Skipton and Ripon (UK Parliament constituency)

Skipton and Ripon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Skipton and Ripon in North Yorkshire.
Location of North Yorkshire within England.
County	North Yorkshire
Electorate	77,098 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Ripon, Skipton
Current constituency
Created	1983 (1983)
Member of Parliament	Julian Smith (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Skipton, Ripon
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	Yorkshire and the Humber

Skipton and Ripon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is one of the safest seats in England, with a large plurality of its population voting Conservative.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the whole of the Craven district including the towns of Skipton, Bentham and Settle. It also covers the northern and western parts of the borough of Harrogate district including the city of Ripon and towns of Pateley Bridge and Masham.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in North Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England has recommended only minor changes to the existing Skipton and Ripon constituency.

The newly drawn seat is formed from the following electoral wards:

• The Harrogate wards of Bishop Monkton, Kirkby Malzeard, Lower Nidderdale, Mashamshire, Newby, Nidd Valley, Pateley Bridge, Ripon Minster, Ripon Moorside, Ripon Spa, Washburn and Wathvale

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the former seats of Skipton & Ripon. Boundary changes in 1997 transferred Boroughbridge, Aldborough, Dishforth and the immediately surrounding areas to the new Vale of York constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1983	John Watson	Conservative
	1987	David Curry	Conservative
	2010	Julian Smith	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Skipton and Ripon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Smith	27,685	50.6	+0.6
	Liberal Democrat	Helen Flynn	17,735	32.4	+5.8
	Labour	Claire Hazelgrove	5,498	10.0	-8.2
	UKIP	Rodney Mills	1,909	3.5	-1.1
	BNP	Bernard Allen	1,403	2.6	+2.6
	Independent	Roger Bell	315	0.6	+0.6
	The Youth Party	Dylan Gilligan	95	0.2	+0.2
	Virtue Currency Cognitive Appraisal Party	Robert Leakey	84	0.2	-0.4
Majority			9,950	18.2
Turnout			54,724	70.7	+4.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.6

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Skipton and Ripon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Curry	25,100	49.7	−2.7
	Liberal Democrat	Paul English	13,480	26.7	+0.6
	Labour	Paul Baptie	9,393	18.6	+1.2
	UKIP	Ian Bannister	2,274	4.5	+0.3
	Virtue Currency Cognitive Appraisal Party	Robert Leakey	274	0.5	N/A
Majority			11,620	23.0
Turnout			50,521	72.6	+6.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 2001: Skipton and Ripon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Curry	25,736	52.4	+5.8
	Liberal Democrat	Bernard Bateman	12,806	26.1	+0.9
	Labour	Michael Dugher	8,543	17.4	−5.0
	UKIP	Nancy Holdsworth	2,041	4.2	N/A
Majority			12,930	26.3
Turnout			49,126	66.1	−8.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1992: Skipton and Ripon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Curry	35,937	58.4	−0.6
	Liberal Democrat	R Hall	16,607	27.0	−1.4
	Labour	Ms. KR Allott	8,978	14.6	+3.4
Majority			19,330	31.4	+0.8
Turnout			61,522	81.3	+3.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.4

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in North Yorkshire