# Harrogate and Knaresborough (UK Parliament constituency)

Harrogate and Knaresborough (/ˈhærəɡət ... ˈnɛərzbərə, -ɡeɪt -, -ɡɪt -/) 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.

## 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 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.
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.
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. 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.
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 | Party |
| 1997 | Phil Willis | Liberal Democrats |
| 2010 | Andrew Jones | Conservative |
| 2024 | Tom Gordon | Liberal Democrats |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Gordon | 23,976 | 46.1 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Jones | 15,738 | 30.2 | −21.8 |
| | Reform UK | 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 | Majority | Majority | 8,238 | 15.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,064 | 66.8 | −6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,970 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +15.9 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | 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 | Turnout | 55,543 | 73.3 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 75,800 |
General election 2019: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 9,675 | 17.0 | −15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,937 | 73.1 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.6 | |
General election 2017: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 18,168 | 32.0 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,907 | 73.0 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.67 | |
General election 2015: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 16,371 | 30.6 | +28.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,376 | 69.0 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +14.4 | |
General election 2010: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 1,039 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,134 | 70.6 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +9.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 10,429 | 24.4 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,858 | 65.3 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
General election 2001: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 8,845 | 21.0 | +8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,179 | 64.6 | −8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Harrogate and Knaresborough :
| Party | 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 | Majority | Majority | 6,236 | 13.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,645 | 73.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -15.8 | |