North Yorkshire election results: Conservatives win narrow majority on new council

The Conservatives have gained control of the newly-formed North Yorkshire Council with a small majority.

Needing 46 seats for overall control the party took 47 of the 90 available.

Those elected will serve a five-year term, serving one year on the existing county council and four on the new authority.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats both hold 12 seats, while the Greens gained their first countywide representation with five seats.

A total of 13 of the new council's seats will be held by independent candidates and there will be one Liberal Party councillor.

The council's Conservative deputy leader Gareth Dadd said he felt the result reflected "a usual mid-term reaction" to a government, but was "delighted" the party had secured a majority.

Meanwhile Conservative councillor Mark Crane, who also leads Selby District Council, said despite taking control of the council the result was a disappointment as they had hoped to secure more seats

"Clearly there is a feeling against the current government and I think that's played out in two ways," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Number one is a lot of Conservative voters have stayed at home and number two, some Conservative voters - a smaller number - have shifted to one of the other parties and, in some cases, independents."

Labour group leader Eric Broadbent said the party was "over the moon" with their 12 seats.

"We're going to have a lot more influence and give our residents a lot more say in what's happening in their communities," he said.

Newly-elected Green councillor Kevin Foster, who won his Hipswell and Colburn seat by just eight votes, said it was the "most uncomfortable day" of his life.

"It gives us a greater chance to have our voice heard and we now have to be considered as we work to make a cleaner, greener, fairer place," he added.

Bryn Griffiths, the Liberal Democrat group leader, said the result gave them the chance to challenge the Conservatives and get support for people "living off food banks and those on free school meals during the school holidays".

The leader of the Independent group on the county council, Stuart Parsons, said he looked forward to working with all members of the new council.

"At least we are no longer in a one-party state," he added.

In the Skipton West & West Craven ward the result had to be decided by drawing lots after independent candidate Andy Solloway and Labour's Peter Madeley both polled 503 votes.

Mr Solloway proved the victor and was elected.

Almost 480,000 people were eligible to vote in the poll and turnout across the county was 38%.

In 2017, the Conservatives took 55 of the 72 seats on the old county council.

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