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01

Mar 2021

Last Updated: 26/02/2021
Politics
Politics

MPs watch: vaccines, coup d'etats and aphrodisiac takeaways

by Thomas Barrett

| 01 Mar, 2021
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Andrew Jones published his annual report for 2020 which included facts and figures related to his last year in office. He wrote on his website that many copies had been emailed rather than posted as he "does not believe volunteer political leaflet delivery is an essential journey".

harrogate-mps-nigel-adams-andrew-jones-julian-smith
Harrogate MPs Nigel Adams, Andrew Jones and Julian Smith.

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 February the vaccination programme galloped ahead and prime minister Boris Johnson announced the UK's roadmap out of lockdown.

We asked the district's Conservative MPs- Harrogate & Knaresborough's Andrew Jones, 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.



In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:


  • The MP published his annual report for 2020 which included facts and figures related to his last year in office. He wrote on his website that many copies had been emailed rather than posted as he "does not believe volunteer political leaflet delivery is an essential journey".

  • On February 2 Andrew Jones called for a debate in parliament about the conference industry after seeing the "real hardship" his constituents have faced.

  • On February 12 Mr Jones wrote on his website that by that point 175,000 vaccinations had been delivered in North Yorkshire and York.

  • Mr Jones chaired a Parliamentary Export Programme webinar, which included a talk from Greg Hatton from Harrogate Spring Water. 'Exporting is fun!', the MP told participants.

  • On February 24, The MP voted down an amendment to the Fire Safety Bill which would have banned leaseholders from being forced to pay for cladding remediation works.

  • Writing on his website on February 22, Mr Jones praised the government for the vaccination rollout. He wrote: "Although locked down with our everyday lives much restricted there is a palpable sense of relief in the air."






Read more:



  • Harrogate district MPs claim £536,000 in expenses last year

  • MPs watch 2020: the year of coronavirus, Brexit and free school meals








In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:


  • At PMQs on February 10, Mr Smith asked prime minister Boris Johnson how the UK's vaccine supply chain will cope if the virus mutates. In his response, Mr Johnson said the UK is going to have to get used to the idea of vaccinating and then revaccinating in the autumn as it faces new variants.

  • 7 of Mr Smith's 11 tweets in February were related to Northern Ireland. February 13 marks a year since he was sacked by the prime minister as Northern Ireland secretary.

  • Mr Smith announced on Twitter that his father-in-law has gifted him and his wife an ‘aphrodisiac themed’ take away meal to be delivered on Valentine’s Day.

  • The MP asked people in Ripon to contribute to a consultation on flood defences following Storm Cristophe.

  • On his Facebook page, he said the £60m scheme to improve the Kex Gill section of the A59 was "brilliant news" for Skipton and Ripon.




In rural south Harrogate, he is what we found on Mr Adams:


  • The Minister for Asia twice summoned the Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn to his office following the country's military coup earlier this month. On February 23 he tweeted: "The increasing use of violence & force against protesters by the security forces is completely reprehensible & must stop".

  • Mr Adams paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore following his death at the age of 100. He wrote: “RIP. A true British hero".

  • The MP praised the BBC for showing a film of the rock band Muse. "Fantastic", he tweeted.

  • In written ministerial answers, Mr Adams discussed foreign powers and fake news. He wrote: "We know that certain states routinely use disinformation as a foreign policy tool and we all have our doubts about the objectivity of the reporting of RT, including through their UK television channel, which remains a tool of propaganda for the Russian State."