Reform UK put candidate forward for Harrogate by-election

Reform UK have announced Jonathan Swales as a candidate for the North Yorkshire Councillor for the division of Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone.

The seat has become vacant following the resignation of Cllr Patricia Marsh, Libdems, the vote will take place on Thursday, 11 April 2024.

The nominated candidates were formally announced today:

• Conservative – John Ennis
• Labour – Geoff Foxhall
• Green – Gilly Charters
• Libdem – Andrew Timothy
• Reform UK – Jonathan Swales

Jonathan was born and educated in Harrogate and is currently actively working to support Richard Brown, the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency.

He lives in Harrogate, has an MBA from Leeds University Business School, and brings with him extensive management and business experience, having held a number of senior level management, and director roles in the construction industry.

Jonathan Swales said:

I am very proud of my Harrogate roots, and Yorkshire heritage.

As a local resident I am well aware of the local issues that people are concerned about and how national issues feed into local issues.

I share the frustration when people’s views are just ignored.

 

Jonathan’s family were the original owners of Yorkshire Farmers Limited and Swales (Harrogate) Wholesale Fruit & Veg businesses.  Happily married to Helen, a former teacher and fine artist, they have two grown-up children.

Richard Brown, the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, said:

Jonathan has been supporting the local Reform UK campaign for some time and is a very integral part of the core team.

Reform is growing at an incredible pace, both nationally, and locally.

The Harrogate and Knaresborough Reform UK has seen a diverse group of supporters join, and more than ever you can see the social media comments showing that people view the party as the way forward.

Jonathan would be a great asset to the community as a councillor for this division, and he has my complete support.

Richard Tice, Party Leader of Reform UK, said:

This has been a monumental week for Reform UK. Lee Anderson joined us and it received an overwhelming  level of support from the public, along with over 2,300 more joining the party.

In North Yorkshire we are building our base of PPC’s, but also making in-roads into having seats on North Yorkshire Council. We recently welcomed Mike Jordan in the Selby area, being our first North Yorkshire Councillor.

In Harrogate we now have an opportunity to secure another councillor, and I am delighted that John has decided to contest the seat that has become vacant.

He has contributed to growing the profile of Reform in the area, and if we win this seat, it will give an indicator of how people may vote in the general election.

No longer will Harrogate be a Conservative vs Libdem, it will be vote Reform UK, get Reform UK

Jonathan Swales said:

As councillor I would of course represent the people. That means I need to listen to the people, represent their views at the Area Committee, and work with council officers.

Locally there are a number of issues that need to be looked at, one of those includes the Harrogate Gateway Project. A failing of the process around that project was that local councillors didn’t engage with council cabinet members and council officers. There was an opportunity to influence, and get a better outcome, that opportunity was lost.

Everyone wants a better town centre, and this project could have been part of that overall improvement, but we now have a scheme that doesn’t really deliver anything for anyone – and that includes the cyclists, people on foot or people arriving by bus or train.

In the Stray,  Woodlands and Hookstone division, there are also planning matters, such as the racket courts near to Hookstone Woods. Then there are the ongoing concerns of potholes, roads being used for click-throughs, and the area being used for parking by the schools and the hospital.

Please make use of your vote on 11 April, and please consider giving your vote to me.

Residents of the Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone division have until midnight on Friday, 22 March 2024, to register to vote and until 5pm on Monday, 25 March 2024, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post they have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station for the by-election on Thursday, 11 April, will need to bring photographic identification to be able to vote.