Disabled bus pass time restrictions scrapped after almost two-year long campaign by Tom Gordon MP

Liberal Democrats have won a decisive victory in the Coppice Valley Town Council by-election, with Cllr McManus taking 61.2% of the vote - increasing their vote on last years local election by +21.2 points.

The result confirms what voters in Harrogate have been saying on the doorstep for months: this is now a straight fight between the Liberal Democrats and Reform.

The Conservatives had continued to collapse, while Reform UK finished second on 15.6%.

Turnout was 30.7%.

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough said:

“Thank you to everyone in Coppice Valley who voted Liberal Democrat last night - including the many who normally back other parties but lent us their vote to the Lib Dems to keep Reform out.

“Rebecca McManus will be a fantastic local community champion. The trust people have shown in Rebecca and our party means everything, and we won’t take it for granted.

“This result shows just how irrelevant the Conservative Party has become in Harrogate.

“Under Kemi Badenoch, the Tories have chased Reform to the hard right, and voters can no longer tell the difference between the two parties.

“People here want a party that will stand up for our community, not one chasing headlines on the far-right fringes of British politics.

Again and again, voters are telling us that the Liberal Democrats are the only ones who can actually beat Reform in Harrogate - and last night they proved it.”

The Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough had been due to force a second Commons vote on the change this September

The new Burnham Government adopts campaign policy of Tom Gordon just weeks before the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough was due to force a second Commons vote on it - a huge win for campaigners.

Under the current rules, disabled pass holders in most of England cannot travel free before 9.30am on weekdays, in some areas including North Yorkshire the time restriction kicks in at 9am. Mr Gordon has argued these time restrictions make it harder to get to work, education, hospital appointments and drop off children at school.

Mr Gordon was due to table a Ten-Minute Rule Bill when Parliament returns in September, which would have forced MPs to vote on the issue for the second time in two years. In September 2025, MPs - including Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport - voted against his amendment to the Bus Services Bill to the same effect.

In December 2025, Tom hosted a roundtable in Parliament attended by Andy Burnham, the then Mayor of Greater Manchester implemented the policy soon after.

The campaign began after a constituency event with the charity Disability Action, where the 9am restriction across North Yorkshire was raised with Tom during a Q&A.

Since then the MP has brought both an adjournment debate, raised the issue in Westminster Hall debates, pressured Ministers at Transport questions, launched a petition to Parliament, and met the Bus Minister, Simon Lightwood, to argue the case.

Tom said:

“Disabilities don’t start at 9 o’clock, neither should disabled bus passes and soon enough they won’t. This is a huge win for the disabled community.

"This is the culmination of two years of campaigning, and it belongs to the disabled people in Harrogate, Knaresborough and across the country who told me what these restrictions posed financial and physical barriers.

“A bus pass you can't use at peak time isn't much use if your shift, your appointment or your lecture starts at nine.

“Disability Action Yorkshire, Waterside Changemakers, Transport For All, Whizz Kids, Labour, Conservative, Green and countless Liberal Democrat MPs and Councillors have all campaigned for this.

Jackie Snape, Chief Executive of Disability Action Yorkshire said:

“We are absolutely delighted to hear that the time restrictions on bus passes for disabled people are to be removed.

“This will make such a difference to disabled people needing to use public transport for work, education, appointments - and getting on with life in general.

“We are indebted to Tom Gordon MP who has fought to have this changed with such compassion and tenacity since hearing first hand from local disabled people how this has adversely affected their lives. What an amazing result!”