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 August, Parliament was not sitting as it was in recess over the summer. Nonetheless, Conservative MPs faced questions over what the government was doing to tackle the cost of living crisis and allegations that they voted voted in favour of pumping raw sewage into rivers and the sea.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and 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, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Andrew Jones

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

• On August 3, Andrew Jones welcomed the Treasury’s response to his letter which ensured people connected to LPG gas bottles would get government support with their energy bills.
• Mr Jones strongly criticised claims that he voted to allow the pumping of sewage into rivers and the sea. He said the claims were “simply a lie”.
• Mr Jones called on people to get involved with the “national mission” to beat dementia by signing up to Join Dementia Research.
• The former Rail Minister told Transport for the North that investing in public transport was “going to be a main part of how we recover from the economic problems caused by the pandemic and inflation,” as well as reducing carbon emissions.
• Mr Jones also backed York to be the headquarters of the new government rail body Great British Railways.
• On August 31, he held an advice surgery in Knaresborough market.

Read more

• MPs watch: PM resignation and a leadership contest
• MPs watch: Vote of no confidence and overriding the Brexit deal

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith

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

• On August 5, Mr Smith welcomed the £11,000 awarded by Historic England to the Ripon Museums Trust to investigate the lives of disabled people in the city’s workhouse.
• Mr Smith regularly tweeted his support for Rishi Sunak in the Conservatives’ leadership election, which ends on September 5.
• Mr Smith held meetings with small business owners in his constituency. He tweeted that it was “clear urgent intervention is also required” for small businesses as well as households.
• On August 1, Mr Smith welcomed the devolution deal signed by North Yorkshire County Council, the City of York Council and the government, as well as Richard Flinton’s appointment as the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council.
• Mr Smith tweeted that “the new UK PM & the EU need to listen and step up” over work to secure a deal on Brexit-related issues in Northern Ireland.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

Nigel Adams

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

• On August 1, Mr Adams said he was “delighted” by the new devolution deal.
• Mr Adams posted on his website about the consultation to upgrade the A64 near York, on the main route between Harrogate and the North Yorkshire coast.
• Mr Adams also hit back at claims that he had allowed the pumping of sewage into waterways. He tweeted that the “fake news brigade and their gullible followers aren’t interested in facts” relating to the UK’s sewage system.
• It was reported that Mr Adams could be in line for a peerage in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s list of resignation honours. Such a move would trigger a by-election in his constituency. Mr Adams previously confirmed that he would stand down at the next election.