Labour Party issues call for new Harrogate Town Council to reject 'stale party battles' of the past

Chris Watt, Chair of Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party, said campaigning in the run-up to the Harrogate Town Council on May 1 had been full of "misinformation" about how it was important that one party or another “controlled” the new authority.

But, he added, unlike other parties, Labour's candidates were focused on standing up for their communities and working across party lines for the town's good.

"This election is, vitally, about electing local champions, people that will work hard for the ward they are elected to serve,” said Mr Watt, who is standing for the Kingsley ward.

The Labour Party, he continued, had won success last year locally in the York and North Yorkshire Mayoral election when Harrogate-born David Skaith had won.

That mean that “Labour representatives on the new Harrogate Town Council will be best placed to work with a Labour Mayor for the benefit of our town.”

Mr Watt added that the new Harrogate Town Council will not have a leader in the traditional party political sense.

As a result, he said, “our Town Council can be a new and fresh voice for Harrogate, with locally elected community voices shouting loudly about what a great area it is that they live in.”

Chris Watt, Chair of Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party: What he said

"A lot of people don’t know what the new Council will do, so a lot of misinformation has been put out about how it’s important that one party or another “controls” the Council, but that’s not how it will work.

"Labour’s candidates are more interested in fighting for their communities, rather than having their main priority as working against what other political parties want.

"And that will be essential as the new Council won’t have the party political set up that Council’s like the old Borough Council had.

"Councillors will need to work together, across party lines, to get the best for our town and for the wards they represent.

"Labour believes in creating strong, inclusive communities, with proper local facilities like play parks for our children.

"Electing a local Labour councillor will ensure that you have a hard working local champion, doing their best for where you live, who will make standing up for your community more important than party political battles.”