2014 Craven District Council election

The 2014 Craven District Council election took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of Craven District Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2014 Craven District Council election. Conservatives in blue and independents in light grey. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2014.

After the election, the composition of the council was as follows:

Background

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After the last election in 2012 the Conservatives had a 2-seat majority with 16 councillors, compared to 10 independents and 4 Liberal Democrats.[3] The Conservative majority was increased in 2013 when the independent councillor for Hellifield and Long Preston Chris Moorby joined the Conservatives.[4] By the time of the 2014 election a further seat was vacant after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Polly English, meaning that before the election the council had 17 Conservative, 9 independent and 3 Liberal Democrat councillors.[5]

9 seats were contested in 2014 with no candidates from the Liberal Democrats standing, even in Aire Valley with Lothersdale where the Liberal Democrat councillor for the previous 12 years, Mark Wheeler stood down at the election.[5] However Labour for the first time in many years put up candidates for all 9 seats contested, despite not holding any seats on the council before the election.[6] The Conservatives stood in 8 seats, just not standing in Sutton-in-Craven against independent councillor, Stephen Place, who was allied with the Conservatives.[5] Other candidates included a further two independents, including sitting councillor Philip Barrett, and one candidate from the UK Independence Party.[5]

Election result

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Only one seat changed hands at the election with the Conservatives gaining a seat from the Liberal Democrats to have 18 councillors.[7][8] The Conservative gain came in Aire Valley with Lothersdale where Patrick Mulligan picked up the seat vacated by Liberal Democrat Mark Wheeler to become the only new councillor after the election.[8] This reduced the Liberal Democrats to 2 seats on the council, while there remained 9 independents and 1 seat was vacant in Skipton West.[8]

Craven local election result 2014[2][9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 7 1 0 +1 77.8 51.6 4,816 +1.5%
  Independent 2 0 0 0 22.2 20.3 1,893 +6.1%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 24.7 2,309 +8.3%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 3.4 318 +3.4%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 -17.1%

Ward results

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Aire Valley with Lothersdale[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrick Mulligan 738 61.9 −1.1
Labour Alan Hickman 455 38.1 +1.1
Majority 283 23.7 −2.2
Turnout 1,193 41.7 +8.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Bentham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Linda Brockbank 814 69.9 +30.2
Labour James Black 350 30.1 +30.1
Majority 464 39.9
Turnout 1,164 22.1 −25.0
Conservative hold Swing
Gargrave and Malhamdale[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Sutcliffe 715 71.8 +6.2
Labour John Pope 281 28.2 +3.2
Majority 434 43.6 +3.0
Turnout 996 40.6 −15.0
Conservative hold Swing
Glusburn[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Barrett 726 57.5 −2.5
UKIP Roger Baxandall 318 25.2 +25.2
Labour Hazel Keirle 110 8.7 −9.0
Conservative Tanya Graham 109 8.6 −13.7
Majority 408 32.3 −5.4
Turnout 1,263 41.2 −2.1
Independent hold Swing
Hellifield and Long Preston[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Moorby 500 72.3 +24.1
Labour Brian Parsons 192 27.7 +27.7
Majority 308 44.5
Turnout 692 39.0 −14.5
Conservative hold Swing
Ingleton and Clapham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carl Lis 759 58.9 −15.8
Independent Anthony Macaulay 339 26.3 +26.3
Labour Christine Rose 191 14.8 +14.8
Majority 420 32.6 −16.8
Turnout 1,289 41.2 +6.0
Conservative hold Swing
Penyghent[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Welch 430 69.8 +8.5
Labour Katherine Lloyd 186 30.2 +30.2
Majority 244 39.6 +17.1
Turnout 616 42.9 −32.5
Conservative hold Swing
Settle and Ribblebanks[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Staveley 751 68.2 +1.7
Labour Peter Madeley 350 31.8 −1.7
Majority 401 36.4 +3.3
Turnout 1,101 38.0 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Sutton-In-Craven[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Stephen Place 828 81.0 +4.8
Labour Vivien Thompson 194 19.0 −4.8
Majority 634 62.0 +9.6
Turnout 1,022 35.2 −5.2
Independent hold Swing

By-elections between 2014 and 2015

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A by-election was held in Skipton West on 2 July 2014 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Polly English.[10] The seat was gained for Labour by Peter Madeley with a majority of 42 votes over Liberal Democrat Edward Walker.[10] The victory meant Peter Madeley became the first Labour councillor on Craven council since 1999.[10]

Skipton West by-election 2 July 2014[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Madeley 185 24.0 +3.0
Liberal Democrats Edward Walker 143 18.5 −18.0
Conservative Tim Hudson-Brunt 131 17.0 −3.5
UKIP Roger Baxendall 126 16.3 +16.3
Independent Bernard Clarke 120 15.5 −6.5
Green John Launder 67 8.7 +8.7
Majority 42 5.4
Turnout 772 25.3 −9.3
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Craven". BBC News Online. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Results Elections 2014". The Times. NewsBank. 24 May 2014. pp. 88–89. ISSN 0140-0460.
  3. ^ "Non-Metro". The Guardian. NewsBank. 5 May 2012. ISSN 0261-3077.
  4. ^ "Switch by Long Preston councillor Chris Moorby branded 'morally wrong'". Craven Herald & Pioneer. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Moore, Lindsey (1 May 2014). "No Lib Dem candidates as battle commences for seats". Craven Herald & Pioneer. NewsBank. ISSN 0961-1908.
  6. ^ "Labour bid for Craven Council wards". Telegraph & Argus. NewsBank. 12 May 2014. ISSN 0307-3610.
  7. ^ "Harrogate and Craven Councils remain under Conservative control". BBC News Online. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "Just one seat changes hands as Conservatives retain control of Craven District Council". Craven Herald & Pioneer. NewsBank. 25 May 2014. ISSN 0961-1908.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Craven District Council. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d White, Clive (4 July 2014). "Results of triple Skipton election". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 24 March 2015.