Harrogate district Conservative MPs, Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams, return to the House of Commons this week after a six-week summer recess.

It is likely to be a busy autumn with key decisions looming on coronavirus, finance and the environment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak face pressure from backbench Tory MPs over proposed tax rises to cover the mounting coronavirus bill for initiatives such as furlough payments and Eat Out to Help Out.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis told The Times it would be "very unwise" to increase taxes because of the "fragile" state of the economy. But Sunak is said to be considering raising corporation tax, reforming pension tax relief and making more people pay capital gains tax.

The Stray Ferret asked our three MPs if they backed tax increases but none had responded by the time of publication.

Read more:

• 
  

  MPs watch – Porsches, refugees and £3,000 an hour jobs

  
  


• 
  

  Strayside Sunday: Pay MPs more and ban outside interests

  
  

Votes on legislation are usually announced with just a few days notice, and there are important bills that our MPs could vote on before Christmas.

Mr Smith, Mr Jones and Adams could be asked to vote on the government's flagship Environment Bill, which would introduce legally binding targets for water, waste and air quality.

The House of Commons will break for the party conference season in September and October — but the pandemic means it will look very different. Our MPs would have headed to the Conservative conference in Birmingham but it has now been cancelled and the event will take place online instead.

A deadline of December 31 for a Brexit trade deal with the European Union is also looming. However, if a deal is agreed MPs won't have a say on it.