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Jun
Tory Julian Smith anticipates tough fight for Skipton and Ripon seat
The Stray Ferret has spoken to all the candidates running for election in the Skipton and Ripon constituency and will be publishing features on each of them. Here, Julian Smith of the Conservative Party talks about what his priorities would be if elected.
Julian Smith is bidding for a fifth consecutive victory in the Skipton and Ripon constituency on July 4, but despite a 23,694 majority in 2019, opinion polls suggest that there is no room for complacency in this traditionally safe Tory seat.
Labour, which finished second in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections, aims to go one better this time and the polling organisation Electoral Calculus predicts that the seat will turn from blue to red. Other polls, however, point to a Conservative victory.
Former chief whip and Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Smith told the Stray Ferret:
I think it’s going to be a very tough election, both nationally and locally as the polls are currently showing.
I’m fighting for every vote and I think it’s going to be a tough race.
With nine days to polling day, he made the case for why he believes electors should continue to vote Conservative. He said inflation was down to 2%, there were plans to reduce taxes after a difficult economic period caused by covid and a policy was now in place for stopping Channel boat crossings.
He said:
The plan is working and we should stick to it.
Besides national issues that will influence the way people cast their vote, there are a number of local issues that will be top of mind when polling day arrives.
They range from the controversial Ripon Cathedral annexe planning application, to NHS dental care and the challenges that farmers across the huge rural constituency are facing.
In addition, there are concerns about the the pollution of local rivers through discharges of sewage by Yorkshire Water, while the future of military heritage assets on the Ripon barracks site remains in doubt.
Minster Gardens
Ripon Cathedral annexe
On the annexe application, Mr Smith, said:
I know there are strong opinions on both sides. The cathedral has been trying for many years to expand and develop, while the civic society and other stakeholders locally have major concerns about the proposed contours of the development.
It’s awaiting a planning decision at the moment and it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on the detail.
I hope people on all sides can come together and find a way forward that is acceptable to everyone, because I know it has been causing significant tension locally.
Dental care
On dental care, Mr Smith, said:
This has been coming up in my surgeries very regularly, particularly since BUPA closed its [Finkle Street] clinic in Ripon.
I’m really sorry that people have been having such difficulty getting access to what should be much more automatic care and I’ve been working with constituents to find other options for them.
We have said in our manifesto that we will be putting significantly more funds into recruiting more dentists and expanding dental care, but what I don’t want to do is suggest the current situation is acceptable, because it’s not.
We’ve already started the funding and after the election we will do more, if we are re-elected.
Ripon Community Hospital
Mr Smith points to a number of successes in his 14 years as an MP, such as securing funding for a community diagnostics centre at Ripon Community Hospital, campaigning for the £68.8 million investment for the Kex Gill road realingment on the A59 and working with partners in North Yorkshire to deliver superfast broadband across the county.
He added:
During the covid crisis, I worked with businesses to help them obtain the financial assistance that they needed, from bounce back loans to furlough payments and other government support schemes.
Post-Brexit farming
With regard to the sizeable local farming community, Mr Smith, said:
Agriculture is very important in this part of the United Kingdom and the government has invested £34 million in specific initiatives in this area for farming.
Post Brexit, different farm payment schemes are being put in place and, if re-elected, I will continue to ensure that the schemes meet the needs of farmers and I’ll continue to fight to ensure that food production is at the forefront and in the minds of Defra, Natural England and others.
Farmers rely on a ready source of clean water for crops and livestock, while sewage-free rivers, streams, sea and lakes are essential for the health of animals and humans alike.
Mr Smith said:
I recently visited a Yorkshire Water sewage facility and I know that they are trying to make improvements.
One of the reasons why there is much greater awareness of this issue is because the government legislated for much tighter monitoring of sewage and the legislation was brought in a year ago to put stricter measures in place and pressure on the water companies.
I’ve got a track record in pushing Yorkshire Water on various issues during my time as an MP and, if re-elected, I will push them hard on this to make sure that they are delivering the significant improvements that we require.
Clotherholme housing and military heritage
Issues relating to the 1,300-home Clotherholme development on the Ripon barracks site have regularly been raised with Mr Smith.
He said:
I’ve been representing the concerns of constituents in and around Clotherholme Road for several years and have held multiple meetings with Homes England to raise the issues around transport, traffic and access, in addition to sporting facilities and military legacy.
The planning process is working through and I hope that the concerns that residents raised are reflected by (North Yorkshire) Council, the developers and Homes England when the development starts.
I’ve also been working with Ripon Military Heritage Trust and making representations to the Ministry of Defence and to Homes England,
My understanding is that Homes England is looking again at the military legacy aspect of the development and if re-elected, I’ll continue to provide whatever support I can to the campaign to ensure that military heritage in that part of Ripon is maintained.
The full list of candidates for Skipton and Ripon is as follows:
- Malcolm Birks, Labour
- Andy Brown, Green Party
- Simon Garvey, Reform UK
- Ryan Kett, Yorkshire Party
- Andrew Murday, Liberal Democrats
- Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party
- Julian Smith, Conservative and Unionist Party
- Keith Tordoff, Independent
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