Local elections 2022: Live updates, results and reaction from the local elections across Yorkshire

A Yorkshire councillor who was kicked out of the Conservative Party after 50 years for standing against his own party said he felt “vindicated” after beating his election rival.

Coun John Cattanach triumphed over the preferred Tory candidate, Georgina Ashton, by 441 votes to win a place on the new North Yorkshire Council.

The Selby district councillor, who has represented Cawood and Wistow since 1999, failed in his bid to win selection for the Cawood and Escrick division on the new unitary authority, so stood as an independent against Coun Ashton, who was elected to Selby District Council in January.

Coun Cattanach said he was “elated” and “physically shaken” after his shock win, which was announced at Selby Leisure Centre at Friday lunchtime.

“I haven’t been as nervous as this for decades,” he said. “Because to actually stand against an official candidate of the party I’ve been in for 52 years is a massive undertaking. “

Coun Cattanach, who will also have to sit as an independent on Selby District Council until it is abolished next year, had complained of the “flawed and manipulated” selection process.

He said: “Dare I say I almost feel vindicated – because I know what went on.

“There’s a small group of people who want to do things the way they think it should be done. My gut feeling is that the AGM for the branch, which I think is in June, I think there may be some changes.”

In his election leaflets, Coun Cattanach had criticised Coun Ashton for not living in the division, as well as her relative inexperience on the district council.

A spokesperson for the Selby and Ainsty Conservatives said: “Each candidate was selected according to official Conservative Party rules in a process which is rigorous, fair, and undergoes external scrutiny at every stage. 

“In John Cattanach’s case his attitude to his fellow members, his performance throughout the process, and his poor attendance at meetings, most probably contributed to him losing out to stronger candidates.”

His criticisms of Coun Ashton were “distasteful, and without foundation”, the spokesperson added.

Coun Cattanach hit back at the claims. He said that, of two missed full council meetings, one he did not feel comfortable attending due to Covid concerns, while at another he was caring for a friend. Private Conserative group meetings were not mandatory, he added.

The victorious councillor said he was looking forward to making his mark with other independent councillors in North Yorkshire.

His long-running campaign on rural transport, particularly the Selby to York 42 bus, will continue to be a priority, he said.

After Coun Cattanach’s victory, Conservative Selby District Council leader Mark Crane said: “Clearly we see that John Cattanach is a very popular councillor who ran a strong campaign.”

Joe Cooper , Local Democracy Reporting Service

Labour retained all 11 seats it was defending to retain overall control of Calderdale Council.

The shock result of the election saw the Green Party win its first ever seat on the council when Martin Hey deposed senior Conservative Stephen Baines in Northowram and Shelf.

The end results leave Labour on 28 seats, the Conservatives with 15, the Liberal Democrats have six, Greens one and Independents one.

The Conservatives won the Hipperholme and Lightcliffe seat vacated by retiring Independent councillor Colin Raistrick with Joe Atkinson taking the ward, but were defeated by the Liberal Democrats in Greetland and Stainland, a seat targeted by the latter.

Last year two councillors were elected in the ward and Conservative Jacob Cook lost out 12 months on to Liberal Democrat Christine Prashad.

The Conservatives retained three other seats, returning group leader Steven Leigh in Ryburn, Howard Blagbrough in Brighouse and Regan Dickenson in Rastrick.

Mayor-elect of Calderdale, Angie Gallagher’s holding of her Elland seat for Labour was an early harbinger of a result which satisfied group leader Tim Swift and she will take the chain of office later this month .

Colin Hutchinson, whose win four years ago saw Labour take a Skircoat seat for the first time, retained it with a greatly increased majority.

The North Halifax wards of Ovenden, where two seats were contested, and Illingworth and Mixenden were hard-fought battles with Labour winning out, returning Helen Rivron and Stuart Cairney in Ovenden and Dan Sutherland  in Illingworth and Mixenden.

The upper Calder Valley remained in Labour hands with Sarah Courtney racking up a majority in excess of 2,000 in Calder, Scott Patient retaining Luddenden Foot comfortably and Helen Brundell successfully defending Todmorden in the last result of the day to be declared.

Labour also saw Dot Foster returned in Sowerby Bridge and Sahzad Fazal very comfortably in Park, while newcomer Joe Thompson took Town ward for the party.

Unusually, this year’s count was held in a giant marquee on council land at Mulcture Hall Road, Halifax – the usual venue, Halifax’s North Bridge Leisure Centre – is being demolished with a new leisure centre and swimming pool to be built on the site.

