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.
September saw MPs return to Parliament after the summer recess. Several important votes took place on issues such as Brexit, the military, and fire safety in high-rise buildings.
We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.
So here is what we know after analysing their online presence.
Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.
In Harrogate and Knaresborough here is what we found on Mr Jones:
- On September 15 and September 29, Mr Jones voted in line with the government on the Internal Markets Bill. The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.
- On his website, Mr Jones called on local politicians at Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to “engage constructively” in the issue of devolution and “think beyond” party political rivalries. He called devolution a “moment of opportunity”.
- The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23. The bill states that prosecutions against overseas military personnel should only take place “in exceptional circumstances”. The former chief of the defence staff, field marshal Lord Guthrie, co-signed a letter to Downing Street that called the bill “disturbing” and said it could lead to immunity from torture prosecutions.
- Mr Jones published information on his website that in August 136,000 meals were sold in Harrogate and Knaresborough through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
- In the House of Commons on September 28, Mr Jones suggested that family visits at care homes could take place behind glass.
- At Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy questions on September 29, Mr Jones raised concerns about Harrogate’s hospitality sector to business secretary Alok Sharma.
- The MP hailed Harrogate Town’s start to life as an EFL club after they beat Southend United 4-0. He wrote on his website: “What a perfect start to the league battle – and away from home too!”
- The parents’ group Ready Steady Mums made contact with Mr Jones who reassured them that they can resume their weekly walks after the government’s rule of six came into place.
- On September 7, Mr Jones voted down recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry as part of the Fire Safety Bill. It would have forced building owners to share information with fire services about building design and materials.
- Mr Jones did not send a single tweet in September.
Read more:
Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.
In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:
- Mr Smith abstained on both Internal Markets Bill votes. He is a former Northern Ireland secretary and opponents of the bill said it could lead to a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
- Mr Smith tweeted 12 times in September.
- On September 28 he tweeted that he has spoken to North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services Richard Webb about how safe visiting can begin again in care homes. The council has asked all care homes in the county to restrict visitors during October.
- The MP visited Ripon Cathedral to view their £6m new design plans which include new toilets, a cafe and the creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir.
- On September 25, Mr Smith was a keynote speaker at The Centre for Cross Border Studies annual conference, which was held online. The organisation aims to “foster practical co-operation” across the Irish border.
- Mr Smith tweeted that he had received an update from Harrogate Borough Council about their plans for “local place-making, transport and sustainability” in new developments in Ripon.
- The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23.
- On September 9, he voted against replacing the coronavirus support schemes for employees and the self-employed with more targeted income support.
Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty
In rural south Harrogate here is what we found on Mr Adams.
- On September 23, the minister for Asia met with the Cambodia ambassador Kan Pharidh to discuss how the two countries can work together on trade.
- On September 14, he met the ambassador for South Korea, Enna Park, where they discussed collaborating on a coronavirus vaccine.
- On Twitter, Mr Adams praised MPs for backing the government’s internal Markets Bill. He tweeted: “Not only have they backed the bill, they’ve backed #Brexit, backed @BorisJohnson and honoured the result of the #EUReferendum and #GE2019″.
- Mr Adams hit out at environmental group Extinction Rebellion after they blocked vehicles from leaving a printing press in London, causing disruption to several national newspapers. He called the group “socialist anarchists masquerading as well-meaning hippies”.
- On September 3, he met with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rights of the Rohingya, which works to support the plight of the persecuted Rohingya population in Myanmar.
- Mr Adams’ website was updated for the first time since April with two updates about Selby.
- He tweeted 13 times in September.
