General Election: Who's who in the fight for the Thirsk and Malton constituency

The candidate will replace former Tory MP for Thirsk and Malton Anne McIntosh, who was de-selected by her party last year.

The battle for the seat has increased as two candidates, John Clark and Philip Tate, announced they would be standing shortly before nominations closed.

Alan Avery, of Pickering, is standing for the Labour Party, John Clark, of Cropton, for the Liberal Party and Kevin Hollinrake is standing for the Conservative Party.

Philip Tate, of Butterwick, is the Independent candidate, Di Keal, of Norton, is standing for the Liberal Democrats, Toby Horton for Ukip and Chris Newsam, of West Heslerton for the Green Party.

Polling will take place between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 7. The verification of ballot papers and counting of votes begins at 10pm on Thursday at Malton Community Sports Centre, Broughton Road.

Meanwhile, Ryedale District Council and local parish councillors are calling for more people to fill parish vacancies.

About 67 of Ryedale’s 91 parish councils will have no elections on Thursday, May 7, due to a shortage of councillors.

Burythorpe council is five members down and Cropton four while others are short by either one, two or three members to make up numbers.

In Scarborough, no candidates have come forward to stand for one of the nine parishes in the area.

Electoral officers for the authority are now exploring ways to find potential parish councillors in the North York Moors National Park villages of Hutton Mulgrave, Ugthorpe, Goathland, Harwood Dale, Suffield-cum-Everley and Sneaton, as well as at Primrose Valley, and Whitby town’s Ruswarp and North wards.

In contrast, some parish councils across Ryedale have more candidates than seats. These include Allerston, Great and Little Barugh, Helmsley, Huttons Ambo, Kirby Grindalythe and Scagglethorpe. There will also be elections for Thorton-le-Dale, Weaverthorpe, and West Heslerton parish councils.

Ryedale District Council has said that it will be looking to help recruit additional members to fill the vacancies.

Who is who in the fight for the constituency

Di Keal – Lib Dem

Di has lived in the area for 25 years with husband Howard, where they have brought up three daughters. She works full time as a media manager for the Alzheimer’s Society covering the North of England.

She has been a town councillor for 14 years and district councillor for 10 years, building a reputation for listening to the views of local people and campaigning on the issues that matte.

She has fought for people of all ages to help protect communities from flooding, provide new and improved leisure services, lobbied for better health care and encouraged young people to get involved in local projects, such as the Ryedale Foodbank.

Battles for the future include fighting to protect our schools, jobs and the NHS and against the threat of fracking.

Our constituency needs an MP to fight its corner, and I am standing on my track record of campaigning for local people as evidence of a commitment that no other General Election candidate can match.

Kevin Hollinrake – Conservative

Kevin was born and brought up in the Easingwold area, where he lives with his wife, Nikky, four children and three dogs.

Kevin’s father was the milkman in Easingwold and his mum a social worker. He is a keen sportsman, playing cricket for Easingwold for more than 30 years, rugby union for York RI and golf at Easingwold Golf Club.

Kevin started Hunters estate agency in 1992, which now has more than 130 branches nationwide.

Asked why he decided to enter politics, Kevin said: “It’s a lifetime ambition. My parents encouraged us to take an interest in politics and current affairs and to share our opinions around the dining room table. I did not want to be a career politician, I first wanted to prove I could be a success in business and I believe that this gives me the credibility and experience to be able to help improve things at a local and national level.

“As a local man, I feel that I am well placed to understand the needs and nature of the people of the constituency.”

Chris Newsam – Green Party

Chris does not come from a ‘traditional” political background. He is married to Janice and lives in West Heslerton.

He has six children and seven grandchildren and in has working life has done many things, some successful, and some not so. He said: “I hope I have learnt by my mistakes and that I can empathise with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I’m in many respects an ordinary man. But, that’s the point, I’ve come to realise that we’re all both ordinary and extraordinary.”

He joined the party over a decade ago, because, he said, he wanted to see a different world and not more of the same. He said: “There are many things that are beautiful and inspiring, but much that needs protecting and there is much that isn’t okay. We live in an unequal and divided world, our environment is under pressure and threat, our public services and the ethos of working for the common good are diminishing. I have a dream – policies and passion for a sustainable world – and I want to share them.”

Alan Avery – Labour Party

Alan first began campaigning for Labour in North Hull in the 1966 General Election.

He had a career in the Army, serving in Germany and the Falkland Islands as well as the UK.

He retired to Pickering in 1986 and set up his own business, the Blackthorn Press, which publishes history and English literature.

He has been chairman and vice-chairman of the constituency and represented the Labour Party on Pickering Town Council.

He has also stood for the party at district and county elections, as well as being a school governor for two local schools.

Alan is married to Anne and they have three sons and two grandchildren.

Alan identified some priorities for the constituency, including: increasing the number of high skill jobs; making public transport more accessible and affordable; improving the road and rail infrastructure; making access to the health services a priority and increasing the minimum wage.

Toby Horton – UKIP

Toby was a student at Westminster School and then gained an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics at Christ Church, Oxford.

His media career includes helping to found Minster FM in York and Yorkshire Coast Radio in Scarborough.

His political career includes fighting Tony Blair as Conservative candidate in Sedgefield and being William Hague’s constituency chairman in Richmond.

He joined UKIP in 2006.

He said: “The British membership of the EU, with its open borders costs about £20bn a year, overseas aid is 0.7 per cent of GNP and costs about £13bn a year, same-sex marriage has profound consequences for our schools and for religious freedom, and there is the Climate Change Act, with an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions when our population is heading towards 100 million. The cost of these policies will be partly funded by the dismantling of our Armed Forces. It’s a question of national survival and on May 7 the decision should be very simple.”

Philip Tate –Independent

Philip has lived and worked in the county all his life. He is married with five daughters. For more than 30 years he has built small housing developments with which for 10 years he combined livestock farming – Aberdeen Angus beef and Berkshire pigs.

He said he wants to protect Yorkshire from fracking. “This election will almost certainly result in another coalition with either Labour or Conservative as the major party joining forces with whatever party it can strike a deal with.

“Our way of life is seriously threatened by the development of hundreds of fracking wells.

“There are growing numbers of local people who recognise the danger and who want to regain control of a planning system that is prepared to sacrifice our wellbeing. Fracking has a high price tag. The authority of an MP opposed to fracking will add serious weight to the campaign of resistance.

“We must insist on a moratorium on fracking and we must decide what mix of energy we want to use in the future.”

John Clark – Liberal Party

John Clark said: “We are in a financial mess. It is, however, less than the amount caused by the Second World War. In 1946, the debt was spread over 60 years. That done, successive governments built hospitals, schools and millions of houses; they invested in the future.

“This present debt was caused by mismanagement and greed of the bankers. Unlike in 1946, the present ConDem government is trying to reduce the debt by not investing in the NHS, cutting support to the weak, the vulnerable and ill. Meanwhile, bankers and chief executives of the biggest companies still have massive pay increases, bonuses and are given a cut in taxes.

“Some of the policies needed include the reversal of privatisation of the NHS, utilities, water, electricity, gas, railways and Royal Mail. There should also be a Minimum Guaranteed Farmgate Price for farmers and more affordable housing.

“The Liberals completely oppose all fracking – it’s a threat to water quality, health, farming and tourism.”