Andrew Jones Archives - Page 18 of 22

MPs watch: we’re off to Wembley?

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, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

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.”

Andrew Jones MP criticised for his ‘news’ website

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.

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.

Mayfield Grove summit to be held on Tuesday

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.

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.

Is FA considering moving Harrogate Town’s Wembley trip?

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.

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.

Boris Johnson urged to support Harrogate Town’s Wembley campaign

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.”

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.

Andrew Jones MP defends supporting crime bill

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.”

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.”

‘A costly PR stunt’: calls for an inquiry into Harrogate Nightingale

A senior politician from Ripon has described the Harrogate Nightingale as a “costly PR stunt”, amid calls for an inquiry.

Lord Newby’s criticism comes after NHS England said this week the hospital, which cost £27 million to set up, would be decommissioned at the end of the month.

It has not treated a single covid patient, prompting calls for an inquiry.

Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, who lives in Ripon, said:

“The Nightingales were a costly PR stunt.

“They could never be used as planned because there was never the staffing for them. They were introduced because the government was desperate to be seen to be responding effectively to the pandemic, which at the time looked to be potentially out of control.

“The Harrogate Nightingale should have been closed months ago, in order to avoid the high cost of maintenance and so that Harrogate could begin to plan for its reopening.”

Jim Clark, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Harlow on Harrogate Borough Council, repeated his

call for an inquiry on BBC Look North yesterday.

He told the programme:

“It wasn’t an insurance policy in Harrogate because we didn’t have the staff to man it and I think it’s then been discovered that as soon as it was built it wasn’t essentially fit for purpose.”

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones and Richard Cooper, leader of the Conservative-controlled Harrogate Borough Council whether they supported calls for an inquiry. Neither replied.

Asked the same question on Look North, Cllr Cooper said the location of the Nightingale Hospitals was likely to be considered as part of a wider covid inquiry. He added:

“But we’ve been pleased to host the Nightingale and to host the thousands of diagnostic tests that have been carried out there.”

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, supported calls for an inquiry, adding:

“Over a decade of Conservative cuts has led to an NHS operating on a shoestring. Whether there was ever the staff to run such a Nightingale hospital, should it have been toward full capacity, needs to be made clear.”

Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said the Nightingales were “a legitimate insurance policy” in the early days of covid when it seemed hospitals could be overwhelmed. She added:

“There seems little point in wasting any more public money on an inquiry at this stage.”

Matt Hancock praises Harrogate’s rapid vaccine response

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has praised the speed of the covid vaccination rollout in the Harrogate district.

Responding to a question in the House of Commons yesterday from Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Mr Hancock said health staff in the district had done an “amazing job” delivering the vaccine.

He said it meant Harrogate had a higher number of residents vaccinated than the national average.

Mr Hancock said:

“May I put on the record my thanks to the team in Harrogate, who have done an amazing job vaccinating over 30,000 people — more than the national average, if my memory serves me correctly?

“I thank my honourable friend for his leadership in Harrogate and for supporting the team there to make this happen.”

Mr Jones had asked if the UK was on track to give everyone their second dose of the vaccine within 12 weeks of the first. Mr Hancock said it was.

Data published last week by NHS England revealed that 48,000 people in the Harrogate district have now received one of the approved vaccines.

Harrogate, Ripon, and now Knaresborough, all have vaccination sites.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret, Dr Chris Preece, a GP partner in Boroughbridge and Knaresborough, said that Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground site was able to carry out up to 1,800 vaccinations a day.

MPs watch: vaccines, coup d’etats and aphrodisiac takeaways

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 February the vaccination programme galloped ahead and prime minister Boris Johnson announced the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown.

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:

The MP published his annual report for 2020 which included facts and figures related to his last year in office. He wrote on his website that many copies had been emailed rather than posted as he “does not believe volunteer political leaflet delivery is an essential journey”.
On February 2 Andrew Jones called for a debate in parliament about the conference industry after seeing the “real hardship” his constituents have faced.
On February 12 Mr Jones wrote on his website that by that point 175,000 vaccinations had been delivered in North Yorkshire and York.
Mr Jones chaired a Parliamentary Export Programme webinar, which included a talk from Greg Hatton from Harrogate Spring Water. ‘Exporting is fun!’, the MP told participants.
On February 24, The MP voted down an amendment to the Fire Safety Bill which would have banned leaseholders from being forced to pay for cladding remediation works.
Writing on his website on February 22, Mr Jones praised the government for the vaccination rollout. He wrote: “Although locked down with our everyday lives much restricted there is a palpable sense of relief in the air.”

Conservative Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

At PMQs on February 10, Mr Smith asked prime minister Boris Johnson how the UK’s vaccine supply chain will cope if the virus mutates. In his response, Mr Johnson said the UK is going to have to get used to the idea of vaccinating and then revaccinating in the autumn as it faces new variants.
7 of Mr Smith’s 11 tweets in February were related to Northern Ireland. February 13 marks a year since he was sacked by the prime minister as Northern Ireland secretary.
Mr Smith announced on Twitter that his father-in-law has gifted him and his wife an ‘aphrodisiac themed’ take away meal to be delivered on Valentine’s Day.
The MP asked people in Ripon to contribute to a consultation on flood defences following Storm Cristophe.
On his Facebook page, he said the £60m scheme to improve the Kex Gill section of the A59 was “brilliant news” for Skipton and Ripon.

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

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

The Minister for Asia twice summoned the Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn to his office following the country’s military coup earlier this month. On February 23 he tweeted: “The increasing use of violence & force against protesters by the security forces is completely reprehensible & must stop”.
Mr Adams paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore following his death at the age of 100. He wrote: “RIP. A true British hero”.
The MP praised the BBC for showing a film of the rock band Muse. “Fantastic”, he tweeted.
In written ministerial answers, Mr Adams discussed foreign powers and fake news. He wrote: “We know that certain states routinely use disinformation as a foreign policy tool and we all have our doubts about the objectivity of the reporting of RT, including through their UK television channel, which remains a tool of propaganda for the Russian State.”

Andrew Jones MP calls for debate on stricken conference sector

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has called for a Commons debate on the stricken conference industry.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Jones said the sector was “central to the economy” of both towns he represented but faced “real hardship” due to the pandemic.

Mr Jones said:

“One sector of business that has faced real hardship is the conference industry, a sector with a long and diverse supply chain, ranging from hospitality to exhibition stand construction.

“Please may we have a debate about that sector, to consider what can be done to ensure that it bounces back quickly, as it is so important for jobs and it is central to the economy of not only Harrogate and Knaresborough, but, of course, other constituencies around the UK?”

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg did not agree to the request but said event venues and organisers could make use of initiatives such as the furlough scheme and various grants.

He added:

“I join my honourable friend in praising the Harrogate convention centre for becoming a Nightingale hospital and therefore being able to help the community widely.”

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber, based at Harrogate Convention Centre.

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, based at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Judith Rogerson, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough, described Mr Rees-Mogg’s response as “wholly inadequate”.

She added:

“It is striking that Jacob Rees-Mogg’s response on behalf of the government does not answer the question.

“Instead he has talked about the Harrogate Convention Centre helping the community by becoming a Nightingale hospital.

“I’d like to know what the government has planned to help restore the convention centre so it is ready to re-open again as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The convention centre was turned into a Nightingale hospital at breakneck speed last spring for covid patients in Yorkshire and the Humber, but has yet to treat a single person with coronavirus. It has been used for CT scans.

Knock-on effect

The effects of the pandemic on the conferences and events sector in the town have been profound, with several businesses closing their doors for good.

The Kimberley Hotel closed in December, citing the impact of covid and in October family events firm Joe Manby Ltd folded after 46 years.

This month would have seen the convention centre host the BIGGA turf management exhibition, which is an annual three-day conference for green-keepers that is one of the year’s biggest money-spinners for Harrogate — with hotels full and bar tills ringing.

Mr Jones urged Boris Johnson to provide financial support for the conference and exhibition industry at Prime Minister’s Questions last year but that plea also went unheeded.

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Knock-on effect