The Labour Party have selected Councillor Conrad Whitcroft as their candidate for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency at the next general election.
Conrad said:
I am proud to be a parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party. Harrogate and Knaresborough has been let down by more than a decade of Conservative-led government. It will be an honour to lead the campaign for Labour in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
My priorities in our area include tackling anti-social behaviour, building more affordable housing and working closely with David Skaith, York & North Yorkshire’s newly elected Labour Mayor.
David Skaith, Mayor, who was born in Harrogate, said:
Conrad worked hard for my election campaign and has proven himself as a councillor. He will make an excellent Labour candidate for my home town.
Labour won the North Yorkshire Mayoralty earlier this month which was considered a major upset in a traditionally Conservative county. Conrad hopes to repeat the same success with the Conservatives expected to lose a swathe of seats at the general election later this year – including Harrogate and Knaresborough.
Conrad Whitcroft was elected to the City of York Council for the ward of Fishergate in May 2023. As a councillor Conrad has delivered ward funding to fight the Cost of Living Crisis and has recently taken a leading role in a campaign to stop a new takeaway in a residential area. Conrad has lived in York since 2017 and works for Aviva.
Conrad said he is looking forward to campaigning in the constituency:
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in England.
I know Harrogate and Knaresborough well and enjoy campaigning there with the local Labour Party.
I particularly enjoy the Knaresborough-based Turning Point Brewery which I have had a tour of in the past.
Chris Watt, Chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party said:
We are delighted to welcome Conrad as our candidate for the General Election.
As Labour’s win in Harrogate & Knaresborough in the recent Mayoral election showed, it’s all to play for locally and when Rishi Sunak finally has the courage to call the election the choice will be clear: more chaos under the Tories or real change and a fresh start with Labour.
Conrad has shown that’s he an effective and energetic campaigner who gets results and we are looking forward to working with him for the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough.
