Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
04
Aug 2024
Wetherby and Easingwold MP reflects on first month in new seat
It has been a month since Labour’s landslide victory, with a red wall erected across most of the UK.
The Stray Ferret wanted to see what our new MPs have been doing during their first month in Westminster.
Today, we speak to Conservative, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Wetherby and Easingwold.
Despite Keir Starmer’s delight, one Conservative who still proudly sports his blue tie in Parliament is Sir Alec Shelbrooke.
Mr Shelbrooke was formerly the Tory MP for Elmet and Rothwell and stood in post for 14 years. This year, however, he won the new Wetherby and Easingwold seat – and is the first MP to represent the constituency.
He told the Stray Ferret the best word to describe his first month back in Westminster was “busy”, adding:
I think the general election was a tough one and a lot of hard work went into it. I think everybody is shattered – I see that down here.
But fatigue aside, Mr Shelbrooke added he was “keen to get back” to the places he visited and things he did during his campaign.
He wants to visit the people he met along the way, including local councillors and street stall traders, and offer a “visibility” to his new constituents.
Wetherby and Easingwold spans from north Leeds to Borougbridge, Spofforth and villages on the outskirts of York.
Some of the areas fell into his former constituency, but we asked Mr Shelbrooke what differences he has noticed between the two landscapes.
He said:
We were flat out the moment it formed and I think it’s fair to say I’m no expert on some of the areas, but I don’t need to use a map as much anymore.
Several of the towns in my constituency are market towns, including Wetherby, Easingwold and Boroughbridge, so we’re starting to see issues that we’ve seen before.
Dementia and women’s health take priority
Mr Shelbrooke told the Stray Ferret a dementia strategy is at the top of his priority list.
He said it was a “key part of his campaign” and hopes to have a finalised directory through people’s doors by autumn 2025.
I did a lot of work on it in my last constituency. We are flat out drawing as much information as we can.
We want to start working with shops and retailers too, but it will take a while – we have got to research and raise sponsorship.
Sir Alec Shelbrooke, pictured after winning the Wetherby and Easingwold seat.
In an article published in the lead up to the election, Mr Shelbrooke said his family had “experienced the challenges of dementia”, adding he wanted to ensure constituents would have access to “better care, support and – hopefully soon – a medical cure”.
Women’s health is also something Mr Shelbrooke wants to continue working on:
Endometriosis, endometriosis in the workplace and pelvic mesh are all things I want to profile and carry on campaigning for.
Over 50% of my constituents are women, and 10% of women have endometriosis, so why wouldn’t I campaign for them?
It strikes me as odd when people think ‘just deal with your own sex’ – I wouldn’t rule out half of my constituency.
Endometriosis is not just “something on the sidelines”, Mr Shelbrooke said, admitting it was "not something the former government delivered on".
Unfortunately, we live in a society in which I think people take more notice because I am a man campaigning for it. That is so wrong and so unfair, but I think it’s a fact, sadly.
NHS is a 'sexist organisation'
Mr Shelbrooke attributed the watiting times and ignorance around the disease, which can cause women that suffer with it extreme pain, to the NHS being a “sexist organisation”.
He said:
I genuinely believe the NHS is sexist and misogynistic.
When women go in with gynaecological issues, too many get patted on the head and told to take painkillers.
People are wondering why women wait so long to be diagnosed and endometriosis is certainly hard to diagnose, but there is an important cultural change that needs to happen. Although, it won’t happen quickly.
Housing
Arguably the district’s most controversial, and certainly the largest, housing scheme falls into Mr Shelbrooke’s constituency.
The Matlkiln settlement, which would see some 4,000 homes built on land between Kirk Hammerton and Cattal, has come under scrutiny since its inception, but developer Caddick Group last week submitted its revised plans to North Yorkshire Council.
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Shelbrooke for his take on the project:
I mean, none of these things are straightforward. There is definitely a need for housing, but why it was chosen to be built there rather than in Flaxby was a decision made by Harrogate Borough Council.
I’ve always taken the view that big plans are a local authority issue, and we don’t know what the new government’s housing statement will look like yet. But I suspect they could say, ‘get on with it and get it built’.
The Tory MP also suggested the closure of Boroughbridge High School’s sixth form and housebuilding could go hand-in-hand.
He said:
I don’t want any rash decisions to be made in terms of the future of the school. Education is also a council issue.
Ultimately, the school made that decision and I know it wasn’t made overnight. But with all the housebuilding going on in Boroughbridge, I wouldn’t want to think it could never re-open – especially when there will be a huge change in population there.
New Tory leader
Amid the chaos that seems to be the insides of the Conservative party, several people are hoping to succeed former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Shelbrooke’s money is on former Home Secretary Priti Patel:
I nominated Priti Patel.
She brings a pragmatism to the party and what it needs to do – and a pragmatic approach is what I’m looking for. It’s important to me.
More of the same is not the answer, since we were booted out by a landslide. It’s about how we bring the party together.
This is the first article in a series of profiles. Look out for our next one on Skipton and Ripon's Tory MP, Julian Smith.
0