13 candidates to contest local parliamentary by-election

Thirteen candidates will contest the Selby and Ainsty parliamentary by-election next month.

Nominations for candidates closed on Friday and voters will go to the polls on Thursday, July 20.

All 13, except the Conservative candidate Claire Holmes, are male.

This will be the first local election to require photo ID following recent changes introduced to prevent fraud.

The candidates are:

Although Selby and Ainsty is centred on Selby and reaches almost as far south as Pontefract, its northern portion includes Spofforth and many of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton and Tockwith.

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

The by-election has been called following the resignation of Conservative MP Nigel Adams, who had held the seat since 2010. The Tories will be defending a 20,137 majority.

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The electorate in the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters will need to bring photographic identification to be able to vote.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence, full or provisional, a UK passport or a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, or any of the Channel Islands, and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.  You can do so here.

You can register to vote here.

More information on the by-election is available here.

Yemi’s Food Stories: Making the most of honey

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing cooking tips– please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.  

 

The past couple of weekends have been full of food adventures involving honey which is always a staple in my kitchen, given its many health benefits.

From having lemon-ginger-honey drink to stave off a chest infection, drinking honey and balsamic vinegar water before bed, to replacing sugar in many savoury and sweet dishes.

Louisa’s honey has been a feature in my past two weekends as I got to work with other chefs to create dishes using their many varieties of honey including the Acacia Ginger, Coriander, Lime, Citrus, the award winning Bosco, Acacia and Chestnut honey.

Food allows one to be creative and there’s nothing better than creating on the fly without recipes. The first event required the chefs including Gennaro Contaldo,  of ‘Two Hungry Italians’,  to create dishes from a range of different vegetables and meat with access to wood fired pizza oven, multiple wood fired grills and stoves.

The beetroot immediately caught my eye. I put some beetroots on the open fire and while they were roasting, I finely sliced some red onions and cooked them in olive oil with grated ginger and some pink Himalayan salt. Once the onions were deeply caramelised, I grated and added the roasted beetroots and finished this with black pepper, whiskey balsamic vinegar and ginger honey.

This is a simple and quick relish to make and goes really well with grilled meat, burgers, hummus and flat bread.

I then cooked a spatchcock quail dish using a simple marinade of Bosco honey which has a woody and intense flavour mixed with fresh oregano and thyme, lemon juice, grated habanero chilli, salt and olive oil. This was a real crowd pleasing dish ( see image below) and all it took on a really hot grill was about 9 minutes depending on the size of the quail.

My final savoury dish was squid cooked with some shallots, roasted peppers, Louisa’s lime honey, chilli, lime juice and fresh herbs. This was a really quick dish and one that I would recommend for a mid week dinner. Squid is a protein that needs to either be flash cooked in 2 – 3 minutes or slow cooked for hours.

This would be perfect as a side dish, topping for salad, couscous, rice, or an appetiser whilst waiting for the main meal. It’s a healthier alternative to battered squid rings.

The following weekend found me and a few other chefs at the BBC Good Food show in Birmingham,  where I created a couple of honey inspired savoury canapes – toasted sourdough topped with prosciutto, drizzle of acacia honey, fresh thyme and micro herbs. The second one was toasted sourdough  topped with labneh which is a strained cheese, sundried tomatoes, a drizzle of acacia honey and micro basil. I find the saltiness of the tomatoes and the sweetness of the honey make for one of those marriages made in heaven.

My dessert creations included carrot, ginger and coconut cake using Bosco and Ginger honey, strawberries and cream canape with ginger honey and chestnut honey crumb, whiskey balsamic and citrus honey macerated strawberries served with mascarpone on sourdough cracker.

My final creation inspired by middle eastern flavours was sourdough cracker topped with mascarpone, roasted pistachios, citrus honey and rose petals and this was tasted and complimented by Katy Truss from Fabulous Food Finds.

I hope you do more with the honey in your cupboard and you don’t just relegate it to being a drinks sweetener or toast topping. Try some of the amazing honey products that our local shops have to offer and have a go at making marinades, cocktails, sauces and bakes.

If  you want to catch Yemi in action she will be giving a demonstration at The Harrogate Food Festival today at 4pm. 

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Harrogate man to stand as independent in Selby and Ainsty by-election

Harrogate solicitor Andrew Gray announced today he will stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Selby and Ainsty by-election.

Today is the deadline for candidates to put their names forward for the by-election, which will take place on July 20 following the resignation of Conservative Nigel Adams.

