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09
Jun
What did Julian Smith achieve as Ripon MP?
Julian Smith will be seeking to continue the Conservative stronghold in Skipton and Ripon on July 4.
Mr Smith has held the constituency since 2010 and commands a majority of 23,694.
In his time as MP, he has held front bench positions such as chief whip between 2017 and 2019, as well as serving as Northern Ireland secretary from 2019 until 2020.
However, some of his local issues include tackling speeding problems on the A61 and campaigning over Yorkshire Water’s corporation tax.
Local campaigns
Mr Smith is known for his keen interest in the political situation in Northern Ireland.
The Conservative candidate routinely uses his social media platforms to give his views on the latest iteration from Stormont.
However, his interventions into matters in his constituency appear to be minimal – particularly in Ripon.
During the course of his time as MP, Mr Smith has stepped in on matters including a speed limit reduction on the A61 near South Stainley and campaigns over the A59 at Kex Gill.
The reduction in speed limits follows multiple deaths on the stretch of road, including Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartieniev, aged 6, and Daria's step-daughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva aged 15 in September 2023.
The following month, Mr Smith launched his campaign to lower the speed limit on the A61 to 50mph.
Mr Smith pledged to take residents concerns over the road to North Yorkshire Council, where he met with senior officers and Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways.
However, the campaign appears to have gone cold, with few updates on the matter since.
Yorkshire Water
Early in his parliamentary career, Mr Smith focused his attention on Yorkshire Water paying its fair share of corporation tax.
Newspaper articles from 2013 show that as Conservative MP he launched a campaign to ensure the company contributed to the Treasury after recording a pre-tax profit of £186 million.
Mr Smith would go on to raise the matter in the House of Commons in September and November of that year, describing the company as “exploiting” his constituents due to increased water bills.
At the time, he told fellow MPs:
I wish to focus on Yorkshire Water because my hon. Friend Andrew Percy is correct: Yorkshire Water has done some positive things on infrastructure, and it has also done some good, and some bad, things on flooding, but the financial situation and decisions of Yorkshire Water show that it is exploiting my constituents and people across Yorkshire.
This comes despite the fact that Mr Smith voted on several occasions to keep corporation tax low and in one instance voted against a motion calling on the government to tackle rising energy and water bills.
Regardless, Mr Smith called for changes to legislation to make it hard for companies to avoid paying tax.
The government would later introduce the Water Bill in 2014, which aimed to reform the water industry and make it responsive to customers.
Julian Smith's response
When the Stray Ferret approached Mr Smith’s office for comment, he pointed out that he had held various positions in cabinet under Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
He added that he had also secured millions in funding for local projects such as Airedale Hospital, the A59 at Kex Gill and £1.2m for the refurbishment of Ripon’s police and fire station.
Meanwhile, Mr Smith said he supported community ownership fund applications for numerous initiatives, from Masham Town Hall and Glusburn Community and Arts Centre to The Crown Inn, Grewelthorpe.
Mr Smith’s office also pointed out that as MP he handled 6,500 cases for constituents in the last year, as well as voted 2,649 times and spoken nearly 1,000 times in the House of Commons.
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