Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.
In June, a planned covid ‘freedom day’ was delayed and the district was gripped by Euro 2020 fever.
We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but we did not receive a response from any of them.
Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.
Andrew Jones, Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.
In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:
- The Harrogate & Knaresborough MP was spotted campaigning for the Conservatives ahead of the Batley & Spen by-election on five different occasions. He was photographed eating fish and chips with Tory candidate Ryan Stevenson.
- On June 16 he voted to extend coronavirus restrictions until July 19. There were 23 Tory rebels.
- On the same day in the House of Commons, he asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, about the continuation of business support grants with the delay in easing restrictions.
- The MP told the BBC’s Local Democracy Service that he would be “very sad” to lose around 1,500 voters in a proposed boundary shake-up.
- On June 17 he chaired a Department for International Trade meeting that offered advice to Yorkshire businesses on trading internationally.
- Mr Jones was quoted on his community “news” website discussing the improving retail occupancy rates in the Harrogate district. He said: “These have been difficult times and we are still not through them. Retail and hospitality are going to face ongoing challenges but these figures are positive and an improving position on much of the last few years”.
- Mr Jones did not update his website in June.
- The MP attended Harrogate Grammar School with Conservative councillors to meet pupils and celebrate Walk to School Day.
Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Ripon and Skipton.
- Mr Smith posted on Twitter that he had also been campaigning in Batley & Spen for the Conservatives. “Great feedback on the doorstep”, he tweeted.
- He tweeted that he has given talks at 15 schools in his constituency over the past few months. Schools included Beckwithshaw and Kirkby Malzard primary schools.
- The MP posted on Facebook that it was “great to be back” in Pateley Bridge, as he was photographed inspecting a David Bowie film poster at Tordoff Gallery.
- He also visited Stump Cross Caverns, which raised over £70,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign that gave pledgers the chance to win a camper van.
- The Boundary Commission proposed changes to Mr Smiths’ constituency that would see him lose Bishop Monkton and Burton Leonard.
- During a Commons debate about the Northern Ireland protocol, the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland called for “compromise on both sides” following months of unrest in Belfast. Mr Smith has spoken in Parliament on six occasions this year, with five of them being about Northern Ireland.
Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.
In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:
- The Minister for Asia condemned the closure of Hong Kong pro-democracy news outlet Apple Daily. He tweeted that it was “another chilling step towards silencing opposition voices.”
- The MP sarcastically praised former speaker John Bercow after he defected to the Labour Party from the Conservatives. He tweeted: “I’m sure he will be a great asset to them given his popularity with the great British public.”
- In the Commons, Mr Adams said the UK government “does not shy from taking action” against China over human rights abuses.
- The Boundary Commission proposed changes to Mr Adams’ constituency that would see him lose all areas within the Harrogate district.
Read more:
- MPs watch: Timid flowers, Eurovision and Knaresborough banks
- MPs watch: third jobs, dining on the Stray and vaccination passports
