# 2006 Harrogate Borough Council election

The 2006 Harrogate Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Conservative 27
* Liberal Democrat 22
* Independent 5

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives controlled the council with 29 of the 54 seats. 19 seats were contested in the election, with the Conservatives defending 8, the Liberal Democrats 9 and independents 2. The Conservatives stood in every ward, while the Liberal Democrats contested 18 of the 19 wards. A Conservative cabinet member Alan Skidmore stepped down as a councillor at the election after previously representing Ripon Spa ward.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives lose their majority on the council after losing 3 seats. They finished with 27 seats, half of the 54 seats, after Bilton and Knaresborough King James were gained by the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives also lost another seat in Ripon to an independent, but did gain High Harrogate from the Liberal Democrats. This meant the Liberal Democrats ended with 22 seats and there were 5 independents, after the independents won all 3 seats in Ripon. Overall turnout was nearly 40%, a little above the national average.
Harrogate local election result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 52.6 | 45.8 | 14,065 | +11.6% |
| Conservative | 6 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 31.6 | 40.4 | 12,420 | -22.1% |
| Independent | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 15.8 | 9.7 | 2,996 | +7.2% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 | 1,092 | +3.6% |
| BNP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 162 | -0.2% |

## Ward results

Bilton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Morris Lightfoot | 906 | 52.4 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative | Heather Adderley | 770 | 44.5 | −6.3 |
| | Labour | Harinder Mann | 53 | 3.1 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 7.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,729 | 41.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Granby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Fox | 1,008 | 74.8 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | David Pearson | 276 | 20.5 | −4.8 |
| | Labour | David King | 63 | 4.7 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 732 | 54.3 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,347 | 31.9 | +8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Harlow Moor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Donald MacKenzie | 1,049 | 61.8 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Webber | 648 | 38.2 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 401 | 23.6 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,697 | 40.9 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
High Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jayne Brotherton | 808 | 51.9 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Macare | 674 | 43.2 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | Deborah Havercroft | 76 | 4.9 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 8.7 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,556 | 37.8 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Hookstone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Marsh | 1,137 | 61.6 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative | Richard Cain | 652 | 35.3 | −4.7 |
| | Labour | Patricia Foxall | 57 | 3.1 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 485 | 26.3 | +10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,846 | 42.4 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Knaresborough East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Willoughby | 795 | 59.4 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Hunter | 409 | 30.6 | −7.5 |
| | Labour | David Crosthwaite | 134 | 10.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 386 | 28.8 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,338 | 35.2 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Knaresborough King James :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Hoult | 927 | 49.9 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Michael Gallico | 857 | 46.2 | −1.7 |
| | Labour | Simon Hutchings | 72 | 3.9 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 3.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,856 | 48.0 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Knaresborough Scriven Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne Jones | 768 | 53.0 | +15.6 |
| | Conservative | Robert Aspin | 556 | 38.3 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | Alan Beatham | 126 | 8.7 | +8.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 212 | 14.6 | +13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,450 | 38.7 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Low Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Eric Cooper | 781 | 55.0 | −10.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Brooks | 639 | 45.0 | +15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 142 | 10.0 | −26.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,420 | 36.4 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
New Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lockhart | 954 | 71.6 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Tweedy | 378 | 28.4 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 576 | 43.2 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,332 | 34.4 | +7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Pannal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Willis | 1,593 | 73.7 | +9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Gledhill | 518 | 24.0 | −8.3 |
| | Labour | Cynthia Coltman | 50 | 2.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,075 | 49.7 | +18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,161 | 50.2 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Ripon Minster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Pauline McHardy | 605 | 47.2 | +47.2 |
| | Independent | Suart Martin | 366 | 28.5 | +28.5 |
| | Conservative | John Topping | 160 | 12.5 | −19.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phillip Barlow | 87 | 6.8 | −61.2 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Barclay | 65 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 239 | 18.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,283 | 33.7 | +4.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Ripon Moorside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Andrew Williams | 1,266 | 88.5 | +37.0 |
| | Conservative | Francis Woodward | 164 | 11.5 | −14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,102 | 77.1 | +52.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,430 | 37.6 | +1.8 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Ripon Spa :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Parnaby | 662 | 45.2 | +45.2 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Simpson | 443 | 30.3 | −16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Stockdale | 358 | 24.5 | −28.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 219 | 15.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,463 | 38.1 | +3.3 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Rossett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Nash | 1,352 | 56.7 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Jacobs | 1,031 | 43.3 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 321 | 13.5 | −4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,383 | 50.8 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Saltergate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Newby | 832 | 52.8 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Forward | 669 | 42.4 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | Janet Morrow | 75 | 4.8 | +4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 163 | 10.3 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,576 | 38.6 | +12.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Starbeck :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Broadbank | 978 | 64.5 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Phillip Dixon | 210 | 13.8 | −8.1 |
| | BNP | Colin Banner | 162 | 10.7 | +10.7 |
| | Independent | David Rimington | 97 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Foxall | 70 | 4.6 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 50.6 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,517 | 36.0 | +9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Stray :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clifford Trotter | 1,029 | 55.8 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Parkes | 816 | 44.2 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 | 11.5 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,845 | 44.9 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Woodfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Goss | 989 | 65.8 | +13.9 |
| | Conservative | Mary Dilworth | 264 | 17.6 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Daniel Maguire | 251 | 16.7 | −14.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 725 | 48.2 | +27.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,504 | 37.3 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |