Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservatives

20/03/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Cllr Tom Martin on his fantastic victory in Valley Gardens, with a 12.2% swing!

Residents have spoken and voted for Tom as their new Conservative councillor on Harrogate Town Council. Tom will be a brilliant voice for Valley Gardens; a local hard-working member of the community who will continue to champion the issues that matter most.

Thank you to everyone who voted, campaigned, and supported us.

13/02/2026

13/02/2026

15/01/2026

This week, Liberal Democrat councillors voted through a 105% increase in the town council precept, more than doubling the charge on Band D households.

Local Conservative Councillor, Michael Harrison, has raised serious concerns about where that money is going, with around 74% of the budget allocated to staffing and administration rather than frontline services.

🗣️ Cllr Harrison said:

“The problem with this budget is that so much of it is taken up with the administration cost of running the council. There is very little that residents can see they are getting for their money.”

It is only the Conservatives who believe councils should focus on delivering visible, practical services for residents and ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

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26/11/2025

Just seen this farmer being waved down and stopped by police officers, who’ve seemingly been instructed to prevent any peaceful protest against the ruinous Family Farm Tax on Whitehall today.

All to save Rachel Reeves blushes.

26/11/2025

Our thoughts on Labour's disastrous budget 🗣️

This is a budget that has been shambolic in preparation with leaks and spin.

Now we have the reality. It is a budget that takes taxes to record levels so that the government can boost welfare spending. This is despite the Prime Minister and Chancellor saying that current levels of welfare spending was not sustainable.

Labour came into office saying they would increase taxes by £8.5 billion and that anyone who said
their pledges would cost more, was a liar. Two budgets later taxes have gone up by £66 billion.

It is no surprise that the public are cross and distrustful and economic indicators are heading in the wrong direction.

In terms of the specifics, growth forecasts have been downgraded in every year of the parliament when the government said growth was its main policy objective.

This is a budget of broken promises.

By the end of the parliament, due to the freezing of thresholds, one in four workers will have to pay
the upper rate of income tax and older people who live only on the state pension will become tax payers.

Locally, our area has a huge visitor industry but mayors can now introduce a tourism tax. You cannot
tax your way to growth. This budget is a shocker.