Mr Gray is a solicitor who founded the Harrogate law firm Truth Legal in 2012 before a management buyout in 2022.

He said he was standing due to his “dissatisfaction with the current state of British politics” and pledged to  engage with local people using artificial intelligence to find out what they wanted.

Mr Gray said he will use Polis AI to do this, adding AI has been used abroad in politics but this will be the first time it has been adopted in a UK election.

Polis AI allows users to anonymously submit short text statements or comments, which are then sent out randomly to other participants who can click to agree, disagree or pass.

Mr Gray said:

“I want to find these consensus points and use them as my policies.

“My only policy is to take my policies from the people.

“That’s what a representative ought to do.”

Mr Gray has previously been involved as a Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat activist, as well running the non-profit Crowd Wisdom Project which has used Polis AI since 2021.

The system will be used in every town and village within the constituency to gauge a general consensus, as well as cross-constituency conversations to discuss national issues.

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Mr Gray said:

“If elected, I will vote in Parliament in accordance with the consensus of the constituency.

“On election, the conversations will continue, and I will vote in Parliament as per the changing desires of my electorate, which means that I can respond to change quickly.

“If mandated, I will vote for the government, or against, or abstain.

“Therefore, by electing me, my constituents are getting more democracy, more power in their hands. Selby and Ainsty will be the country’s bellwether constituency.”

He added:

“Although there is some history in my family in politics, I want to be seen as not so much a political candidate, but a candidate for positive change.

“There is so much that we agree upon: let’s start there. I’m optimistic. Our many problems are fixable.

“Things simply can’t stay as they are. Many of us are rolling our eyes at what is going on in Westminster. Traditional party politics need consigning to the dustbin of history.”

 

Boroughbridge performers pick a pocket or two

Boroughbridge theatre company, The Hightimers,  are returning to the stage this weekend with a new performance of Oliver Twist.

The Hightimers are named after Boroughbridge High School where they held their first performances back in 1985.

Director, Marlo Lomas, described the company as a family, with many members joining as kids before growing in experience and talent and landing bigger roles.

The company has got “bigger and bigger”  according to Lomas and have members ranging from 8-80 years old playing a part in the production.

Oliver Twist was picked as it combines the talents of both younger and more senior actors.

Christopher Bishop, playing the titular Oliver was described as “incredible” by Lomas. He compared his singing voice as “identical” to Kathe Green’s, the woman who’s voice was dubbed over the boy Oliver in the 1968 film version “Oliver!”

The theatre’s previous performances include Grease and Cinderella.

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Performances at Coronation Hall in Boroughbridge are on every Friday and Saturday until 1 July. You find tickets here starting at £10 with concession tickets available.

They’re a self-funded organisation with the profits going towards future productions and local charities.

Hightimers Oliver Twist debuting this weekend.

Hightimers Oliver Twist debuting this weekend.

 

 

 

Business Breakfast: £660m investment fund to be launched

Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers.  At the next Stray Ferret Business Club  we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy. 

The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A £660 million investment fund to support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in northern England is set to be launched early next year.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will offer a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million.

The fund, which is being launched by the British Business Bank  will address a funding gap in the north and increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses.

Ken Cooper, managing director of venture solutions at the British Business Bank, said the launch of the fund “will further increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in the region, providing finance for firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance”.

Mr Cooper added:

“We know that the levels of private debt lending and equity investment in the north of England remain below expectations given the region’s share of the UK’s smaller business population and that is something this next generation of the fund will continue to address by backing ambitious businesses that will drive sustainable economic growth.”

The fund will operate across three tiers: smaller loans (£25,000 to £100,000), debt (£100,000 to £2 million) and equity (up to £5 million).

Transdev offers free military bus travel

Bus operator Transdev, which includes the Harrogate Bus Company, is offering free travel for Yorkshire’s serving military and veterans on Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

All journeys on the bus firm’s network will be free throughout the day to current forces personnel, cadet volunteers and veterans from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Armed Forces Day in June each year salutes the service of men and women in the military.

Those eligible must show a forces ID card, wear their uniform or display their medals.

 

Cost of living crisis prompts Boroughbridge café to close

A Boroughbridge cafe has announced it will close its doors for good within the next two weeks.

Fourth Stone Café serves breakfasts and brunches on Church Lane.

The business, which has been open for 18 months, posted the news on its Facebook page this week.

It cited the cost of living crisis and rising prices as factors in its decision.

Jack Pinder, the owner, said on Facebook:

“It is with a heavy heart I am having to write this.