RESULTS

* = elected

BRIGHOUSE

*Howard Blagbrough (Con) 1642

Frank Darnley (Lab) 977

Michael James Sutton (Lib Dem) 284

Adrian Brian Thompson (Green) 192

Maj: 665

CON HOLD

CALDER

Chrstine Bampton-Smith (Lib Dem) 339

*Sarah Courtney (Lab) 3046

Helen Claire Lasham (Freedom Alliance) 57

Alan McDonald (Green) 465

Jill Smith-Moorhouse (Con) 745

Maj: 2301

LAB HOLD

ELLAND

Mohammed Javed Bashir (Lib Dem) 236

Barry Crossland (Green) 234

*Angie Gallagher (Lab) 1449

Joseph Paul Stephan Matthews (Con) 952

Maj: 497

LAB HOLD

GREETLAND AND STAINLAND

Jacob Cook (Con) 1164

Jacquelyn Haigh (Green) 185

Rahat Ullah Khan (Lab) 315

*Christine Prashad (Lib Dem) 1565

Maj: 401

LB DEM GAIN FROM CON

HIPPERHOLME AND LIGHTCLIFFE

Israr Ahmed (Lab) 751

*Joe Atkinson (Con) 1828

Elaine Hey (Green) 449

Jennie Rigg (Lib Dem) 289

Maj: 1077

CON GAIN FROM IND

ILLINGWORTH AND MIXENDEN

Laura Beesley (Green) 112

Nikki Kelly (Con) 1019

Sean Loftus (Ind) 105

Alexander Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem) 64

*Dan Sutherland (Lab) 1208

Maj: 189

LAB HOLD

LUDDENDEN FOOT

Abbie Carr (Lib Dem) 223

Craig Oates (Con) 947

*Scott Patient (Lab) 2238

Kate Sweeny (Green) 212

Maj: 1291

LAB HOLD

NORTHOWRAM AND SHELF

Stephen Baines (Con) 1357

Catherine Jane Crosland (Lib Dem) 73

*Martin Hey (Green) 1364

David Wager (Lab) 609

Maj: 7

GREEN GAIN FROM CON

OVENDEN (two seats)

Jean Bellenger (Lib Dem) 197

*Stuart Cairney (Lab) 881

Catherine Louise Graham (Green) 159

Peter Hunt (Con) 476

Finn Jensen (Green) 116

*Helen Rivron (Lab) 997

Andrew Tagg (Con) 562

Maj of 435 and 319 over third placed candidate

LAB HOLD (TWO SEATS)

PARK

*Shazad Fazal (Lab) 2430

Mark Richard Mullany (Green) 159

Abdul Rehman (Lib Dem) 601

Shakir Saghir (Con) 565

Maj: 1829

LAB HOLD

RASTRICK

*Regan Dickenson (Con) 1520

Peter Judge (Lab) 1202

Matthew Lawson (Green) 185

Richard Phillips (Lib Dem) 150

Maj: 318

CON HOLD

RYBURN

Freda Davis (Green) 253

*Steven Leigh (Con) 1544

Leah Webster (Labour) 1307

Peter Wilcock (Lib Dem) 167

Maj: 237

CON HOLD

SKIRCOAT

Kathleen Haigh-Hutchinson (Lib Dem) 235

John Michael Holdsworth (Con) 1270

*Colin Hutchinson (Lab) 2227

Philip Michael Whitbread (Green) 209

Maj: 947

LAB HOLD

SOWERBY  BRIDGE

David Booth (Green) 214

Mark Llewellyn Edwards (Con) 996

*Dot Foster (Lab) 1551

Tom Stringfellow (Lib Dem) 258

Maj: 555

LAB HOLD

TODMORDEN

*Helen Brundell (Lab) 1982

Chris Jackson (National Front) 101

Naveed Khan (Con) 569

Nikki Stocks (Lib Dem) 309

Kieran Luke Turner (Green) 347

Maj: 1,413

LAB HOLD

TOWN

Elliot David Hey (Green) 178

Penny Hutchinson (Con) 988

Rosemary Tatchell (Lib Dem) 130

*Joe Thompson (Lab) 1198

Maj: 210

LAB HOLD

WARLEY

Dave Budge (Ind) 93

Martin Robert Davies (Freedon Alliance) 59

Vishal Gupta (Con) 355

*Amanda Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem) 1542

David Veitch (Lab) 1160

Katie Witham (Green) 96

Maj: 382

LIB DEM HOLD

John Greenwood , Local Democracy Reporting Servic

The Conservatives have narrowly maintained their control over local government in North Yorkshire as voters across England’s largest county backed a spectrum of other political parties.

