Andrew Jones Archives - Page 8 of 21

‘Questions to ask’ about Lib Dem candidate selection, says party activist

A Liberal Democrat activist has questioned the selection process that has resulted a shortlist of just two for the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate.

The party member, who asked not to be named, said he didn’t feel either was the right person to stand at the next general election.

He said choosing between the two by the end of the month was going to be very hard.

The two candidates in question are Matt Walker, who is a Liberal Democrat councillor representing West Knaresborough on North Yorkshire Council, and Wakefield-based Tom Gordon.

Speaking about Mr Walker, the activist said he feared he was not up to the task of debating policy and standing up to opponents, including the current MP and his constituency office manager and Harrogate Borough Council leader, Richard Cooper.

He said:

“I would not want to put him in the business community. He wouldn’t be able to stand up to questioning.

“If he was somewhere with Andrew Jones or Richard Cooper, he would be eaten alive. He wouldn’t know where to turn.

“It would be a blood bath, Matt Walker and Richard Cooper in the same hustings. He just isn’t capable of it.

“I wouldn’t want to send him to meet people on Duchy Road. He just doesn’t have the kerb appeal.

“As a candidate, he just doesn’t excite me.”

However, the party activist was no more inspired by the other candidate.

Tom Gordon is the Liberal Democrat group leader on Wakefield Council, representing the Knottingley Ward.

He previously stood in the Batley and Spen by-election in 2021, coming fourth with 1,254 votes. Labour’s Kim Leadbeater won 13,296 votes, the Conservatives had 12,973, and George Galloway, standing for the Workers Party, got 8,264.

The Liberal Democrat activist said he was not concerned about this result, because the party “wouldn’t have expected to do well”, or by Mr Gordon not being from the local area. However, he said it was hard to know whether to vote for him because he did not have a local track record.

He added:

“If you are good and you’ve got credibility, you can work on that. We’ve got probably a couple of years before an election. You need somebody that people will sit up and take notice.

“He is a bit of an unknown quantity.”

The activist said he compared the candidates to previous Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis – now Lord Willis of Knaresborough – and to the most recent PPC, Judith Rogerson, both of whom were willing and able to stand up to the opposition on local issues.

Previous Lib Dem PPC Judith Rogerson and former MP Phil Willis

Last year, the selection process was halted part-way through when Harrogate and Knaresborough was listed as a ‘target seat’ by the national party. At that point, a longer shortlist had been produced.

The activist said although he understood there was a shortlisting process before members were given the chance to vote, he wanted to know how the final two had been chosen in this case.

He added:

“There’s a question to ask about what has gone on. I would have hoped there would be more, with the publicity we had about it being a target seat.”

The Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have defended their selection process and both candidates following the criticism. A spokesperson said:

“After a routine and rigorous process which involved an application and approval round, local Liberal Democrat members will shortly be able to vote for their next prospective parliamentary candidate.

“Either of the current candidates will be a strong voice for Harrogate and Knaresborough, fighting for a fair deal against the Conservatives who’ve taken our area for granted for years.”

MPs Watch: River Nidd water quality and Northern Ireland

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 December, Harrogate’s MP met with ministers over the future of River Nidd’s water quality. Meanwhile, Ripon MP Julian Smith focused much of his tweets this month on matters in Northern Ireland.

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.

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:

At the start of the month, Mr Jones urged pensioners to look at pension credit eligibility amid the cost of living crisis.
On December 7, Mr Jones announced he had raised matters of bathing quality status for the River Nidd in Knaresborough with environmental quality minister Rebecca Pow.
Following the meeting, Mr Jones said he was “confident” of achieving the status.
On December 22, he wrote on his Community News website that he intends to work with businesses and residents to submit a case to government for the status in 2023.
Mr Jones made four spoken contributions in the House of Commons on skills, planning decisions in West Cumbria, biodiversity and alcohol duty.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith visited Nidderdale Museum on December 13 for a guided tour around the volunteer-led facility.
On December 15, Mr Smith tweeted that he was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was visiting Northern Ireland.
On December 18, he tweeted that it was important that concerns in the Unionist community were addressed and that “here is full focus on ensuring that the EU & UK rework the post Brexit trading arrangements” in order to restore stability in Northern Ireland.
Mr Smith met with the chief executive of Airedale Hospital on December 22 to discuss “the challenges that the hospital is facing”.
Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons this month.

