Liz Truss may have only just entered Downing Street but opposition parties in Harrogate and Knaresborough have begun manoeuvrings for the next general election.

This week the Green Party became the first to name its prospective parliamentary candidate. The Liberal Democrats are expected to follow suit by the end of the year.

Conservative Andrew Jones has won four successive elections in Harrogate and Knaresborough since 2010, securing 53% of the vote at the last campaign in 2019.

The next election is widely expected to take place in 2024 — and some think his biggest threat comes from opposition parties working together rather than splitting the vote. But the early signs are this is unlikely to happen.

There was little appetite for a pact at a Green Party hustings event this week. Paul Ko Ferrigno, the only candidate standing for leadership, insisted he was fighting to win, and even if he didn't he was more interested in shaping the debate than doing deals.

Asked if he was willing to risk letting the Tories in with this approach, Mr Ko Ferrigno said:

The Greens still harbour ill feeling from the last election, when their candidate, Shan Oakes, stood down.

Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn for the Greens on North Yorkshire County Council, told this week's meeting:

Cllr Warneken added, however, that a final decision on pacts would be taken locally.

Labour and Lib Dems

Mr Watt added Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour "have asked to move forward with selecting a candidate as soon as possible".

Read more:

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