By securing 47 seats of the 90 on the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, the Conservaties have just one more than the minimum number of councillors required for a majority, losing more than 20 per cent of their share of the vote to that at the last election for North Yorkshire County Council five years ago.

Although not directly comparable, in 2017 the Tories won 76 per cent of the seats, with the Independents getting 14 per cent, Labour six per cent and the Liberal Democrats just four per cent.

The election for the unitary authority saw Independent candidates secure 13 seats, Labour and the Liberal Democrats 12 each and the Green Party will be represented at the top tier of local government in the county for the first time with some five seats.

Deputy leader of the Conservative group Gareth Dadd said he felt the result reflected “a usual mid-term reaction” to a government.

He said: “I’m delighted that we have secured an overall majority, but above anything else we can move forward with certainty and deliver the savings and, hopefully, devolution, that the sub-region deserves.”

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, adding: “At least we are no longer in a one-party state.”

Labour group leader Eric Broadbent said: “We’re over the moon, we’ve trebled our number of councillors on the county. We’re going to have a lot more influence and give our residents a lot more say in what’s happening in their communities.”

Bryn Griffiths, the Liberal Democrat group leader, said: “I think the electorate have seen the error of the Tories. It gives us a great opportunity to challenge them at the county council and get support for people who need support, such as those living off food banks and those on free school meals during the school holidays.”

Kevin Foster, who has become one of the new Green councillors after winning Hipswell and Colburn by just eight votes, said: “It was the most uncomfortable day of my 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.”

Among the high-profile figures to lose out in the poll were Jim Bailey, the long-standing chairman of the North York Moors National Park Authority, who secured just 32 fewer votes than Liberal Democrat Steven Mason.

At the count for Hambleton district, Mark Robson, the leader of Hambleton District Council, cut a bitterly disappointed figure after failing to overcome a challenge from Dave Whitfield, of the Green Party.

Another high-profile councillor, Helen Grant, the deputy leader of Richmondshire District Council, lost to Conservative Tom Jones.

Elsewhere, John Cattanach, a Selby district Conservative councillor of 23 years, who hit out at the Tory party’s “flawed and manipulated” selection process after he failed in his bid to become the Tory candidate for Cawood and Escrick, scored almost double the votes as an independent than Tory candidate Georgina Ashton.

Similarly in Ryedale, well-known former Tory councillor Caroline Goodrick who was not selected as the Conservative candidate, won the Sheriff Hutton and Derwent division as an Independent.

Elected councillors will serve one year as county councillors for the existing North Yorkshire County Council and another four years as councillors for the new unitary authority.

Some 183,564 of the 478,539 electorate voted, representing a 38.4 per cent turn-out.

Stuart Minting , Local Democracy Reporting Service

The South Yorkshire mayoral election will go to a second round with Labour’s Oliver Coppard and the Conservatives’ Clive Watkinson.

Mr Coppard got 112,517 votes in the first round, while Mr Watkinson got 43,129

Selby District Council’s veteran leader said the cost of living crisis and tax rises were to blame for the Conservative Party losing out to Labour and independent councillors in the North Yorkshire Council elections.

The Tories will send six councillors to the new unitary authority next year, with Labour securing five councillors. Independent councillors won three of the Selby divisions.

The results were announced at Selby Leisure Centre on Friday. The turnout across the district was 32.2 per cent.

Some major figures in the Selby Conservatives failed to win their divisions, including district councillor David Buckle, who lost in Selby East, and Richard Sweeting in Tadcaster.

Winning his Brayton and Barlow division, Coun Mark Crane, Selby’s council leader since 2003, said: “My reaction is one of disappointment that we didn’t win as many seats a I thought we would win.

“Clearly there is a feeling against the current government for a long time and I think that’s played out in two ways. 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.”

Coun Crane said he did not think the Downing Street party scandals were a major factor.

He added: “I think some of the other things that are going on in the country – the cost of living, heating bills going up so much, the increase in taxes which is something I was hoping our government wouldn’t do – these things have played into it, in my opinion, more than partygate when I was on the door.”

There were some stunning wins for independent councillors.

Coun John Cattanach defied his party and stood against the preferred Conservative candidate, Georgina Ashton, beating her by more than 400 votes in Cawood and Escrick. Coun Cattanach, who has been thrown out of the Conservative Party and stood as an independent, said he felt “vindicated”.

In Tadcaster, independent local campaigner Kirsty Poskitt beat veteran North Yorkshire independent, Don Mackay. Coun John McCartney, independent, romped home in Osgoldcross, winning by more than 700 votes.

Labour performed well in urban areas, winning in Sherburn in Elmet, Selby East and the quieter and more marginal Barlby and Riccall. Labour also succeeded in Selby West, where they won two councillors due to the size of the area.

Selby’s Labour group leader, Bob Packham, said the party had won all their target seats and performed well in more rural areas like Thorpe Willoughby and Hambleton.

He said that, though people may like to think local issues dominate local elections, in reality national politics play a big part. People were “fed up” of the Conservative Party, he added.

Coun Packham said he and fellow Labour councillors would make their presence felt on North Yorkshire Council.

The successful councillors will serve the final year of North Yorkshire County Council and will then be the voice of the public for the first four years of the new over-arching single authority when it launches on April 1, 2023.

Current Selby district councillors will carry on representing their wards until the council is abolished in March next year.

Joe Cooper , Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Conservatives’ grip on Harrogate has slipped after huge victories for the Liberal Democrats in today’s elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The Lib Dems won 10 of the 21 seats which will represent Harrogate on the new council, while the Tories took nine after having majority control of the district for more than a decade.

There was also success for Green Party’s Arnold Warneken who won the Ousebourne division, while Independent Andrew Williams was elected as councillor for Ripon Minister and Moorside.

Big upsets came as Conservative deputy leader Graham Swift lost the Coppice Valley and Duchy division to Liberal Democrat Peter Lacey.

Conservative Phil Ireland was also beaten by Lib Dem Matt Walker in the Knaresborough West division.

Another senior Conservative was defeated as Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale candidate Stanley Lumley came second to Lib Dem Andrew Murday.

In total, there were 10 Liberal Democrats elected, nine Conservatives, one Green and one Independent.

Coming into the vote, the Conservatives held 73% of seats which represent the district on North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, while the Lib Dems had 17%.

For the new North Yorkshire Council, this figure has slipped/increased to 43% for Tories, while the Lib Dems will have 48% of district seats.

The councillors elected today will serve one year on North Yorkshire County Council before transitioning to the new unitary authority when it launches on 1 April 2023.

This is the date when the county, district and borough councils – including Harrogate – will be abolished in what will mark the biggest changes to local government in North Yorkshire in almost 50 years.

Jacob Webster , Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has won a Leeds council seat for the first time since 1988, in one of the most shocking local election results the city has ever seen.

39 -year-old mental health support worker Wayne Dixon won the Middleton Park ward from Labour by 700 votes.

The SDP were a major influence on British politics in the 1980s after they were formed by four breakaway Labour MPs.

But within a decade they’d almost dwindled out of existence after party chiefs chose to merge with the Liberal Party.

The party’s name was kept alive by a handful of loyalists but has rarely mounted a serious challenge for power in Leeds or beyond, since.

Councillor Dixon attributed the result to voters being “fed up with the big parties”.

Speaking shortly after his victory was announced, he said: “We’ve created an uprising among the working class. The big parties are letting us down year after year and we’re not going to take it.

“A few members kept the party going but since we relaunched in 2018 we’ve gone from strength to strength. We’ve now got a few thousand members across the country.”

The result was one of a handful of surprises among the early results.

Labour gained Farnley and Wortley from the Greens, but the Greens turned the tables on Labour and took Hunslet and Riverside from long-serving councillor Liz Nash, who had been an elected member for around 50 years.

Elsewhere, Labour held onto other heartland seats they were defending across the city.

The leader of the opposition Conservative group, Andrew Carter held onto his seat in Calverley and Farsley by just under 300 votes, while Liberal Democrat group leader Stewart Golton was also returned in Rothwell.

Labour’s deputy leader, Coun Debra Coupar won her Temple Newsam seat back by around 600 votes and said afterwards that results around the country showed the party was doing well nationally.

Coun Coupar said: “I think it’s a vindication of the Labour party and our leader at the moment Keir Starmer has done a great job, bringing the party back to winning ways.”

A further batch of results is expected to be declared this afternoon from about 4.30pm.

Results declared as of 1pm

Armley – Labour HOLD

Beeston and Holbeck – Labour HOLD

Bramley and Stanningley – Labour HOLD

Calverley and Farsley – Conservative HOLD

Farnley and Wortley – Labour GAIN from Greens

Gipton and Harehills – Labour HOLD

Headingley and Hyde Park – Labour HOLD

Hunslet and Riverside – Greens GAIN from Labour

Kippax and Methley – Labour HOLD

Kirkstall – Labour HOLD

Middleton Park – SDP GAIN from Labour

Moortown – Labour HOLD

Rothwell – Liberal Democrat HOLD

David Spereall , Local Democracy Reporting Service

Another political tidbit for you here that’s not election related but...

Sir Keir Starmer to be investigated over ‘beergate’ allegations