Harrogate and Knaresborough
2010 Results:
Conservative: 24305 (45.74%)
Labour: 3413 (6.42%)
Liberal Democrat: 23266 (43.79%)
BNP: 1094 (2.06%)
UKIP: 1056 (1.99%)
Majority: 1039 (1.95%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 25228 (51.8%)
Conservative: 17417 (35.8%)
Labour: 4461 (9.2%)
Other: 1558 (3.2%)
Majority: 7811 (16.1%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 13684 (31.9%)
Labour: 3627 (8.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 24113 (56.3%)
BNP: 466 (1.1%)
UKIP: 845 (2%)
Other: 123 (0.3%)
Majority: 10429 (24.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 14600 (34.6%)
Labour: 3101 (7.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 23445 (55.6%)
UKIP: 761 (1.8%)
Other: 272 (0.6%)
Majority: 8845 (21%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 18322 (38.4%)
Labour: 4159 (8.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 24558 (51.5%)
Other: 614 (1.3%)
Majority: 6236 (13.1%)
Boundary changes: The new seat is greatly expanded in area, the previous boundaries were quite tightly drawn around Harrogate and Knaresborough, the new seat gains the wards of Killinghall, Claro and Boroughbridge from Skipton and Ripon and the dismembered Vale of York constituency, adding a swatge of rural villages stretching out to the east of Harrogate.
Profile: A genteel North Yorkshire town that becaming a thriving spa town for the English elite in the nineteenth century and has more recently specialised as a conference venue, and has hosted several Liberal Democrat party conferences. The seat also includes the historic market town of Knaresborough to the East of Harrogate itself.
Seeped in affluent Victorian splendour and associated with antiques and teashops, historically Harrogate was the safe Conservative seat one might expect, but in 1997 it was lost to the Liberal Democrats by Norman Lamont, who stood in the seat after his own Kingston seat had been abolished as part of the boundary review. He was perceived as a carpetbagger and amongst the nationwide swing against the Tories lost the seat. Since then Phil Willis has built it into one of the Liberal Democrats` safer seats.
Current MP: Andrew Jones (Conservative) . Educated at Bradford Grammar and Leeds University. Marketing consultant. Chairman of the Bow Group from 1999-2000. Contested Harrogate in 2001.
Andrew Jones (Conservative) . Educated at Bradford Grammar and Leeds University. Marketing consultant. Chairman of the Bow Group from 1999-2000. Contested Harrogate in 2001.
Kevin McNerney (Labour) Employment lawyer for the RCN.
Claire Kelley (Liberal Democrat) born 1956, Elgin. Educated at University of Sussex. Casework assistant for Phil Willis. North Yorkshire county councillor 1997-2005 and Harrogate district councillor 1992-2002.
John Upex (UKIP) born Leeds. Businessman, running a manufacturing company. Contested Wakefield 2005 for UKIP, Haltemprice and Howden by-election 2008 as Independent.
Steve Gill (BNP) 2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97869
Male: 48.2%
Female: 51.8%
Under 18: 22.5%
Over 60: 23%
Born outside UK: 6.4%
White: 98.2%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.3%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 0.6%
Christian: 77.8%
Full time students: 2.4%
Graduates 16-74: 25.2%
No Qualifications 16-74: 21.1%
Owner-Occupied: 77.5%
Social Housing: 9% (Council: 5.7%, Housing Ass.: 3.4%)
Privately Rented: 10.3%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 8.3%