THE performance of the Conservatives in the North Yorkshire County Council elections lifted some of the gloom pervading the party following the great disappointment of the General Election.

The strength of the Conservatives at local level in the county was typified in Ryedale.

Overall in the Ryedale area, every Conservative candidate achieved an increased share of the vote, apart from Malton where new candidate Judith Orrell (Lib Dem) made an impressive showing.

Notably, Conservative Murray Naylor, a member of North Yorkshire County Coun-cil's executive, was returned in Rillington for a second term by more than 1,000 votes.

In Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton, Geoff Rennie had no trouble either in holding his seat, beating nearest rival Paul Andrews (Lib Dem), also by more than 1,000 votes.

But in Pickering, the Liberal Democrats held off a strong Conservative contender, winning by just 77 votes.

Coun Betsy Hill (Lib Dem), a county coun-cillor for 18 years, just managed to fight off a bid by newcomer Greg White, Conserva-tive, in a 67 per cent poll.

Meanwhile, council leader and Conservative group leader David Ashton was duly re-elected, nearly 350 votes ahead of his nearest rival in Fulford.

Leading Conservative Peter Sowray also held on to his Easingwold seat by nearly 750 votes, while fellow Tory Caroline Patmore retained Stillington by nearly 900 votes.

Labour had rich pickings in the Selby area, with Steven Shaw-Wright recording a par-ticularly convincing win, more than 1,000 votes ahead of his nearest challenger in Selby North.

Graham Gatman, meanwhile, held on to his seat in Brayton in a close-fought contest.

Results:

Ryedale

Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton
Geoffrey Keith Rennie (Con) 2,365
Paul John Andrews (Lib Dem) 1,335
Norman Harry Dobell (Lab) 402

Huntington North
Clare Launa Wood (Con) 463
Barbara Allison Kerrison (Lib Dem) 180

Kirkbymoorside
Valerie Margaret Arnold (Con) 2,422
Krystina Marjory Joan Meinardi (Lib Dem) 1,082
Susan Kathleen Balf (Lab) 842

Malton
Michael Sydney Knaggs (Con) 1,941
Judith Anne Orrell (Lib Dem) 1,396
Timothy Davies (Lab) 484

Norton
David Lloyd-Williams (Lib Dem) 1,712
Brian Geoffrey Cottam (Con) 1,513
Ann Beaumont (Lab) 724

Pickering
Betsy Rita Joan Hill (Lib Dem) 1,933
Gregory Brian White (Con) 1,856
Judith Margaret Dixon (Lab) 714

Rillington
David Murray Naylor (Con) 2,541
Peter Robin Schroeder (Lib Dem) 1,482
Linda Joyce Brittain (Lab) 678

Scarborough

Castle
Anthony Jack Randerson (Lab) 1,367
Thomas William Fox (Con) 826
Gillian Wendy Hopkinson (Lib Dem) 300
Norman Kenneth Murphy (Ind) 294

Cayton
Denis Pedder (Ind) 2,039
John Stephen Blackburn (Con) 1,725
Marian Rose Gordon (Lab) 1,052

Danby
William Herbert Tindall (Con) 2,122
Clare Dossor (Lab) 1,209

Eastfield
Paul David Cross (Lab) 1,189
Brian O’Flynn (Lib Dem) 774
Andrew Stephen Leak (Con) 441

Eskdale
Thomas William Miller (Con) 1,635
Roger Paul Hartley (Lib Dem) 1,276
Malcolm Simpson (Lab) 780

Falsgrave
John Ritchie (Lab) 1,420
David Charles Barker (Con) 683
Duncan Grant (Lib Dem) 229
Jonathan Mark Dixon (Green) 124
Paul Anthony Deyes (Loony) 112

Filey
Benjamin Richard Jenkinson (Con) 1,535
Alma Gladys Shone (Lib Dem) 990
Patricia Marsburg (Lab) 818

Lindhead
Michael Ford Pitts (Lib Dem) 1,323
Kevin Paul Bland (Con) 1,292
Kevin Stuart Allen (Lab) 1,124

Mayfield
Jane Margaret Kenyon (Con) 1,648
Dalton Clive Peake (Lab) 1,360
Bridget Dylis Prudom (Lib Dem) 744

Northstead
Eric Broadbent (Lab) 1,622
Peter Popple (Ind) 1,161
David Crathorne Willis (Con) 1,007

Scalby
Helen Gall Swiers (Con) 2,438
Paul Murphy (Lab) 1,124
Margaret Anne Pitts (Lib Dem) 1,033

Seamer
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Con) 1,622
Marcus Ridley Missen (Lab) 1,103
David Colin Jeffels (Ind) 931

Streonshalh
Robert William Broadley (Lib Dem) 1,214
Brian Robert Summerson (Lab) 1,093
Edward Noble (Con) 539

Weaponness
Eileen Bosomworth (Con) 1,409
John Warburton (Lab) 1,057
Penny Marsden (Ind) 897

Woodlands
David Lawrence Billing (Lab) 1,819
Vincent Sidney Morris (Con) 1,056
William Chatt (Ind) 815
Dilys Vine Cluer (Green) 255

Selby

Brayton
Graham Michael Gatman (Lab) 2,297
Wally Norton (Con) 2,072
Christopher Francis Eyre (Lib Dem) 666

Cawood
John Michael Duggan (Lab) 1,850
Christopher Frank Pearson (Con) 1,804
Donald Michael Jackson (Lib Dem) 618

Derwent
Brian Samuel Marshall (Lab) 2,166
David Joseph McSherry (Con) 1,656
John Anthony Eastwood (Lib Dem) 776

Fulford
David James Ashton (Con) 461
William Martin (Lab) 124
Daniel Yameen Prakash Khan (Lib Dem) 111

Osgoldcross
John Francis Vause (Lab) 1,800
Ian Ross Pullan (Con) 1,497
Howard Francis Buchanan Newitt (Lib Dem) 522

Selby North
Steven Shaw-Wright (Lab) 2,377
John Joy (Con) 1,017
Alan William Hartley (Lib Dem) 387

Selby Rural
Margaret Hulme (Con) 1,693
Jack Davie (Lab) 1,360
John Burgess McCartney (Ind) 664
Denis Hirst (Lib Dem) 442

Sherburn
James Clement Snowball (Lab) 2,339
Geoffrey Morley (Con) 2,075
Robert Anthony Hutchinson (Lib Dem) 660

Tadcaster East
Christopher William Metcalfe (Con) 1,122
Garry Mervyn Kitchin (Lab) 747
Roderic Parker (Lib Dem) 428

Tadcaster West
Jean Ashton (Con) 1,700
Donald Neil Bain-Mackay (Lib Dem) 1,190
Robert James Packham (Lab) 1,155