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07
Jul 2022
Harrogate county councillor calls for 'major change' in politics as Prime Minister resigns
A Green Party councillor in the Harrogate district has spoken out about the state of politics following the Prime Minister's resignation today.
Arnold Warneken, who was elected to the Ouseburn division of North Yorkshire County Council in May, said it was time for an overhaul of the political system in order to restore faith.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, he said:
Cllr Warneken pointed to the recent results in the local elections in North Yorkshire as a sign of the public's appetite for change. The Conservatives went from a significant majority in the county to winning 47 of the 90 seats to secure a slender majority.
He said he wanted to see proportional representation introduced, ensuring the political make-up of Parliament was more representative. He added:
Cllr Arnold Warneken
Cllr Warneken was critical of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, saying he only spoke out against the Prime Minister after it became clear his position was untenable.
The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Jones for a response to the accusation, but has not received a response.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Mr Jones has written to constituents to say he had hoped the prime minister might have “changed his behaviours” following last month’s vote of confidence.
However, Mr Jones added it is “clear” that “the same old process of the truth being reached through the most tortuous of processes” has followed. He said:
Mr Jones added he now looks forward to a “calmer, honest and transparent approach to our national politics” after the prime minister announced his resignation outside No 10 this afternoon.
There has been no word from Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, on the situation.
Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, has not responded to requests for comment from the Stray Ferret, but earlier today he took to Twitter to praise civil servants.
https://twitter.com/JulianSmithUK/status/1544990531062734849?s=20&t=DmAIW14ZDVcu9d3UgYfZAg
Read more:
- Ripon MP: Prime Minister causing 'constitutional crisis' by refusing to resign
- Andrew Jones MP calls on Boris Johnson to resign
The local Labour party has called for the Prime Minister to step down immediately, rather than waiting for a leadership contest in the autumn, as has been announced.
In a statement, the party said:
Cllr Warneken agreed, saying by continuing, Boris Johnson was "causing more chaos and more damage to society through ill thought-out policies and laws".
He said the impact was being felt in North Yorkshire, where plans to set up the new unitary council had been affected by the lead-up to Mr Johnson's resignation.
Council officers had worked "really, really hard" but were unable to make as much progress as they had hoped while Whitehall civil servants were tied up dealing with the crisis, he said.
With the summer recess looming, a caretaker Prime Minister was not sufficient to ensure the country could function effectively, said Cllr Warneken, adding:
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