“Unfortunately, we will be open for only the next two weeks before closing our doors for good on Saturday, July 1.
“The cost of living crisis and continued rises in cost, have caught up with us and like so many small businesses it means we can no longer continue to carry on.

“This has not been an easy decision to make but sometimes you have to acknowledge when enough is enough, not just financially but also for the good of your own wellbeing!”

The post prompted numerous messages of support. One customer said:

“It’s so sad to see such a wonderful business close.”

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Knaresborough man to contest local by-election for Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have selected NHS worker Matt Walker as their candidate for the forthcoming Selby and Ainsty by-election.

Mr Walker was brought up in Knaresborough, just outside the Selby and Ainsty constituency boundary, and currently represents the Knaresborough West division on North Yorkshire Council.

He previously campaigned to be the Lib Dems’ candidate for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency at the next General Election, but Tom Gordon was selected instead.

A manager in the National Health Service who has raised funds for charities in Harrogate, Mr Walker said he will be putting the NHS at the top of his concerns during the by-election. 

He said:  

“As a candidate I will be a passionate campaigner for the area, listening to residents’ views and championing their issues.  

“Residents across Selby and Ainsty have been let down, our NHS is on its knees. In my professional life I am a manager in the NHS, and in one of my previous roles I spent time managing the GP out-of-hours and minor injuries unit at Selby Memorial Hospital. I’ve seen first hand just how amazing our NHS is and just how much damage the Conservatives have done to it.  

“The Liberal Democrats will be fighting for every vote at this election. Whether it’s the crisis in our NHS or the cost of living, the government has taken North Yorkshire for granted for too long and it’s time for a change.” 

The Lib Dems polled just 4.5% of the vote in the 2019 election, which Nigel Adams won with a majority of 20,137 for the Conservatives.

Mr Adams’ decision to resign triggered the by-election, which will be held on Thursday, July 20. 

The other candidates declared so far are: for the Green Party, Arnold Warneken, the councillor for Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council; for the Labour Party, Keir Mather, a senior public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); for the Conservative Party, barrister and East Riding of Yorkshire councillor Claire Holmes; for the pro-Brexit Reform Party, David Kent; and for the Yorkshire Party, Mike Jordan, whose defection from the Conservatives earlier this month lost the party its majority on North Yorkshire Council.

Tyler Callum Wilson-Kerr, a councillor for Aberford & District Parish Council and former Yorkshire Party member, has also confirmed he will stand as an independent. The youngest candidate in the field, he will be campaigning on a platform of devolution, sustainable energy, tenants’ rights, social housing, and the abolition of tuition fees.

Although Selby and Ainsty is centred on Selby and reaches almost as far south as Pontefract, its northern portion includes Spofforth and many of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton and Tockwith.

Photo ID required to vote

In a statement, North Yorkshire Council said anyone interested in becoming a candidate in the Selby and Ainsty by-election must submit a completed set of nomination forms before the deadline at 4pm this Friday (June 23).

Residents of the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote. If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station for the by-election will need to bring photographic identification, such as a UK photocard driving licence, a passport, or concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID should apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.

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Local MPs vote in favour of Privileges Committee report

The two local Conservative MPs voted in support of a report last night that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs over lockdown parties.

The Commons backed the report by 354 votes to seven — however 225 MPs either abstained or did not turn up to vote, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Andrew Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon, were among the 118 Tories who supported the report by parliament’s Privileges Committee.

Mr Smith tweeted afterwards “upholding the rules of parliament is key to our democracy”.

Tonight I voted to support the cross party privileges committee report. Boris Johnson did a number of positive things as Prime Minister, but upholding the rules of parliament is key to our democracy https://t.co/YFJIsOs1zU

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) June 19, 2023

 

Mr Jones indicated his intentions last week when he said:

“I called for the Privileges Committee investigation into this issue and I have supported its work.  I will be voting on Monday to accept their recommendations in full.”

The cross-party committee’s report found Mr Johnson committed repeated offences when he said covid rules had been followed at No 10 at all times.

The Selby and Ainsty constituency, which covers part of the Harrogate district, does not currently have an MP following Nigel Adams’ resignation.

A by-election will take place on July 20.

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Business Breakfast: Yorkshire and Humber see growth in foreign investment

Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers.  At the next Stray Ferret Business Club  we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy. 

The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Yorkshire and the Humber attracted fifty one foreign investment projects last year, up from a total of 40 in 2021, according to consultancy firm Ernst & Young.

EY’s ‘attractiveness survey’ showed the region was the UK’s sixth-best performing. Its share of UK FDI projects increased to 5.5% from 4.0%, despite the UK seeing a 6% fall in project numbers.

