Graeme Hitchen (Lab): Graeme has lived in Bradley since 1995 and has helped to raise funds for a new village playground as well as being a parent governor of South Craven School.

He is a retired RAF officer who now works in Sheffield, managing a new technology business that has emerged out of the university.

He says: “I am passionate about education, which is the largest spending item of North Yorkshire County Council. Education gives all people of all ages an opportunity in life. Fair access to education is essential to any community and for too long we have not seen that in our area. The need to be coached to pass the 11-plus exam is so commonplace and expensive that our grammar schools have not given the opportunity to the lower income children for many years. NYCC seems oblivious to the great damage this causes.”

Patrick Mulligan (Cons): Patrick has lived in Elslack with his family for 10 years and has been a county councillor for four years.

Patrick regularly attends parish council meetings and is passionate about ensuring its residents get a good service. This has included a successful campaign with local people to save the Bradley bus service, rebuilding Ridge Mill Bridge in Cowling and supporting funding for a host of projects in our villages, such as the Cononley play area and village hall improvements. 

At the county council, he has served on the pension fund and the children and young persons overview and scrutiny committee, which he enjoyed having been a secondary school teacher in the past. Most recently, Patrick has taken up the chairmanship of the audit committee and has also served as treasurer of Rural Action Yorkshire.

Mark Wheeler (Lib Dem): Married with three children, Mark is a self-employed retail consultant and lives in Cross Hills. He is chairman of governors at Glusburn Community Primary School. He has represented the Aire Valley ward at Craven Council since 2002.

“It is a role I have undertaken conscientiously,” he says. “The enthusiasm and energy I put into this role I would like to extend to being a county councillor. I have a good track record of getting things done for local residents and would like the opportunity to do this at county council level. I live in the area and am passionate about the issues that affect our villages. In 2005 I was honoured to be elected as your county councillor. I hope my commitment, knowledge and experience as both a district and county councillor has fully met your expectations and you will place your trust in me at the county council elections.”