Haxby and Heworth wards reviewed

Haxby and Wigginton

The Haxby & Wigginton ward is home to 11,923 residents. Average incomes are a little lower than the City average. 88% of residents own their home.  6% rent privately and 5% are social tenants. There are no Council homes in the area. 2.0% are out of work. Crime levels are  below average.  93.6% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (York average 88.6%). 45.1% believe that they can influence decisions in their local area (City average 26.2).  Source

Elections

This area had been a LibDem stronghold for decades. However a gradual decline in support resulted in 2 of the 3 seats being won by the Tories in 2015. The remaining LibDem (Ian Cuthbertson) is defending his seat and is joined by two other candidates, both of whom live in the ward.

Things are more chaotic on the Tory side where the, at the time, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group Tony Richardson was de-selected. He is now standing as an Independent. His abrasive style meant that he won few popularity contests at West Offices. Whether villagers are warmer towards him remains to be seen. There is also one other Independent on the ballot paper (Neil Wyatt) who also contested the seat in 2015 but without, at that time, seriously inconveniencing the vote counters.

The Tories have parachuted two new candidates into the ward. Neither claim to live in the area. One (Joe Pattinson) last surfaced as a by election candidate in the Holgate ward a couple of years ago. The third Tory candidate (Roy Watson-Smith) came a disappointing 5th when contesting the Haxby seat in 2015. He does at least live in the area.

The LibDems have been astute in selecting new candidates who live locally and have backed this up with a revived doorstep campaign. They will expect to regain the seats that they have lost over the years.

Prediction

3 LibDem seats

Heworth

The Heworth ward is home to 14,461 residents. Average incomes are a lower than the City average. 54% of residents own their home.  21% rent privately and 23% are social tenants. There are 1,123 Council homes in the area. 1.7% are out of work. Crime levels are slightly below average.  86.96% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (York average 88.6%). 31.8% believe that they can influence decisions in their local area (City average 26.2).  Source

Elections

This area has been Labour for several years. Ward boundary changes make trend comparisons more difficult but in 2015 there was a marked drop in Labour support – mainly to the benefit of the Green Party (although they remained in third place).

This is hard left Labour territory with the existing 3 Labour Councillors – mostly moderates – being ousted.  Dafydd Williams, having been a Councillor in Plymouth and then for four years in Westfield, moved over to this ward in 2015. He is understood to be leaving the City. Barbara Boyce has moved on to contest the Fishergate Ward.

Only one candidates has any previous Council experience. Liberal Democrat Jonathan Morley was formerly the representatives for Osbaldwick. He lives in the Heworth Ward. He faces an up hill task in an area where the party’s fortunes have been in the doldrums.

The chances are that inexperienced Councillors will be returned.

Electors in the ward have a couple of novel choices. There is a Women’s Equality Party candidate, while Nigel Fenwick describes himself as the “Socialist Alternative”. If he is to the left of Momentum influenced Heworth Labour Party, then he will find little breathing room.  History suggests that fringe candidates do poorly in Council elections in York

There are still huge problems to address in this ward and the task facing the new Councillors will be challenging.  Whether the Labour candidates can live up to  their self publicity may become clear before the end of the year.

Prediction

3 Labour seats