gordon | Liberal Democrats | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Tom Gordon | 23,976 | 46.1 | +9.9 | |
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 15,738 | 30.2 | −21.8 | |
| Reform | John Swales | 5,679 | 10.9 | N/A | |
| Labour | Conrad Whitcroft | 4,153 | 8.0 | −1.6 | |
| Green | Shan Oakes | 1,762 | 3.4 | N/A | |
| Independent | Paul Haslam | 620 | 1.2 | N/A | |
| Independent | Stephen Douglas Metcalfe | 136 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,238 | 15.9 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 52,064 | 66.8 | −6.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 77,970 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +15.9 | |||
Elections in the 2010s
| 2019 notional result[19] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 28,873 | 52.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 20,086 | 36.2 | |
| Labour | 5,349 | 9.6 | |
| Others | 1,208 | 2.2 | |
| Green | 27 | <0.1 | |
| Turnout | 55,543 | 73.3 | |
| Electorate | 75,800 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 29,962 | 52.6 | −2.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Judith Rogerson | 20,287 | 35.6 | +12.1 | |
| Labour | Mark Sewards | 5,480 | 9.6 | −10.5 | |
| Yorkshire | Kieron George | 1,208 | 2.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 9,675 | 17.0 | −15.0 | ||
| Turnout | 56,937 | 73.1 | +0.1 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -7.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 31,477 | 55.5 | +2.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Helen Flynn | 13,309 | 23.5 | +1.4 | |
| Labour | Mark Sewards | 11,395 | 20.1 | +10.0 | |
| Independent | Donald Fraser | 559 | 1.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 18,168 | 32.0 | +1.4 | ||
| Turnout | 56,907 | 73.0 | +4.0 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.67 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 28,153 | 52.7 | +7.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Helen Flynn | 11,782 | 22.1 | −21.7 | |
| UKIP | David Simister | 5,681 | 10.6 | +8.6 | |
| Labour | Jan Williams | 5,409 | 10.1 | +3.7 | |
| Green | Shan Oakes | 2,351 | 4.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 16,371 | 30.6 | +28.7 | ||
| Turnout | 53,376 | 69.0 | −1.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +14.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 24,305 | 45.7 | +9.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Claire Kelley | 23,266 | 43.8 | −8.4 | |
| Labour | Kevin McNerney | 3,413 | 6.4 | −2.7 | |
| BNP | Steve Gill | 1,094 | 2.1 | +1.1 | |
| UKIP | John Upex | 1,056 | 2.0 | +0.3 | |
| Majority | 1,039 | 1.9 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 53,134 | 70.6 | +3.9 | ||
| Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +9.1 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Phil Willis | 24,113 | 56.3 | +0.7 | |
| Conservative | Maggie Punyer | 13,684 | 31.9 | −2.7 | |
| Labour | Lorraine Ferris | 3,627 | 8.5 | +1.1 | |
| UKIP | Chris Royston | 845 | 2.0 | +0.2 | |
| BNP | Colin Banner | 466 | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Alliance For Change | John Allman | 123 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 10,429 | 24.4 | +3.4 | ||
| Turnout | 42,858 | 65.3 | +0.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Phil Willis | 23,445 | 55.6 | +4.1 | |
| Conservative | Andrew Jones | 14,600 | 34.6 | −3.9 | |
| Labour | Alastair MacDonald | 3,101 | 7.4 | −1.3 | |
| UKIP | Bill Brown | 761 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| ProLife Alliance | John Cornforth | 272 | 0.6 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,845 | 21.0 | +8.0 | ||
| Turnout | 42,179 | 64.6 | −8.5 | ||
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Phil Willis | 24,558 | 51.5 | +18.2 | |
| Conservative | Norman Lamont | 18,322 | 38.5 | −13.3 | |
| Labour | Barbara Boyce | 4,151 | 8.7 | −4.8 | |
| Loyal Conservative | John Blackburn | 614 | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 6,236 | 13.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 47,645 | 73.1 | |||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -15.8 | |||
See also
Notes
- In the 2001 census: worklessness was the status of (see Harrogate 009 Middle Layer SOA for access to the whole district): 1.0% of working age people compared to Yorkshire and the Humber: 2.6% England 2.3%
However, in the 2001 Census publication "Indices of Deprivation and Classification: Social Grade" 0.27% of the wider District population of 69,614 of working age were Class E: On state benefit, unemployed, lowest grade workers, slightly higher than 0.22% Yorkshire and the Humber average and 0.24% national average