Labour candidate claims 'seismic shift' in politics in Ripon and Skipton as Tory vote slumps in election
The Ripon candidate for the Labour Party has talked about coming up “just short” to Julian Smith MP but said he is delighted to have turned a “Tory-stronghold into a marginal seat”.
Malcolm Birks lost to the former Conservative chief whip in the Skipton and Ripon constituency by less than 2,000 votes, achieving a nearly 13% increase in the vote share for Labour.
The result, said Mr Birks, amounted to a “seismic shift in local politics”.
"I feel privileged to have met hundreds of local people during the election campaign and to have heard their stories.
"I would like to thank everyone who supported me in the recent election,” said Mr Birks, speaking after the General Election result last Friday morning.
"Unfortunately, we came up just short, but have achieved a very large swing to Labour and have turned a once Tory-stronghold into a marginal seat.
"Our 13% increase in the vote share was way in excess of the national picture (2%).
"This represents a seismic shift in local politics."
Former highly-respected Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith suffered a -23.7negative swing but still won a fifth term with18,833 votes compared to Malcolm Birks who won won 17,183 votes.
Mr Birks, who, said he hoped that Skipton and Ripon’s MP, mayor and councillors could now “work together constructively for the benefit of our area.”
"Our constituency can feel peripheral to those in the centres of power and we must not allow the very real issues here to be forgotten, or to receive only the crumbs of investment,” said Mr Birks.
"I feel we must both celebrate more loudly the best of what takes place here and also bring attention to the very real problems that lie beneath the surface.
"But I am confident that the new Labour government will quickly bring about the changes needed to improve people’s lives and unify our communities.”
Skipton and Ripon result
Julian Smith (Conservative) 18,833 (Elected)
Malcolm Birks (Labour) 17,183
Andrew Murday (Lib Dem) 4,194
Andy Brown (Green) 3,446
Simon Garvey (Reform) 8,516
Guy Phoenix (Heritage) 158
Keith Tordoff (Independent) 493
Ryan Kett (Yorkshire) 627