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

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

Mr Adams tweeted just twice in December. One was to congratulate a Ukraine-related charity and another was about a beer brewed in Tadcaster.
On December 6, Mr Adams advertised a consultation on a devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York.
The following day he visited a new NHS diagnostics centre in Selby.
He made three news posts on his website throughout December.
Mr Adams made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP to ‘submit case’ for River Nidd bathing water status in 2023

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has said he intends to submit a case to government to achieve designated bathing water status on the River Nidd next year.

Concerns about Nidd water quality increased in summer this year following reports of numerous people falling ill after entering the water.

A campaign to achieve bathing water status on the Nidd near the Lido at Knaresborough would oblige the Environment Agency to put plans in place to monitor and protect the water.

Writing on his Community News website, Mr Jones said he intends to work with businesses and residents to submit a case to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2023.

He said:

“One feature of last year was the ‘yah-boo’ over the quality of our waterways. No-one has ever voted to put sewage in our rivers but putting that bit of political nonsense aside there is a serious point. Our water quality isn’t good enough.

“We use Victorian infrastructure in our sewers and we allow pesticides and animal waste from agricultural rainwater run-off into rivers.

“Over summer, I will be working with residents and businesses to submit a case to DEFRA to designate the River Nidd at the Lido in Knaresborough as an area of bathing water quality. This will mean the Environment Agency has to monitor the water quality and plan to improve it.”

Mr Jones, who secured a debate on the matter in parliament this year, has previously said he is “confident” that there is a case for designating the area as bathing water status.

The Conservative MP also met with Rebecca Pow, environmental quality minister, to raise the issue this month.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, Liberal Democrat councillor for Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire County Council, said efforts had also been made by the town council and local community to clean up the Nidd.

She said:

“We read with interest Andrew Jones’ commitment to improve the water quality of the Nidd and we certainly welcome any efforts to support our campaign, but his recent voting record in parliament shows the reality is exactly the opposite to his words.

“I am also pleased to report that Knaresborough Town Council have allocated funds towards the community’s efforts to clean up the Nidd and make it safer for bathers and wildlife.”

MPs Watch: Resignation honours and River Nidd water quality

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 November, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his autumn statement, which included scrapping planned investment zones in the Harrogate district and across the country.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours were also revealed, which is set to include district MP Nigel Adams.

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, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

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

On November 10, Andrew Jones debated the possibility of the River Nidd at Knaresborough achieving bathing water status in the House of Commons.
Mr Jones called for a debate on green building regulations in the House of Commons to be “sped up”.
Mr Jones asked for reassurance from ministers on November 15 that park home residents would get support for energy bills amid concern over rising prices.
In response to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement on November 17, Mr Jones said he felt Mr Hunt had made some “difficult decisions but right ones”.
In response to new IPSA guidance over expenses for festive decorations, Mr Jones said he has “never used parliamentary expenses to pay for festive decorations or parties and I never will”.
On November 28, Mr Jones asked whether ministers would focus education funding on “creating estates to deliver the skills needed in the growth sectors of the future” after Harrogate College announced a £16 million estates scheme.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

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

Mr Smith made three spoken contributions in the House of Commons in November on matters relating to Northern Ireland.
On November 8, Mr Smith tweeted that he was pleased that Ripon Museums had secured a grant from Arts Council England.
Mr Smith commemorated Armistice Day by placing a tribute on behalf of Skipton and Ripon in parliament’s garden of remembrance.
Mr Smith also laid a wreath on Remembrance Sunday in Ripon as part of commemorations on November 13.
The Ripon MP paid tribute to local constituency Cllr Margaret Atkinson on November 14, who died suddenly. He said she had “a passion, focus & dedication to public service which she pursued for many decade”.
Mr Smith made no public comment on Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, but he retweeted the Treasury Twitter account announcing measures included in the statement.

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

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

On November 8, it was revealed by The Times newspaper that Nigel Adams is in line for a peerage in former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours.
On November 23, Mr Adams asked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for more support for bus services as he warned that 80 services across the county were at under threat.
Mr Adams spoke only once in the House of Commons in November, which was to ask the Prime Minister for support on buses in North Yorkshire.
He made no public comment on Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement.

‘Developers should create infrastructure for new homes’ says Harrogate and Knaresborough MP

Planning regulations should change to require developers to include infrastructure to support new homes, Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has said.

Andrew Jones told North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee yesterday he had raised the issue in parliament.

He was asked by Green Party councillor Arnold Warneken, whose Ouseburn division includes the planned up to 4,000-home Maltkiln settlement, whether more should be done to ensure infrastructure could cope with a sudden rise in the population.

Cllr Warneken said:

“When I’ve had meetings with the developers for Maltkiln, it has become apparent that they are going to use existing infrastructure until it bursts before they do anything about it.

“In reference to the sewage they are going to use an existing, archaic sewage system until it’s up to bursting level and then they’re going to put efforts in to have new infrastructure put in and new sewage, working with the water authority.

“I would like to see the planning system changed that allows us to say, if you are going to build something as big as 4,000 houses, that the road infrastructure, the sewage infrastructure, has to be put in place as part of that process.

“I know it sounds naive, because who is going to pick up that tab? But if we make it that it’s part of the planning process, we can maybe enforce the investment in it before it actually happens.”

Mr Jones said the development was not in his constituency but in Selby and Ainsty, represented by fellow Conservative MP, Nigel Adams.

However, he said he agreed with the principle of ensuring infrastructure was fit for new development, digital connectivity, micro-generation of power and insulation of new homes.

He added:

“I have raised the issue of building standards in parliament. I agree with the basic point that we need to have build standards that are fit for the future.

“It’s significantly easier to construct things during the earliest phases of a construction project rather than go back and retro-fit.

“That applies to more than just water but it certainly applies to water.”

‘Over-developed’

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred said he was frequently asked by people in his High Harrogate and Kingsley division about the amount of house-building.

He said there seemed to be too many large homes being built that were unaffordable to most local people, with no public transport, healthcare facilities or other provisions to support the growing population.

Cllr Aldred said he did not feel the planning system in the UK was fit for purpose and was too heavily weighted in favour of making profits for developers. He added:

“I really do think Harrogate and Knaresborough are over-developed. There are far too many people living in the area.

“The residents who have been here long-term are suffering because of this over-development.”

In response, Mr Jones said he had “no doubt” that more homes were needed across the country, with many people struggling to get onto the property ladder.

He said the local plan had provision for starter homes, but even creating that took a long time and would not always be popular with people who did not want to see their areas change.

He added:

“Getting the balance right between protecting areas and allowing people to get on the property ladder isn’t easy.

“I’m not sure we can say it’s over-developed. We’re certainly in a period where we have been under-developing across the country and people, I think, are very uneasy about all the work that has been done catching up on that.

“But I think if we get the right mix of houses so local people get a chance to put their roots down in their home areas and we see infrastructure developed in parallel then I think we can meet people’s needs and aspirations.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough to have fewer voters under new plans

The Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency would be reduced in size, under revised plans published today by the Boundary Commission for England.

The commission first published proposals for a shake-up of Harrogate and Knaresborough in June 2021, which included moving Boroughbridge to another seat and shrinking the size of the constituency.

Under today’s revised proposals, the electorate would stand at 75,800. Latest Parliament figures show the current boundary has an electorate of 77,605.

The seat is currently held by the Conservative Andrew Jones.

The latest changes would see Claro ward and areas such as Burton Leonard reintroduced to the constituency from the initial proposals.

However, Boroughbridge would still remain in a newly created seat.

The commission will now undertake another round of public consultation until December 5 before making recommendations to government.

It will publish a final report on boundary changes in 2023.

Under the current proposals, the number of constituencies in Yorkshire and Humber would remain at 54.

Conservative Nigel Adams’ seat of Selby and Ainsty, which includes the south of Harrogate, would be scrapped.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

Instead, Selby would have its own seat and the north of the district would fall under a new constituency called Wetherby and Easingwold, which would take in areas including Wetherby, Bishop Monkton and Boroughbridge.

The Skipton and Ripon constituency, which is currently represented by Conservative Julian Smith, would include Ripley, which is currently part of Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Tim Bowden, secretary to the Boundary Commission for England, said:

“Today we are announcing the publication of our revised proposals. Last year we published our initial proposals for new constituency boundaries – our first go at what the map should look like. We are delighted with the huge number of comments from members of the public on our initial proposals, many which included valuable evidence about local communities.

“Today’s publication is the culmination of months of analysis and we have revised nearly half of our initial proposals based on what people have told us. We now believe we are close to the best map of constituencies that can be achieved under the rules we are working to.

“However, we still want people to tell us what they think of this latest map before we submit our final recommendations to Parliament next year. This is our final consultation and I encourage you to participate in the 2023 Boundary Review.”

As part of the review, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.

You can comment on the proposals at the Boundary Commission website here.

MPs Watch: A new Prime Minister and government U-turns

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 October, Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister after just 44 days. As a result, another Conservative leadership contest was held with Rishi Sunak beating Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson to enter 10 Downing Street.

The government also U-turned on most of its planned tax cuts amid mounting pressure from MPs and financial markets.

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 out on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones backed Rishi Sunak to be leader of the Conservative party. He said the former Chancellor “has the experience, ability and energy to tackle the problems facing our country”.
On October 19, Mr Jones voted with the government on an opposition motion to introduce a bill to ban fracking in the UK. The vote proved controversial amid allegations of Conservative whips being aggressive with MPs in the voting lobby.
Mr Jones announced he was launching a “non-political” fact checking service. He said his videos on Instagram will be ‘an occasional series where we just present facts — no politics’. His first video was on investment zones.
In the second of his Instagram videos on October 21, Mr Jones denied he had voted in favour of fracking following the controversial vote in the House of Commons.
On October 17, Mr Jones spoke in the House of Commons on investment zones where he said it was “far from the case” that the measure would harm the environment.
On October 13, Mr Jones called for a debate on designated bathing areas in rivers. It came amid a campaign by Nidd Catchment Anglers Group to create designated areas on the River Nidd.
On October 24, Mr Jones asked transport minister Kevin Foster MP to consider the role of the private sector in rail reform and to make York the headquarters of Great British Railways.
On October 27, Mr Jones supported a Dogs Trust campaign to end puppy smuggling.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith also threw his support behind Richmond MP, Rishi Sunak, to become the next Prime Minister.
On October 11, Mr Smith asked ministers to confirm that they would not “balance the forthcoming tax cuts on the backs of the poorest”.
Mr Smith was a critic of the government’s plan to cut taxes earlier this month. On October 2, he tweeted that MPs “cannot clap for carers one month and cut tax for millionaires months later”.
He later welcomed the government’s decision to backtrack on most of its tax cut pledges.
He voted along with the government on the controversial fracking vote on October 19.
On October 25, an article on Bloomberg said ‘dark arts specialist’ Mr Smith could be in line for a role in Mr Sunak’s government. As yet, nothing has transpired.

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

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

Mr Adams, who is a close ally of Boris Johnson, backed the former Prime Minister in the Conservative leadership contest.
Mr Adams has kept a low profile since Mr Johnson stepped down as Prime Minister. He made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons in October and only voted on two occasions.
On October 18, Mr Adams tweeted his support for the Foreign Secretary’s decision to summon the Chinese Chargé d’Affaires to demand an explanation for scenes outside the Chinese Consulate-General in Manchester.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP denies voting in favour of fracking

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has denied voting in favour of fracking in the House of Commons last week.

An opposition Labour motion was put to the house which would have forced a vote on a bill to ban the controversial practice in the UK.

Mr Jones voted with the government on the night against the motion.

In his latest ‘Fact Check Friday’ video on Instagram, Mr Jones denied he voted in favour of fracking.

He said:

“Contrary to what some people would have you believe, I didn’t vote in favour of fracking during the debate in parliament this week.

“In fact, the vote wasn’t even directly about fracking at all. The vote was about changing the scheduled timetable of parliamentary business to allow the Labour Party to bring in a bill about fracking.

“A bill that hasn’t even been published.”

The government won by 319 votes to 228 – however the night descended into chaos amid allegations Tory MPs were “bullied and manhandled” into supporting former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Mr Jones goes on to say in the video he is “relaxed” about the government’s position on fracking as there is “little possibility of any successful applications to frack”.

He adds that he has “always been skeptical about fracking” and that the UK’s future energy should be in renewables.

The video, which Mr Jones says includes “no politics”, goes onto show a clip of the then Liberal Democrat energy secretary, Sir Ed Davey, saying that the government had to find a “commercially viable way” to get shale gas out of the ground.

The clip then cuts to an image of Mr Jones and the hashtag ‘awks’, suggesting it reveals an awkward truth for the Lib Dems.

Harrogate district MPs backing clear favourite as new PM set to be confirmed

Two Harrogate district MPs look to have backed the right candidate with the announcement of the next Prime Minister set to be made later today.

Rishi Sunak is on course to win the Conservative leadership contest after Boris Johnson withdrew from the race last night.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, are among the 155 MPs who have declared their support for the former chancellor.

Penny Mordaunt, who is also running for the leadership, currently has the support of 25 MPs.

Writing on his Community News website, Mr Jones said on Friday:

“I’m backing Rishi because he has the experience, ability and energy to tackle the problems facing our country.

“He instinctively reaches for the right solutions and now, more than ever, we need someone who will bring those qualities to our national politics. He has demonstrated proven, economic judgement in unprecedented times.”

Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP which includes rural Harrogate, had backed Johnson for the leadership before the former Prime Minister withdrew from the race.

General Election calls

It comes as opposition parties, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, have called for a General Election to be held.

The Stray Ferret asked the Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative party what it made of the current situation in Parliament and whether it supported the suggestion of an election being held.

A spokesperson for the local party said:

“Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Association is here to serve its members who hold a wide range of views and opinions.

“We strongly support democracy and believe general elections should take place when called through the appropriate channels.

“It is our understanding that the election timetable is already published unless the government of the day makes alternative arrangements.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP: ‘I’m ready for Rishi’

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has said he is backing Rishi Sunak to be the next Prime Minster.

The odds on Richmond MP Mr Sunak winning shortened overnight to 4/7, according to betting site Oddschecker.

Boris Johnson has slipped slightly to 79/40 and Penny Mordaunt remains the outsider at 16/1.

Mr Jones did not respond to questions from the Stray Ferret about who he was supporting but told his Community News website:

“I’m backing Rishi because he has the experience, ability and energy to tackle the problems facing our country.

“He instinctively reaches for the right solutions and now, more than ever, we need someone who will bring those qualities to our national politics. He has demonstrated proven, economic judgement in unprecedented times.

“I admired how he dealt with the Herculean challenges which faced the country when covid hit. He worked at pace to save businesses and jobs and to provide the cash our NHS needed to get us through the pandemic.

“This vote is about the future. That future needs energy and ability at the top of our politics. It needs someone who can assemble and lead a broad-based team. For me, that person is Rishi Sunak.”

Mr Jones joins fellow local Conservative MP Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon, in backing the former Chancellor.

However, Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams has thrown his weight behind Mr Johnson, who he served as a Cabinet Office minister.

Mr Adams has said Mr Johnson is the only candidate with a mandate to be Prime Minister and if anyone else is elected it will increase the likelihood of an early general election.

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‘Over-developed’

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General Election calls

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