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15
Feb 2023
Harrogate district Greens call for opposition parties to co-operate more
The Harrogate and District Green Party has said last week's Masham and Fountains by-election result highlighted the need for opposition parties to co-operate if they are to overcome the Conservatives.
Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister defeated Conservative candidate Brooke Hull in a two-horse race after the Greens decided not to stand.
The result reduced the Conservative majority on North Yorkshire County Council to two.
Shan Oakes, a member of the executive of Harrogate and District Green Party, said some Conservatives "knew that if a Green had stood, the opposition vote would have been split, potentially leading to a Tory win".
Ms Oakes said the result confirmed the suspicion and vindicated the party's decision, adding:
Read more:
- How will the Masham by-election defeat affect North Yorkshire Conservatives?
- Liberal Democrats win Masham and Fountains by-election
The Stray Ferret asked the Liberal Democrats if it agreed the Greens' decision not to contest Masham was a factor in its success and whether it would reciprocate by standing down in some seats to allow the Greens to go head-to-head against the Conservatives.
Liberal Democrat Matt Walker replied by saying the result showed people were angry and "now is the time for change", adding:
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