Andrew Jones Archives - Page 19 of 21

Andrew Jones MP calls for HS2 work to start in Yorkshire

Andrew Jones MP asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson today if the government would consider starting construction of the Birmingham to Leeds section of HS2 in Yorkshire.

Mr Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said starting work on the high speed rail link in the north would be “good for jobs, connectivity to the Midlands and help drive up the levelling up agenda”.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mr Jones began by hailing the 60th anniversary of TV soap Coronation Street, calling it “an amazing landmark, so congratulations to it”.

He then added that infrastructure promises for the north had gone on for “just as long”.

Mr Johnson praised Mr Jones, a former rail minister, as a “big expert in this field and a great campaigner for transport”.

However, he stopped short of agreeing to his request. He said:

“I’ve asked the National Infrastructure Commission and Network Rail to look at how the eastern leg of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail can boost the economy for the north.”

Construction work for phase 1 of the high speed rail link, from London to Birmingham, began in September.

Work on the 198 kilometre second leg from Birmingham to Leeds has yet to begin. It is estimated to be completed between 2035 and 2040.

Plans for the Birmingham to Leeds section have been paused while the government draws up an integrated rail plan for the north and Midlands. The plan was expected before the end of 2020.

This pause raised questions about the future of the route, with former Labour transport minister Andrew Adonis tweeting in October that the eastern leg will “probably not now go ahead”.

MPs watch: November – a month of lockdown

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.

On November 4, our three MPs voted in favour of a month-long lockdown for England, which has dominated life in the district ever since.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP 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.

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

On November 4, Mr Jones voted to bring in a one-month lockdown in England. Two weeks prior to the vote, Mr Jones asked Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, whether a blanket national lockdown was wrong. Mr Hancock agreed that it was.
MPs will vote again tomorrow to end the lockdown and move into a tiered system to tackle coronavirus.
Mr Jones intervened to help overturn parking fines at St James’s Retail Park in Knaresborough. Motorists received fines from management company, HX Car Park Management Ltd, after parking in bays that did not have the usual barriers, markings or shelter.
Posting on his website, Mr Jones hailed the latest out-of-work benefit figures for Harrogate, which fell by almost 300.
He welcomed government funding of over £400,000 to 20 local charities.
He did not tweet in November as his account is now set to “retweets only”. He does not have a Facebook page.
Mr Jones was busy in the House of Commons, speaking 21 times.
On November 12 in the House of Commons, the MP asked what the government has planned for the Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022. He said: “In the long history of our nation’s monarchs, Her Majesty is one of the greatest ever, and her platinum jubilee will be a significant and wonderful moment”.
In the House of Commons, Mr Jones said King James’s secondary school in Knaresborough was spending £7,000 a week on covid costs.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Like Mr Jones, Mr Smith voted in line with the government to bring in a lockdown on November 4. There were 35 Tory rebels.
Mr Smith was in Ripon on Remembrance Sunday to lay a wreath.
Mr Smith tweeted 20 times in November.
The former Northern Ireland secretary tweeted that the election of Joe Biden as US President was “great news” for the country. He said the Democrat Party “consistently stand up for the protection of all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement.”
Mr Smith spoke once in Parliament. On the issue of care home visits, he asked the Prime Minister to look into things like the idea of a designated family member who would be tested regularly and able to visit.
On November 24, the MP posted a response from Harrogate Borough Council’s chief executive Wallace Sampson regarding the Ripon Barracks housing development. Mr Sampson said senior councillors are encouraging Homes England, who is developing the site, to “frontload the delivery” of junction improvements.
On November 2, Mr Smith issued a press release welcoming the government’s promise that Parliament scrutinises each new post-Brexit free trade for its impact on animal welfare and British farming before it’s ratified.
The MP for Ripon said he is supporting property owners and tenants in their call for urgent action over homes in danger of collapse in the city.

Nigel Adams, 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 also voted in line with the government for the national lockdown.
He tweeted 24 times in November, including paying his respects to footballers Diego Maradona and Ray Clemence who both died.
Ahead of a planning committee hearing into 72 homes in Spofforth, Mr Adams’ office confirmed to the Stray Ferret that he had made representations to councillors ahead of their decision, which was to ultimately refuse the plans.
At the beginning of the month, he retweeted a picture from HBC councillor Andy Paraskos showing the village of Cattal flooded.
In various written answers to MPs, he said the government has raised human rights issues with different countries – including the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar and the persecution of religious groups in China.

Civic Society opposes bid to convert Harrogate’s former post office

Harrogate Civic Society is to oppose plans to convert the town’s former post office into offices and 25 flats.

Post Office Ltd wants to add a fourth floor on to the three-storey sandstone terraced building, which closed last year after more than 100 years as a post office.

The society, which is a charity that aims to keep Harrogate beautiful, said in a statement it welcomed the principle of redeveloping the site into a mixed-use facility but added:

“We are, however, concerned about the impact of an additional floor to this building in the conservation area, as the proposal does not address the whole of the building as originally designed.

“The appearance of the new floor results in a design solution which is not fully considered or refined and therefore does not enhance the existing roofscape in its present form.”

Property development company One Acre Group has submitted plans on behalf of Post Office Ltd to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the building. If approved, work could start in the summer.

The post office controversially relocated to WH Smith last year amid claims by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones the service was being “downgraded”.

The society said the application would encourage retail and make the area more vibrant. It added:

“We support the principle of re-use of vacant upper floors in the town centre for residential purposes.

“We believe this concept should be encouraged and developed in all areas of the town centre so that buildings and streets as a whole appear to have life at all times.”

But the organisation said it was “concerned about the relationship of the proposed extension to the existing buildings along Cambridge Terrace”, adding:

“The society is of the opinion that the developer’s proposal as it stands should be resisted.”

Reprieve for shoppers fined at Knaresborough retail park

Shoppers at a retail park in Knaresborough who were fined for parking in unmarked trolley bays are to have their penalty notices written off.

People using St James Retail Park received fines from management company, HX Car Park Management Ltd, after parking in bays that did not have the usual barriers, markings or shelter.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, wrote to the company following complaints from angry constituents.

Now the company has said all appeals will be accepted and markings will be put in place to distinguish the bays from parking spaces.

In a letter to Mr Jones, the company said:

“As we only recently began issuing tickets through a self-ticketer, our client received a high volume of complaints due to drivers parking here previously and not being issued a penalty charge notice.

“Consequently, our client requested that all appeals be accepted and no further tickets issued until markings have been put in place to state ‘no parking’.”

The Stray Ferret contacted HX Car Park Management Ltd for further comment, but did not receive a response.

In a post on his website, Mr Jones said he welcomed the move from the company to waive the fines.

He said:

“I was pleased to help several constituents with their appeals. Thanks to the parking management company for being sympathetic to the appeals that were made.

“They could simply have ignored them and implemented the fines but they properly considered the evidence we put before them and chose a fair way or resolving the problem. Credit where credit is due.

“The letter does end with the warning though that when the bays are marked up then fines will start again so I would urge everyone to make sure they are parking legally to avoid a nasty shock when they get back to their car.”

Andrew Jones MP criticised for lockdown U-turn

Local Liberal Democrats have asked how Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones could support the national lockdown “with a straight face” after recently speaking out against the move.

Mr Jones said on October 20 “a blanket national lockdown is wrong and local interventions are what we need now to tackle this crisis”.

Two days later he said businesses in his constituency were worried about the impact of the district being moved into tier two.

But on Wednesday he is set to vote with the government on introducing a national lockdown from Thursday.

Geoff Webber, the Liberal Democrat group leader on North Yorkshire County Council, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said:

“How can he roll back from that so soon with a straight face? Foresight is in his job description; seven months on he and his party shouldn’t be waiting until breaking point to respond to the crisis.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to tell MPs today that covid deaths over the winter could be twice as bad as those in spring if the lockdown isn’t implemented.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he still supported a blanket ban and which way he intended to vote.

Mr Jones once again chose not to respond to the Stray Ferret, although we are aware he has spoken to other publications on this issue.

MPs watch: Free school meals, food safety and lockdowns

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.

October saw a key vote on the government’s Agriculture Bill and a motion on free school meals following a high-profile campaign by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

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

On October 5, Mr Jones voted with the government on the second reading of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill. The bill looks to provide the power for covert intelligence sources to commit a criminal offence in their duty if necessary, according to the government website.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on October 7, Mr Jones urged Boris Johnson to give a support package to the conference sector. Jones said the the exhibition industry was “really important in Harrogate and Knaresborough”. However, the Prime Minister did not commit to any firm support.
On October 12, Mr Jones voted against an amendment to the Agriculture Bill which would have forced any future trade deal to meet UK food safety and animal welfare requirements. The vote came after demonstrators gathered outside his office in Harrogate urging him and other MPs to agree the amendment.
Mr Jones posted a plea on his website for people to wear a face mask when travelling on buses run by the Harrogate Bus Company. It was his only post throughout October.
On October 20, Mr Jones asked Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, whether a blanket national lockdown was wrong. Mr Hancock agreed that it was.
Mr Jones voted against an opposition motion to extend the provision of £15-a-week school meal vouchers throughout the October half term through to the Easter 2021 holidays. Following a backlash, Mr Jones responded in the local press and in a local Conservative news bulletin email. The email, which the Stray Ferret has seen, said: “I know that many of you will have seen the coverage about free school meals during the holidays in the news lately. I hope that people who know me, or who have been helped by me, would realise that I would not vote to increase child hunger or ensure children starve.”
Mr Jones’s Twitter account now been set to “retweets only”.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith voted in line with the government on the second reading of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill on October 5.
Mr Smith posted a response on his website from Harrogate Borough Council on concerns over transport on October 16. It was his only post on the site throughout the month.
Mr Smith tweeted 11 times in October. He published two Facebook posts, one of which was a response from North Yorkshire CCG to the proposed 1,300-home Ripon Barracks scheme. Last night Mr Smith tweeted his support for the county council’s solution to care home visits.
On October 12, Mr Smith voted against the amendment to the Agriculture Bill.
Mr Smith spoke just twice in the House of Commons in October. His last contribution was on October 12 when he urged the Prime Minister to come up with “creative solutions” for loved ones to see relatives in care homes.
Mr Smith voted against the opposition motion on free school meals on October 21.

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

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

On October 5, Mr Adams tweeted that as Minister of State at the Foreign Office he spoke with Indonesia Deputy Foreign Minister, Mahendra Siregar, about how the two countries could work more closely together.
Mr Adams has tweeted 21 times in October.
Mr Adams voted against the amendment to the Agriculture Bill. In a post on his website, he defended his decision. He said: “Several people have been in touch who appear to have been misled into thinking that Tuesday’s vote on the Agriculture Bill was somehow a vote against our high food standards. This is not the case. In fact, the amendment to the bill which was defeated was well meaning but I believe unnecessary as well as having some negative unintended consequences.”
On October 15, Mr Adams tweeted that the UK would continue to support the Rohingya people who have “faced systemic brutality” and been forced to leave their homes.
Since the start of the month, Mr Adams has posted five times on his website. Posts include further funding for his constituency and coronavirus tier advice.
Mr Adams appeared in the House of Commons seven times in October to answer questions and make statements on such topics as Hong Kong National Security Law and the South China Sea.
Mr Adams voted against the opposition motion on free school meals on October 21.

What is the situation in the Harrogate district on free school meals?

The Stray Ferret has received lots of messages about free school meals after last night’s vote in the House of Commons.

A Labour motion to extend provision of £15-a-week food vouchers to 1.4m disadvantaged children in England during holidays until Easter 2021 was voted down.

Opposition motions rarely succeed — only one has done so since 1978. They are designed to raise issues governments would prefer to ignore but the high profile support of footballer Marcus Rashford and the sensitivity of the issue generated considerable interest.

Many comments to the Stray Ferret were critical of Harrogate district Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith, and Nigel Adams, who all voted against the motion.

The Harrogate district is below the national average for children receiving school meals, but nevertheless almost 1 in 10 children receive them.

1,932 free meals in district

A Freedom of Information request in 2019 to North Yorkshire County Council revealed that in May 2019, 1,932 children in the Harrogate district received free school meals, which represented 8.2% of all pupils.

Last year, the county average was 10.2% and the national average was 14.1%.

However, the number of children receiving free school meals in the district had risen from October 2018, when it was 7.7% of pupils.

To qualify for free school meals a parent must apply to North Yorkshire County Council with evidence that they are receiving a benefit, such as Child Tax Credit, Income Support, or Universal Credit.

Several Conservative MPs issued a joint tweet last night defending what the government is doing for low-income families.

It said:

“We’re supporting pupils in need: Free school meals for 1.4 million children from low income families, £9 billion extra put into the welfare system to help and £63m to help councils support families in need.”

A spokesperson from Harrogate District Food Bank, a charity that supports community action, told the Stray Ferret it expected to see Harrogate families using its food bank during half-term next week.

The spokesperson said:

“”From past experiences, families in Harrogate seem to scrape through the holiday and then come to the food bank the week or two after, but we shall just wait and see if that is the case.”

Yesterday’s motion was voted down by 322 to 261, with five Conservative MPs voting against the government.

The Stray Ferret contacted Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

District MPs vote against food safety amendment

Harrogate district Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith, and Nigel Adams voted against an amendment to the Agriculture Bill yesterday that would have forced any future trade deal to meet UK food safety and animal welfare requirements.

The government said the amendment was not needed as it had already committed to ensuring UK food standards would be retained in any post-Brexit trade deals.

MPs voted by 332 votes to 279 to reject the House of Lords amendment. Former Harrogate councillor and current York Outer MP Julian Sturdy was one of 14 Tory rebels who voted against the government.

The bill will now return to the Lords.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson Judith Rogerson accused Andrew Jones of “selling out” farmers.

She said:

“It’s disappointing to see Harrogate & Knaresborough’s MP fail to stand up for local farmers by voting to allow countries with lower standards undercut them.

”The UK should be leading the way in upholding the highest environmental and animal welfare standards, not selling out our planet, animals, and farmers for the sake of future trade deals.”

Farming minister Victoria Prentis told the Commons the government was “absolutely committed to high standards”.

Last week, protestors met outside Mr Jones’ constituency office in Harrogate urging him to vote down the amendment.

Philip Knight, who attended the protest, told the Stray Ferret he was worried the bill would lead to lower food standards in post-Brexit trade deals:

“Personally, I’m worried that because of Brexit and a frenzy for a trade deal that the government is going to make some mistakes and lower food standards in this country, which will affect not only what we eat but the livelihoods of farmers.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones, Mr Smith, and Mr Adams for comment but none had responded at the time of publication.

Protesters demonstrate outside Harrogate MP’s office against agriculture bill

Protesters gathered outside Andrew Jones’s office to urge the Harrogate MP to vote against the government’s Agriculture Bill.

Demonstrators staged a peaceful protest with placards amid fears the bill will open the door to low-standard meat from the United States.

It came as part of other protests by farmers and campaigners held around the North Yorkshire and the country. Campaigners also urged the five other North Yorkshire MPs, including Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams, to vote against the bill.

MPs are due to vote on the legislation on Monday when it returns to the House of Commons. The House of Lords recently voted for an amendment to require any any imported food products to meet UK standards.

Richard Sadler, volunteer organiser for Save British Farming in North Yorkshire, said the purpose of today’s demonstration was to call on MPs to “do the right thing”.

He said:

“We want to shine a spotlight on what our MPs are doing in our name.

“What we are asking Andrew Jones and other MPs is to do the right thing and vote for the amendment to the Agriculture Bill.

“This is symbolic, but it is all we can do to bring attention to what is going on.”

Philip Knight, a teacher from Shaw Mills, was among the protesters outside Mr Jones’s office this afternoon. He said he was worried that the government would make a mistake by passing the bill.

Mr Knight said:

“Personally, I’m worried that because of Brexit and a frenzy for a trade deal that the government is going to make some mistakes and lower food standards in this country which will affect not only what we eat but the livelihoods of farmers.”

The Stray Ferret approached Andrew Jones for a comment on the demonstration, but received no response.

Alongside today’s protest, farmers demonstrated in Stokesley and Swindon where tractors were driven through the towns with placards which read “save British food”.

MPs WATCH: Care home visits, the Brexit bill and a visit to Ripon Cathedral

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.

September saw MPs return to Parliament after the summer recess. Several important votes took place on issues such as Brexit, the military, and fire safety in high-rise buildings.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

So here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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

On September 15 and September 29, Mr Jones voted in line with the government on the Internal Markets Bill. The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.
On his website, Mr Jones called on local politicians at Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to “engage constructively” in the issue of devolution and “think beyond” party political rivalries. He called devolution a “moment of opportunity”.
The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23. The bill states that prosecutions against overseas military personnel should only take place “in exceptional circumstances”. The former chief of the defence staff, field marshal Lord Guthrie, co-signed a letter to Downing Street that called the bill “disturbing” and said it could lead to immunity from torture prosecutions.
Mr Jones published information on his website that in August 136,000 meals were sold in Harrogate and Knaresborough through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
In the House of Commons on September 28, Mr Jones suggested that family visits at care homes could take place behind glass.
At Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy questions on September 29, Mr Jones raised concerns about Harrogate’s hospitality sector to business secretary Alok Sharma.
The MP hailed Harrogate Town’s start to life as an EFL club after they beat Southend United 4-0. He wrote on his website: “What a perfect start to the league battle – and away from home too!”
The parents’ group Ready Steady Mums made contact with Mr Jones who reassured them that they can resume their weekly walks after the government’s rule of six came into place.
On September 7, Mr Jones voted down recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry as part of the Fire Safety Bill. It would have forced building owners to share information with fire services about building design and materials.
Mr Jones did not send a single tweet in September.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith abstained on both Internal Markets Bill votes. He is a former Northern Ireland secretary and opponents of the bill said it could lead to a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Mr Smith tweeted 12 times in September.
On September 28 he tweeted that he has spoken to North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services Richard Webb about how safe visiting can begin again in care homes. The council has asked all care homes in the county to restrict visitors during October.
The MP visited Ripon Cathedral to view their £6m new design plans which include new toilets, a cafe and the creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir.
On September 25, Mr Smith was a keynote speaker at The Centre for Cross Border Studies annual conference, which was held online. The organisation aims to “foster practical co-operation” across the Irish border.
Mr Smith tweeted that he had received an update from Harrogate Borough Council about their plans for “local place-making, transport and sustainability” in new developments in Ripon.
The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23.
On September 9, he voted against replacing the coronavirus support schemes for employees and the self-employed with more targeted income support.

Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty

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

On September 23, the minister for Asia met with the Cambodia ambassador Kan Pharidh to discuss how the two countries can work together on trade.
On September 14, he met the ambassador for South Korea, Enna Park, where they discussed collaborating on a coronavirus vaccine.
On Twitter, Mr Adams praised MPs for backing the government’s internal Markets Bill. He tweeted: “Not only have they backed the bill, they’ve backed #Brexit, backed @BorisJohnson and honoured the result of the #EUReferendum and #GE2019″.
Mr Adams hit out at environmental group Extinction Rebellion after they blocked vehicles from leaving a printing press in London, causing disruption to several national newspapers. He called the group “socialist anarchists masquerading as well-meaning hippies”.
On September 3, he met with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rights of the Rohingya, which works to support the plight of the persecuted Rohingya population in Myanmar.
Mr Adams’ website was updated for the first time since April with two updates about Selby.
He tweeted 13 times in September.

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1,932 free meals in district

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