The survey analyses the attractiveness of a particular region or country as an investment destination. It is designed to help businesses make investment decisions and governments remove barriers to growth.

The region’s strong performance was driven by growth in key sectors, including machinery and equipment, utility supply, and health and social work. sales and business services, manufacturing and logistics.

Stephen Church, EY’s North Market Leader, said:

“Amid a strong year for the North on FDI, Yorkshire and the Humber’s results stand out as exceptional. After a few years of falling project numbers, it’s very encouraging to see the region deliver a significant increase in projects and a strong performance on investment attractiveness relative to the rest of the UK. A positive performance on FDI-supported jobs in 2022 suggests Yorkshire has been able to do well not just on project volume, but on project value too.

“With sustainability and climate change high on investors’ agendas, clean technology is an increasingly important investment focus, providing the UK with the opportunity to play to its regional strengths. Expertise in manufacturing and utilities – key sectors here in Yorkshire – will be crucial to any efforts by the UK to establish itself as a place where clean technology is not just deployed, but also developed and built too.”

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Vida Court, the third care home of Harrogate-based specialist dementia care provider Vida Healthcare, has been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

All of Vida’s three specialist care homes have now been awarded an Outstanding rating.

The inspection highlighted the exceptional dementia care that is provided. Staff’s exceptional creativity when following best practice guidance was applauded. Person-centred care is prevalent throughout the service, and this includes how people wish to be cared for at the end of their lives and approaching difficult conversations.

Sharon Oldfield, Vida Court Home Manager at Vida Healthcare, said:

“We are extremely proud of the Vida Court team. It is a privilege to work with people who are so focused on enriching residents’ lives and providing the highest quality of care. We are delighted that our inclusive and open working environment, alongside the hard work and creativity of our team has been recognised by the CQC.

“We are committed to developing, promoting and implementing innovative methods of care to deliver an outstanding service to our residents”.

James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, commented:

“The commitment of the team at Vida Court, highlighted in the inspection report, is what makes our service outstanding. Securing an Outstanding rating for all of our care homes is an incredible achievement, and really sets us apart from other care home operators in the UK. Our staff are our greatest asset and I would like to thank them all for their dedication. “

Vida Court has recently opened a specialist unit to support people living with Huntington’s disease.

Staff at Vida Court celebrate the homes CQC Outstanding status

Tories select replacement candidate for Selby and Ainsty by-election

The Conservative Party has selected its new candidate for the forthcoming Selby and Ainsty by-election following the shock withdrawal last week of its previous nominee. 

Claire Holmes, a barrister and East Riding of Yorkshire councillor, will contest the seat in place of Michael Naughton, who quit the race due to an “unforeseen family medical emergency”. 

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Holmes said:

“I know right now people want an MP who’ll only focus on improving our local communities across Selby and Ainsty – not on political point-scoring in Westminster. 

“That means I will work with Rishi Sunak and the government on our five clear priorities: halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting hospital waiting lists and stopping the boats.” 

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of MP Nigel Adams, who was first elected in 2010 and has since held several ministerial posts under prime ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson. He was nominated by Mr Johnson for a peerage, but did not make the final list. 

Mr Adams had already said he would not contest the seat at the next election, but stepped down immediately after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation in the wake of the cross-party Privileges Committee report into the Partygate scandal that he had misled Parliament. 

The by-election in Selby and Ainsty will be held on Thursday, July 20, the same day as the by-election in Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency. 

The other candidates declared so far are: for the Green Party, Arnold Warneken, the councillor for Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council; for the Labour Party, Keir Mather, a senior public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); and for the Yorkshire Party, Mike Jordan, whose defection from the Conservatives earlier this month lost the party its majority on North Yorkshire Council. 

The Liberal Democrats are due to announce their candidate this week, but are not expected to campaign heavily in the constituency ahead of the ballot, in order not to split the anti-Tory vote. In 2019 they only won 8.6% of the vote in the constituency, compared with Labour’s 24.6%. 

The Conservatives, however, won 60.3% of the vote, giving them a 20,137 majority, which means that Labour will need a huge swing of 18% to win, according to Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde. 

Photo ID required to vote

In a statement, North Yorkshire Council said that anyone interested in becoming a candidate in the Selby and Ainsty by-election must submit a completed set of nomination forms before the deadline at 4pm this Friday (June 23).

Residents of the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote. If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station for the by-election will need to bring photographic identification, such as a UK photocard driving licence, a passport, or concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID should apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.

Read more: