A political row has broken out after a Liberal Democrat campaign leaflet accused the Conservatives of “hypocrisy” and “tricking” voters ahead of the Bilton by-election.

Voters will go the polls tomorrow to elect a new county councillor in the marginal Bilton and Nidd Gorge division.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, the Liberal Democrat candidate, has distributed two leaflets to residents that make several claims about the proposed Knox Lane housing development.

Housing developer Jomast is behind the proposals, which would see 73 homes built on a green field in Bilton.

The development is still to go before Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee, when 12 councillors will vote on the plans.

However, the site is allocated for 52 potential homes in Harrogate district Local Plan, which sets out where development will occur in the district until 2035.

Cllr Matt Scott, who is standing for the Conservatives in Bilton and is a current HBC councillor, voted for the Local Plan before it was adopted in March 2020.

In the leaflet, Mr Kempston-Parkes claims the “Conservatives pretend to oppose the Knox Lane development while secretly voting for it”.

In another leaflet, he alleges the Conservative-run council proposed the development.

The Liberal Democrat leaflet

The second Liberal Democrat leaflet

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In response, Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones MP intervened with a leaflet of his own.

It called the Liberal Democrat literature “grossly misleading” and said he was “disturbed” by some of the claims made.

He said:

“I like to see positive and constructive campaigns based on a record of local action. I don’t approve of US-style attack-ad politics.”

Andrew Jones’ leaflet

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge election follows the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district tomorrow.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones has urged care minister Helen Whately to review care home guidance on outdoor trips.

The guidance says residents that leave homes must isolate for 14 day except for medical appointments or exceptional circumstances.

It has been widely criticised nationally and locally, including by care home residents, the Bishop of Ripon and the director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council.

Nick Moxon, 32, who has cerebral palsy and is a resident at Disability Action Yorkshire‘s care home on Claro Road, Harrogate last week told the Stray Ferret he feels “trapped” and “treated like a lesser being” because of the guidance.

Now Mr Jones has described it as “too restrictive and not in the best interests of the health and wellbeing of our care home residents” and urged Whately to act.

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Mr Jones revealed the news not on his official website but on Community News, a website he runs featuring local Conservatives.

He said “slow but positive improvements” meant care home residents could now receive two nominated visitors and hold hands with them

But he added the same could not be said for outdoors visits, which particularly impacted younger care home residents:

“New guidance says that when they leave their homes for any reason, as they often do to exercise in the fresh air, they must self-isolate for 14 days thereafter. This is said to be necessary to keep other residents safe.

“Whilst I support the government’s motive, this is undoubtedly too restrictive and not in the best interests of the health and wellbeing of our care home residents.

“I have written to the Minister for Care, Helen Whately, to ask for the guidance to be reassessed and reconsidered and I hope this will be acted upon quickly.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones MP has spoken out against vaccine passports, calling them “extremely problematic”.

The government is considering whether to introduce the passports to enable people who have proved their covid-free status to travel abroad and reduce social distancing measures.

On his website, Mr Jones has published a response to constituents who have messaged him on the subject.

He said he “understands the depth of feeling” on the issue, adding:

“I do understand the points that you and others make and I think vaccine passports are extremely problematic.

“There will be people who do not want a vaccine for religious or cultural reasons. Some may deride this but it should be a consideration when the government looks at the issue.

“Others may not be able to have the vaccine because of health conditions; we need to ensure these people can return to a normal life too. There are still of course millions of people aged 50 and over who have not yet received a jab.”

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Some Labour and Conservative MPs have expressed concerns about the impact of vaccine passports on civil liberties.

A petition calling on the government to scrap the idea has over 300,000 signatures.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is in charge of a Whitehall study into how coronavirus passports could work in the UK.

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has thrown his weight behind a campaign for outdoor dining to return to the Stray.

Andrew Jones MP met Sharon and Simon Colgan, owners of the Blues Bar and The Empress, as well Trish Campbell, bar manager at The Empress, today.

While Mr Jones refused to speak to the Stray Ferret during or after the meeting, the bar owners said that he supported their campaign.

Harrogate Borough Council recently told the Blues Bar, The Empress and Fashion House Bistro that they cannot use tables and chairs on the Stray this year.

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The council did approve the measure last year but said after consulting with land owners the Duchy of Lancaster that it “would not be appropriate at this stage.”

Part of the reason the council gave was that it could “potentially inhibit the open access and enjoyment for all.”

Simon Colgan, co owner of The Empress and Blues Bar, told the Stray Ferret after his meeting with Mr Jones:

“Mr Jones seemed dumbfounded that it wasn’t rolling out again.

“He told us he would look into the council’s response, consult the Duchy of Lancaster and its chancellor Michael Gove.

“That is very positive isn’t it? It is great he did not dismiss us. We just want exactly the same as we had last year, there’s no reason not to do it again.

“We did press him and said time was of the essence, we do not want to miss out on this sun. When you go into town you can see there’s an appetite for it.”

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.

By the end of March, we’d partially emerged from lockdown and more than 80,000 people had been vaccinated in the district.

We asked the district’s Conservative MPs- Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, 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 we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

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

• Mr Jones didn’t post any updates on his official website but four stories about his activity appeared on his local “news” website, Community News. These included a tribute to former HBC council leader Geoff Webber who passed away.
• The Harrogate and Knaresborough MP defended a crime bill that gives police new powers to deal with protests. He said: “It is possible to protest without impacting others so what we need to strike therefore is that balance and that is what the bill does.”.
• In the Commons, he praised news that the Treasury will base a National Infrastructure Bank in Leeds. He said: “It is great news for the city and will bolster its established financial services and legal hubs.”
• On March 23, Mr Jones gave an update on the vaccine rollout on Community News. He wrote that in the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group Area, 215,522 people have had their first dose of the vaccine.
• Mr Jones voted against a Lords amendment to the Fire Safety Bill to give more protections to leaseholders and tenants in England from footing the bill for fire safety work on buildings.
• At PMQs on March 24, the MP urged the Prime Minister to support Harrogate Town’s bid to rearrange the date of its trip to Wembley so fans can attend. He even told a Harrogate Town supporter that he’d be on the train to Wembley with the fans if date is changed.

Conservative Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

• On March 1, the MP posted on his website to say he has spoken with North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan, about reports of crime and anti-social behavior in Ripon. He did not give any further details on what was discussed.
• Like Mr Jones, Mr Smith also voted against the Fire Safety Bill amendment.
• The MP for Ripon has not spoken in the House of Commons since February 10.
• 5 of his 7 tweets in March were related to Northern Ireland.
• Mr Smith attended a virtual meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee. The MP praised the local effort in getting people vaccinated.
• Writing on his website about the challenges facing farmers in his constituency due to Brexit and covid, Mr Smith wrote: “I will continue to represent farmers in Parliament and do everything possible to help.”
• Last week, he introduced the charity PeerTalk‘s virtual morning ‘Let’s Have a Chat’ event which focused on mental health.

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

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

• At a HBC planning committee on March 9, it was revealed Mr Adams personally wrote to committee members with his concerns about an 80-home development in Green Hammerton.
• The Minister for Asia criticised a military crackdown on protestors in Myanmar that saw scores of civilians killed. He tweeted: “There’s no justification for such cowardly acts which bring more shame on the #Myanmar regime & its leaders. Those responsible must be held to account.”
• On March 26 he summoned the Chargé d’Affaires from the Chinese Embassy to the Foreign Office following Beijing’s decision to impose sanctions on British politicians and individuals who have highlighted human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority group.
• Mr Adams paid tribute to former Leeds United striker Peter Lorimer who died aged 74. He tweeted: “So sad. Another of the LUFC greats gone. 238 goals and some absolute belters amongst them. Great memories.”

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been criticised for launching a local “news” website but not making it clear enough that it is a Conservative party publication.

The website Harrogate and Knaresborough Community News went live in September 2020.

Stories include Conservative councillor John Mann reporting “terrible” potholes in Pannal to the county council and Conservative council leader Richard Cooper speaking out against speeding on East Parade in Harrogate.

The home page makes no reference to the fact that it’s set up by the office of Andrew Jones. It only becomes clear when you click on the “about” page, which also says the aim of the website is to provide news stories in “a non-political way”.

Nearly every story on the website is about work and lobbying done by local conservative councillors and Mr Jones.

During last year’s general election, the Conservative Party was critical of the Liberal Democrats for issuing campaigning leaflets masquerading as “fake” newspapers.

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Mr Jones already has his own website which includes news stories informing constituents about what he’s been up to. Yet in March his website published no new stories and Community News website published four.

The Society of Editors, has issued a warning about political parties looking to circumnavigate the media to mislead the public and “blur the lines for readers”.

Yesterday, the News Media Association launched a “Don’t Be Duped” campaign demanding an end to the practice of political parties issuing “fake” newspapers.

Opposition parties in Harrogate have had their say on Mr Jones’ new website and called on him to “be honest” with the people of Harrogate & Knaresborough.

Chris Watt, spokesperson for the Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party said:

“Honesty is important in politics. Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour always makes it clear to voters when we are contacting them. Whilst this may meet the letter of the law, it’s clearly designed to disguise the fact that it’s a Tory campaign communication. It’s a shame to see them taking lessons from the Lib Dem playbook but we wonder why they are so keen to hide their identity from voters?”

Pat Marsh, leader of the local Liberal Democrats, said:

“If it’s going to be publicly promotional for the Conservative Party it should say that clearly. He should be honest with the people.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Andrew Jones but he did not respond.

Residents on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate will meet police, councillors and politicians next week to discuss concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a closure order for a house on the street this week after a man died.

