New North Yorkshire council to be run by Conservatives
All votes have now been counted in the county's local elections
Last updated 6th May 2022
The new North Yorkshire Council will be run by the Conservatives - with all votes now counted in the county's local elections.
The turnout here was just under 35 per cent - with 90 seats up for grabs.
Those have now been taken by 47 Conservative councillors - 13 Independents - 12 each for Labour and the Liberal Democrats - 5 Greens and 1 Liberal Party.
North Yorkshire will have a new single authority from next year.
Those who're elected today will sit on the current county council - and then on the new one for four years from April 2023 - when all the district and borough councils are abolished.
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.
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.”
The leader of the council, Cllr Carl Les, said: “This election is so important for local democracy in North Yorkshire, and the newly elected councillors will lay the foundations for the new council ahead of its launch in April next year.
“I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all the work that has gone into campaigning and also to everyone who has been involved in organising the election counts today.
“There will be challenges ahead but it is a hugely exciting time for North Yorkshire, and I have no doubt that all councillors who have won will have the best interests of the people who live and work in North Yorkshire at the forefront of their minds over the coming months and years.”
Richard Flinton, the county returning officer for the election, who is also the chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “I would like to pass on my congratulations to the winning candidates who have been elected at what is such an important time for local democracy in North Yorkshire.
“They now have such a critical role in shaping the way forward before the new council is launched next year, and I can assure them that they will be given all the help and support they need from council officers.
“A great deal of time and effort has gone into organising the election, and I would like to say a big thank you to both the staff at the county council and all our colleagues in the district councils.
“This has shown how all the authorities can work closely together, and I do feel it bodes well for the transition towards the new single council to oversee the whole of North Yorkshire.”