Ex-mayoral candidate quits council executive

A senior North Yorkshire Conservative councillor has resigned from the authority's executive after being asked to make way for fresh talent.

Keane Duncan, who had held responsibility for highways and transport since the new council was created in 2023, said he would continue to represent his Norton ward.

Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, said it was normal practice to ask executive members to step aside, insisting Duncan had not been sacked.

In a letter confirming his resignation, Duncan said the Conservative group would need to "harness the energy" of party members in order to "confront the threat posed by Reform".

Les told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he "thought it was time for a change".

"This is something we do on a regular, almost annual basis," he said.

"A year ago I asked two people to stand down so two other councillors could take their place."

In his letter to Les confirming his resignation, sent to the 44-strong Conservative group on North Yorkshire Council, Duncan said he had been told the request to stand aside was not peformance-related.

Duncan, who unsuccessfully stood in 2024 as the party's candidate to be the first elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire, wrote he had remained committed to the unity and stability of the group which had been their leading priority.

In the letter to Les, Duncan wrote: "You explained during our conversation that your purpose was to prepare for the future and to make way for new blood.

"I agree that as we approach the election, the next generation will be key to our party's renewal."

Duncan said the party's "greatest strength lies in the wealth of talent and experience we possess across our benches".

"To win in 2027, we must be a dynamic and forward-looking party that inspires the trust of the electorate," he added.

Duncan said a project to realign the A59 at Kex Gill, which had recently been the subject of delays and rising costs, was one of his leading achievements.

In his letter, he added that he had also worked to protect at-risk bus routes, and had drawn up proposals to extend free parking to every town in North Yorkshire.

Les said he would confirm a replacement for Duncan in due course, but already had someone in mind.

When asked by the LDRS if he was concerned about the political impact of the move, Les said it had been done to allow other members of the group to develop.

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