# Harrogate (UK Parliament constituency)

Harrogate (/ˈhærəɡət, -ɡeɪt, -ɡɪt/ HARR-ə-gət, -⁠gayt, -⁠ghit) was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all constituencies, the constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency was renamed Harrogate and Knaresborough in 1997.

## Constituency profile

The seat covered an area with little unemployment, a relatively large retired population and large neighbourhoods of high house prices. Until former Chancellor Norman Lamont stood for the first time in the successor seat in the New Labour landslide general election in 1997, it had been part of a Conservative safe seat since 1910. However, Harrogate moved the way of other famous spa towns in England, such as Bath by returning a Liberal Democrat MP.

## Boundaries

1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Harrogate, the Urban District of Knaresborough, and the Rural District of Nidderdale except the parishes of Hessay, Knapton, Moor Monkton, Nether Poppleton, Rufforth, and Upper Poppleton.
1983–1997: The Borough of Harrogate wards of Bilton, Claro, Duchy, East Central, Granby, Harlow, Knaresborough East, Knaresborough West, Marston Moor, Nether Poppleton, New Park, Ouseburn, Pannal, Spofforth, Starbeck, Upper Poppleton, Wedderburn, and West Central.

## History

Before 1950 Harrogate 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.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1950 | Christopher York | Conservative | Resigned February 1954 |
| 1954 by-election | James Ramsden | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Robert Banks | Conservative |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher York | 28,582 | 68.55 | |
| | Labour | Edward J. Parris | 13,114 | 31.45 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,468 | 37.10 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,696 | 81.24 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher York | 28,806 | 70.56 |
| | Labour | Christopher William Sewell | 12,021 | 29.44 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,785 | 41.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,827 | 78.74 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
1954 Harrogate by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 20,263 | 70.78 | +0.22 |
| | Labour | Ernest Kavanagh | 8,367 | 29.22 | −0.22 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,896 | 41.56 | +0.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,630 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 26,799 | 72.32 |
| | Labour | Thomas Evers | 10,258 | 27.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,541 | 44.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,057 | 71.86 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 29,466 | 74.29 |
| | Labour | Frederick Bernard Singleton | 10,196 | 25.71 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,270 | 48.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,662 | 74.49 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 24,474 | 57.64 | |
| | Liberal | Barrington Malcolm Black | 9,332 | 21.98 | New |
| | Labour | Edward Lyons | 8,655 | 20.38 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,142 | 35.66 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,461 | 77.00 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 22,932 | 54.97 |
| | Liberal | Walter Greaves | 9,518 | 22.82 |
| | Labour | Reginald Ernest Holmes | 9,267 | 22.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,414 | 32.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,717 | 74.47 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Ramsden | 26,167 | 59.76 |
| | Liberal | Walter Greaves | 8,825 | 20.15 |
| | Labour | Brian Hellowell | 8,797 | 20.09 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,342 | 39.61 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,789 | 69.93 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election February 1974: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 27,517 | 53.55 | |
| | Liberal | Ian DeCourcey Bayley | 15,728 | 30.61 | |
| | Labour | Michael A. Wheaton | 6,084 | 11.84 | |
| | National Front | Andrew Brons | 1,186 | 2.31 | New |
| | Democratic Christian | J. E. Stringfellow | 875 | 1.70 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,789 | 22.94 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,390 | 80.05 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 24,583 | 53.85 | |
| | Liberal | Ian DeCourcey Bayley | 11,269 | 24.69 | |
| | Labour | Barry Seal | 8,047 | 17.63 | |
| | National Front | Andrew Brons | 1,030 | 2.26 | |
| | Whig | Cecil Margolis | 719 | 1.58 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,314 | 29.17 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,648 | 70.49 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 30,551 | 59.46 |
| | Liberal | Rodney Kent | 12,021 | 23.40 |
| | Labour | A. Fleming | 8,221 | 16.00 |
| | National Front | D. Waite | 585 | 1.14 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,530 | 36.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,378 | 74.26 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 30,269 | 60.23 | |
| | SDP | John Burney | 14,381 | 28.62 | |
| | Labour | John Dixon | 5,128 | 10.20 | |
| | Reintroduction of Hanging and Corporal Punishment | D. Kelley | 316 | 0.63 | New |
| | National Front | P. Vessey | 163 | 0.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,888 | 31.61 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,257 | 69.02 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 31,167 | 55.55 |
| | SDP | Jonathan Leach | 19,265 | 34.34 |
| | Labour | Andrew Wright | 5,671 | 10.10 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,902 | 21.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,103 | 74.05 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Harrogate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 32,023 | 53.85 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | T. J. Hurren | 19,434 | 32.68 | |
| | Labour | A. J. Wright | 7,230 | 12.16 | |
| | Green | Arnold Warneken | 780 | 1.31 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,589 | 21.17 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,467 | 77.99 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |