Due to the resignation of Edward Metcalfe, a vacancy has arisen for Councillor for Harrogate Town Council, Valley Gardens Ward.
Date of election: Thursday, 19 March 2026
Nominations:
- Tracey Joan DE WET – Reform UK
- Alex IRELAND – Green Party
- Thomas James MARTIN – The Conservative Party
- Nat SLATER – Liberal Democrats
The Green Party have said they will not now campaign the seat.
Statement from the Executive of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Constituency branch of the Green Party:
Our current voting system of first-past-the-post makes many people consider that voting, especially in local elections and particularly in by-elections, is not worth the effort. This is a very worrying situation for local and national democracy. People think that their vote will be wasted and will result in an outcome that few people in the area really want.
In advance of the by-election for Harrogate Town Council in Valley Gardens, Compass, the group who campaign for an equal, democratic and sustainable future, has written to all the local progressive parties asking them to work more closely together so that any new councillor represents the majority of the electorate.
Greens will always engage with other groups and parties, listening carefully whilst challenging tribal politics. Since September last year, there has been a huge surge in Green Party members, people who want a politics of care for people and for the environment. Locally our numbers have more than doubled and our aim is always to give our members and supporters the chance to vote Green.
In this by-election we have an excellent candidate but we are aware of the dangers of splitting the progressive vote and letting the right in by default. With the support of our candidate, the Green Party has therefore decided not to campaign this seat but we will still give people the chance to vote Green on the ballot sheet. It follows that we will therefore not be providing a bio or a photograph of our candidate for publication.
The Green Party is run locally and therefore represents local people more accurately than many other parties which are told what they must do by their central organisation. We have a mature way of approaching politics and prepared to talk with other progressive parties in advance of elections. We take care over the selection of candidates and would not ask one to stand aside but we are willing to talk with the progressive parties about how we campaign in each ward or division.
Our aim is always to do what is right for the communities in which we live and work. The politics of hope and sustainability are needed more than ever.
North Yorkshire Cllr Arnold Warneken added:
If we want to change how politicians are perceived by the electorate then working cross party is a great start.
The public are not impressed with tribalism and bickering whilst their lives are impacted from a lack of cross party cooperation.
We need to demonstrate that there is hope for a better way of doing politics and by having a collaborative approach, it makes us part of the solution and not part of the problem.
