Harrogate Lib Dems sweep to victory in Coppice Valley Town Council by-election

Harrogate’s Lib Dems have scored a sizable victory in the the Coppice Valley Town Council by-election by a higher than expected margin on a higher than expected turnout.

The party says the decisive victory for Coun Rebecca McManus shows that Harrogate voters have “rejected the Tories in favour of the only party that can beat Reform.”

Celebrating victory - Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, left, with the party's new town councillor Rebecca McManus and fellow Lib Dems.

The contest for the Coppice Valley Ward followed the resignation in June of Lib Dem Coun Austin Wildmore who had won the ward in the newly-created council’s first elections in May 2025 on a 26% turnout.

Yesterday’s result saw Rebecca McManus take 61.2% of the vote, an increase on last years local election of +21.2 points.

Significantly, the turnout this time had risen to 30.7%.

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, congratulated the new town councillor on her success and thanked voters, too.

“Thank you to everyone in Coppice Valley who voted Liberal Democrat last night, including the many who normally back other parties but lent us their vote to the Lib Dems to keep Reform out,” said Mr Gordon.

“Rebecca McManus will be a fantastic local community champion. The trust people have shown in Rebecca and our party means everything, and we won’t take it for granted.

“This result shows just how irrelevant the Conservative Party has become in Harrogate.

Coppice Valley Town Council by-election: Full resultLiberal Democrat: 61.2% (+21.2%)

Reform UK: 15.6% (-9.4%)

Conservative: 12.5% (-4.5%)

Labour: 5.1% (-4.9%)

Green: 5.0% (-3.0%)

Tom Gordon MP said: "Under Kemi Badenoch, the Tories have chased Reform to the hard right, and voters can no longer tell the difference between the two parties.

“People here want a party that will stand up for our community, not one chasing headlines on the far right fringes of British politics.

“Again and again, voters are telling us that the Liberal Democrats are the only ones who can actually beat Reform in Harrogate - and last night they proved it.”

Harrogate Town Council was established in April 2025, following a local government reorganisation which saw the creation of the Unitary Authority of North Yorkshire Council.