THE Conservatives kept their political grip on North Yorkshire in the county council elections – but Labour and UKIP made big gains.

Despite losing one seat overall, the Tories retained their comfortable County Hall majority with 45 out of 72 seats, and the party’s front bench will meet next week to elect North Yorkshire County Council’s leader.

The Liberal Democrats remain the second-largest party with eight seats, a fall of one and the same number as the independents, who shed six seats. Labour, which had a single county councillor before yesterday, now has seven, but region-wide turnout was only 32 per cent.

UKIP claimed two seats, in Filey and in Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge. The Tories retained one of two seats contested in Ryedale District Council by-elections but lost the other to the Liberals, following the resignation of husband-and-wife team Keith and Vivienne Knaggs.

Although seats in the Selby divisions saw little change, strong UKIP support was evident as it won 470 votes in Sherburn-in-Elmet and 910 in Selby Barlby. Neither was enough for victory, but Barlby candidate Colin Heath said: “Coming from nothing as a new party, it’s quite a good result.”

Conservative Mike Jordan, who lost his Sherburn seat to Labour’s Bob Packham with only 11 votes between them, blamed UKIP for his defeat. He said: “They stood and they’ve taken my votes – it’s as simple as that.”

Mr Packham said: “I’m delighted we put a lot of work in and there’s a lot to do, which I’m looking forward to doing for the people of Sherburn and South Milford.”

Steve Shaw-Wright reclaimed the Selby Barlby county council seat he lost four years ago by ousting Conservative Karl Arthur.

He said: “I’m very happy and glad to fight Labour’s corner in North Yorkshire.” Selby District Council leader Mark Crane described the area’s 30 per cent turnout as “a little disappointing”, but said it had been a low-key election.

In Ryedale, Liberal Joy Andrews took the Pickering East district council seat, vacated by Mrs Knaggs, with 43 more votes than Conservative Matthew Wilkinson. The Pickering town councillor said: “I’m very happy and I will work hard for Pickering.”

The Lib Dems reclaimed the Norton county council seat they narrowly lost to the Conservatives in 2009, with former Ryedale MP Elizabeth Shields the victor by 63 votes. Lindsey Burr secured Malton for the Lib Dems in another Tory loss, although the party won three other Ryedale divisions by wide margins and John Clark held Pickering for the Liberals.

Among the Conservative winners was Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton councillor Clare Wood, who said she was “delighted” with her fourth triumph and she would step up the fight for improvements to the A64 at Barton Hill, a notorious accident blackspot.

She said: “This crossroads has been an ongoing nightmare and I’m very disappointed the Highways Agency has not given us the money we are entitled to, so I will continue to battle for the improvements people deserve.”

Council leader John Weighell held his Bedale seat, while fellow Conservatives Peter Sowray (Easingwold), Gareth Dadd (Thirsk), Chris Metcalfe (Tadcaster) and Don Mackenzie (Harrogate Saltergate) were all re-elected.


The state of play

The political make-up of North Yorkshire County Council after yesterday’s election results is:

• Conservatives: 45 seats
• Liberal Democrats: Eight seats
• Independents: Eight seats
• Labour: Seven seats
• UKIP: Two seats
• Liberals: Two seats

Pre-election, the council’s make-up was:

• Conservatives: 46 seats
• Independents: 14 seats
• Liberal Democrats: Nine seats
• Liberals: Two seats
• Labour: One seat
• UKIP was not represented on the county council prior to this year’s elections

The Conservatives will meet next week to elect a leader, who will then nominate portfolio holders for the executive - the councillors who hold key roles on the authority. The newly-elected council will meet for the first time on Wednesday, May 15, when councillors will be asked to ratify the leader, deputy leader and executive members.