IT is a great honour to have been elected as the North Yorkshire County Councillor for the Ribblesdale division, and to have received such a strong mandate from my fellow residents.

While I am overwhelmed by the result, it comes with a degree of sadness due to the circumstances which have brought me to this point.

So I will once again pay tribute to my predecessor, friend and mentor Cllr Richard Welch, who will be fondly remembered for his dedication to representing residents and protecting the Dales way of life and values.

I will look to his example and aspire to meet the challenges ahead.

Going forward, I will look to promote the interests of Ribblesdale division residents as we move into the as yet unknown unitary future for local government and emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.

I will bring the same dedication to the cause of residents I have given and will continue to as district councillor for Settle and Ribblebanks .

Finally I would like to thank those who have helped me through this campaign including friends, family and of course the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Association, who have worked tirelessly to promote myself and my fellow Conservative candidates and coordinate the numerous volunteers who gave their time freely to bring my message to your doorstep.

Thank you all.

Cllr David Staveley

Giggleswick