About me

I’m Claire Kelley, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough. I have lived in Harrogate for over twenty years and brought up my two children here. Both attended local state schools. They are now in their early twenties, my daughter working in Leeds and my son at university in Manchester. I spent ten years as a Borough Councillor in Harrogate and eight as a North Yorkshire County Councillor and worked as Phil Willis’s caseworker for thirteen years.

Harrogate and Knaresborough is a fabulous place to live and my aim has always been not just to help keep it that way but to do all I can to make it even better. I gave up my county council seat (Wedderburn Division) in 2005 to see my children through public examinations, but carried on with the voluntary work I do in the area. I continued to chair the Harrogate Council for Voluntary Services and remained as a trustee of Harrogate Citizens Advice Bureau. I have been Chair of Governors at St Aidan’s School for twelve years and recently have joined the advisory group for local charity Carers Time Off.

I have been an active campaigner for many years on local issues including better recycling services for this area, fairer school admissions, improvement to the arrangements for local businesses who wish to take on work for our local councils, in support of local post offices, and on a number of transport issues. Recently I ran a campaign which provoked the local council to start work on the Bilton to Ripley cyclepath after months of inactivity. I have been an enthusiastic supporter and member of the organising committee of Harrogate Car Free Day.

Through my work for Phil Willis during his time as the area’s MP I had direct experience of what Members of Parliament can do to promote the interests of their constituents. The service that he, assisted by his dedicated and hardworking team, was able to provide to the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough set a standard never before reached in this area. My commitment to and belief in community is why I am a Liberal Democrat – no other mainstream party has a comparable interest in localism – but it is the interests and needs of the people of this area that really drive me.