Back in January I predicted the outcome of the General Election, seat by seat. Since then, I have done more research and altered some of the predictions taking into account various issues including new updated constituency polls by Lord Ashcroft. Over the next ten days I will be revisiting each county and region giving my final predictions. I’d still welcome feedback, even at this late stage.
NORTH YORKSHIRE
Seats: 8
Current Political Makeup: Con 7, Lab 1
Predicted Political Makeup after May 7: Con 7, Labour 1
Final Prediction: Unchanged
1. Harrogate & Knaresborough
2010 Result:
Conservative: 24305 (45.7%)
Labour: 3413 (6.4%)
Lib Dem: 23266 (43.8%)
BNP: 1094 (2.1%)
UKIP: 1056 (2%)
MAJORITY: 1039 (2%)
Sitting MP: Andrew Jones (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
A surprise gain for the Tories at the last election, Andrew Jones overturned a 10k majority. He will win again.
2. Richmond
2010 Result:
Conservative: 33541 (62.8%)
Labour: 8150 (15.3%)
Lib Dem: 10205 (19.1%)
Green: 1516 (2.8%)
MAJORITY: 23336 (43.7%)
Sitting MP: William Hague (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
3. Scarborough & Whitby
2010 Result:
Conservative: 21108 (42.8%)
Labour: 12978 (26.3%)
Lib Dem: 11093 (22.5%)
BNP: 1445 (2.9%)
Green: 734 (1.5%)
UKIP: 1484 (3%)
Independent: 329 (0.7%)
Others: 111 (0.2%)
MAJORITY: 8130 (16.5%)
Sitting MP: Robert Goodwill (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Not quite a safe seat, but anything other than a Tory hold here is somewhat unlikely.
4. Selby & Ainsty
2010 Result:
Conservative: 25562 (49.4%)
Labour: 13297 (25.7%)
Lib Dem: 9180 (17.7%)
BNP: 1377 (2.7%)
UKIP: 1635 (3.2%)
English Dem: 677 (1.3%)
MAJORITY: 12265 (23.7%)
Sitting MP: Nigel Adams (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
5. Skipton & Ripon
2010 Result:
Conservative: 27685 (50.6%)
Labour: 5498 (10%)
Lib Dem: 17735 (32.4%)
BNP: 1403 (2.6%)
UKIP: 1909 (3.5%)
Independent: 315 (0.6%)
Others: 179 (0.3%)
MAJORITY: 9950 (18.2%)
Sitting MP: Julian Smith (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Safe seat.
6. Thirsk & Malton
2010 Result:
Conservative: 20167 (52.9%)
Labour: 5169 (13.6%)
Lib Dem: 8886 (23.3%)
UKIP: 2502 (6.6%)
Liberal: 1418 (3.7%)
MAJORITY: 11281 (29.6%)
Sitting MP: Anne McIntosh (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Anne McIntosh has been deselected and is threatening to stand as an independent. She’ll no doubt be bought off with the promise of a seat in the Lords, but even if she did stand again, surely the Tory majority here is too large for the seat to be lost to another party.
7. York Central
2010 Result:
Conservative: 12122 (26.1%)
Labour: 18573 (40%)
Lib Dem: 11694 (25.2%)
BNP: 1171 (2.5%)
Green: 1669 (3.6%)
UKIP: 1100 (2.4%)
Others: 154 (0.3%)
MAJORITY: 6451 (13.9%)
Sitting MP: Sir Hugh Bayley (Lab)
Prediction: Labour hold
This was briefly a Tory seat in the 1980s but Labour now benefits from a split opposition.
8. York Outer
2010 Result:
Conservative: 22912 (43%)
Labour: 9108 (17.1%)
Lib Dem: 19224 (36.1%)
BNP: 956 (1.8%)
UKIP: 1100 (2.1%)
MAJORITY: 3688 (6.9%)
Sitting MP: Julian Sturdy (Con)
Prediction: Conservative hold
Julian Sturdy can be confident of getting an increased majority here.
If you’d like to see the rest of my seat by seat predictions, click HERE