|
|
|
Harrogate and Knaresborough
|
|
gain
from Conservative
|
|
Robert Banks (Retiring)
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
18,322 (38.4%)
|
|
4,159 ( 8.7%)
|
|
24,558 (51.5%)
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
614 ( 1.3%)
|
|
|
|
65,155
|
|
47,653 (73.1%)
|
|
Robert Banks (Retiring)
|
|
Harrogate
|
|
9,211 (18.4%)
|
|
25,909 (51.8%)
|
|
6,777 (13.5%)
|
|
16,698 (33.4%)
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
658 ( 1.3%)
|
|
|
Conservative
|
|
65,527
|
|
50,042 (76.4%)
|
|
|
-13.3%
|
|
-4.8%
|
|
+18.2%
|
|
+0.0%
|
|
-0.0%
|
|
-0.6%
|
|
-3.2%
|
|
|
|
|
Harrogate and Knaresborough is a tip for one of the surprise results of the 1997 UK general election.
Harrogate is the largest spa town in the north of England, an elegant inland holiday resort 15 miles north of Leeds. Knaresborough is a smaller but equally affluent town a little to the east. With its large green parks and huge Victorian mansions, its glittering shopping areas and new convention centre, how could Harrogate be the base of anything other than a safe Tory seat?
The Liberal Democrats have done very well in local council elections here, as in many other parts of the country. But so often they fail to translate this kind of support into parliamentary success, and indeed in 1992 Robert Banks won the seat for the Conservatives by over 12,500 votes. There are some boundary changes in force this time, but they help the Liberal Democrats only by about 3,000 votes. Why raise even an outside possibility of a shock Lib Dem gain?
The answer lies in internal Tory politics. Robert Banks was deselected by his local party on grounds of alleged indolence. He was eventually replaced as candidate by the disaffected former Chancellor, Norman Lamont, whose Kingston upon Thames seat has been abolished. There are cases on record of resentment being shown by the voters towards outside candidates, even well-known ones, and the Liberal Democrats have a strong local candidate in Phil Willis, the council leader. Mr Lamont may have to work hard to secure his continued membership of the Commons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,447
|
14.52
|
9.03
|
161
|
|
|
5,346
|
14.25
|
11.17
|
128
|
|
|
3,978
|
10.60
|
11.25
|
94
|
|
|
6,754
|
18.00
|
14.70
|
122
|
|
|
1,650
|
4.40
|
10.45
|
42
|
|
|
0
|
0.00
|
2.81
|
0
|
|
|
7,018
|
18.71
|
8.01
|
234
|
|
|
4,385
|
11.69
|
15.25
|
77
|
|
|
1,083
|
2.89
|
7.13
|
40
|
|
|
607
|
1.62
|
10.17
|
16
|
|
|