The two organisations said they had carried a joint investigation following concerns about activity at a multi-occupancy address.

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Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting, said:

“These are incredibly difficult and deep-seated issues.

“Many of those involved have long-standing homelessness, mental health and addiction problems and both the government and the council have dedicated a lot of cash and resource to these issues.”

Harrogate neighbourhood policing inspector Nicola Colbourne said:

“We’re continuing to work closely with residents, Harrogate Borough Council’s community safety partnership, elected representatives and others to ensure any concerns of Harrogate residents are listened to and the community remains a very safe place to live and work.”

A council spokesman said it was a private meeting.

The Football Association has refused to comment on reports it is considering moving Harrogate Town’s Wembley FA Trophy final so fans can attend.

The club’s supporter liaison officer Phillip Holdsworth told the Stray Ferret he met Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones on Tuesday.

According to Mr Holdsworth, Mr Jones told him the FA is looking at the possibility of moving Harrogate Town’s game against Concord Rangers from May 3 to a date when fans are allowed to return to grounds.

Mr Jones even said he would be “on the train to Wembley” with the Town fans if it happens, said Mr Holdsworth.

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Mr Holdsworth suggested a date of Sunday May 23, when there is currently no fixture at Wembley. On the day before, Wembley will host this season’s FA Trophy final.

However, he accepted that rearranging the fixture at such a late stage would be difficult, particularly as the venue is set to host several European Championship games this summer.

The Stray Ferret contacted the FA but they said they would not comment on the speculation.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones today urged the Prime Minister to support Harrogate Town’s bid to rearrange the date of its trip to Wembley so fans can attend.

The Football Association has said last season’s postponed FA Trophy final between Harrogate and Concord Rangers will take place behind closed doors at Wembley on May 3, just two weeks before fans can return to stadiums.

It means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.

Speaking today at Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative MP Mr Jones described a Wembley cup final as the “holy grail” for supporters of smaller clubs. He said all four MPs of affected clubs backed the campaign to move the date and asked:

“Will the Prime Minister join us in encouraging those scheduling the matches to do all they can to move the date so that fans can attend?”

Boris Johnson replied:

“I hope very much that the Football Association will listen to carefully to what my honourable friend has to say and that they do what they can.”

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The FA previously said the game would be rearranged when fans can return. Town fan Rob Nixon told the Stray Ferret supporters should be rewarded for their patience.

“After missing out on Wembley last year, we had a lot of good faith in the FA after they suggested a final we could attend this season. I think it’s only fair they honour this and reward the fans for our patience.”

A petition set up by a Harrogate Town fan to move the fixture now has over 1,100 signatures.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has defended a crime bill that gives police new powers to deal with protests after it was criticised as a “fundamental attack” on freedom of speech.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill covers major government proposals on crime and justice, including changes to protests.

The bill passed its first hurdle this week after an overwhelming vote in favour by Conservative MPs.

All three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include the Harrogate district — Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams — supported it.

The protest measures drawn up by ministers and police chiefs will mean more conditions are imposed on static demonstrations, including start and finish times, noise limits and penalties for activists causing “serious annoyance”.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today, Liberal Democrat councillor David Goode described the bill as a “a fundamental attack on our democratic rights”.

He said it would “significantly restrict” people’s rights to hold peaceful protests and asked Mr Jones why he voted for it.

Mr Jones responded:

“The underlying principle of freedom of speech and freedom to protest is absolutely unchanged.

“This is about making sure we can protest in a way which doesn’t stop people getting to work or a hospital appointment.

“It is possible to protest without impacting others so what we need to strike therefore is that balance and that is what the bill does.”

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The bill’s second reading was passed by 359 votes to 263 on Tuesday. It also contains dozens of new measures to increase sentences for child killers and other violent criminals, as well as tougher penalties for attacks on police officers and changes to sexual offences legislation.

The most controversial part, however, are the reforms on protests, which garnered extra interest after scenes of police officers restraining women attending a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard in London on Saturday.

At present, police need to prove protesters knew they had been told to move on before they can be said to have broken the law.

The bill proposes an offence of “intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance”, which is designed to stop people occupying public spaces to make themselves both seen and heard.

The new laws would also give Home Secretary Priti Patel the authority to define “serious disruption to the life of the community” and “serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” — a concept opponents argue is not clear enough.

Speaking at a debate in the House of Commons this week, the Home Secretary defended the proposed changes to peaceful protests which she said are a “cornerstone of democracy”.

She said:

“This bill will give police the powers to take a more proactive approach in tackling dangerous and disruptive protests. The threshold at which the police can impose conditions on the use of noise at a protest is rightfully high.

“The majority of protesters will be able to continue to act, make noise as they do so now without police intervention.

“But we are changing it to allow the police to put conditions on noisy protests that cause significant disruption to those in the vicinity. As with all our proposals, the police response will still need to be proportionate.”