community news Archives - The Stray Ferret

‘Worried’ Tories dig up old Facebook posts of Harrogate Lib Dem

The Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have said an article on a local Conservative Party website that digs up old Facebook posts from a prospective Lib Dem candidate “shows they are worried” about the upcoming council elections.

The article on Community News, which is run by Andrew Jones MP’s office, posted screenshots from the Facebook page of Michael Schofield, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Harlow Hill & St Georges.

Mr Schofield is the landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub on Otley Road.

The article included one of his Facebook posts in 2019, which the Conservatives called an ‘expletive-laden, bizarre online rant’ that referred to Brexit, Donald Trump and Guy Fawkes.

The post from March 2019 was written at the height of the wrangling in Parliament over Brexit. It said:

“This country needs one person to stand up! A Trump, a Thatcher, a Guy Fawkes. Politicians have shown their colours and let our country down. Nail your colours to either side but be Brexit or Remain not one of these self wanting a****** deserve a vote. GUY FAWKES WE NEED YOU”.

The article also posted a screenshot of Mr Schofield reposting a satirical article from December 2019, which said then-Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson should be in Bagpuss’s window with “all the other lost and broken things nobody wants anymore”.

Voters go to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to sit on North Yorkshire County Council and its successor authority, North Yorkshire Council, which comes into existence in April 2023.

Responding, Mr Schofield said:

“My response is quite clear. I apologise if language was offensive however at that time no party had a leader of credibility and I do believe it was the vote of a lifetime to make a difference.”

David Goode, chair of Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, criticised the campaign tactics used by the Conservatives.

He said:

“It’s no more than we’ve come to expect. It’s very standard practice for them to try and besmirch the opposition. It shows they are worried about the election.

“This election is so important for a whole raft of different reasons and they will try every trick in the book. I’d like to think we’ll keep more to the issues. We’ll have a go at them on their record, not at individuals.”

Mr Goode defended the comments of the publican Mr Schofield, which he said makes him a “far stronger candidate” due to his “passion”.

“At the time there was a lot of emotion flying about Brexit. From Michael’s perspective, he probably used some language he shouldn’t have used. It reflects his passion and truly that’s what what we need. We need people with passion who care.

“With any political party people fall in and out out of love at certain times. We can’t always be 100% enthusiastic. In a way it makes him a far stronger candidate, he’s gone through bad times with the party and come back.”

What is Community News?

Community News launched in September 2020.

The home page makes no reference to the fact that it’s set up by the office of Andrew Jones.

This only becomes clear when you click on the “About” page, which also says the aim of the website is to provide news stories about Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge in a “positive” and “non-political way”.

Mr Jones’ office manager is current council leader Richard Cooper. The office also employs current Conservative councillors Matt Scott and Ed Darling.

Following the 2019 general election, Mr Jones commented on negative campaigning. He said: “politics needs to grow up” and “I don’t use these tactics”.

Mr Jones wrote on his website:

“I don’t like it when candidates spend much of their time demonising their opponents.

“I don’t use these tactics. I simply say what I do in the local area and describe how I represent local people and our communities. My literature and my team were positive about our achievements and our ambitions. We didn’t pull down opponents or manipulate people to vote differently to their beliefs to ‘stop someone else winning’.

“Politics needs to grow up and step away from this old-fashioned and frankly US-style attack ad approach. I hope over the next few years – at least locally – there will be agreement to adopt a more positive approach.”

The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones, Richard Cooper and the Conservative candidate for Harlow Hill & St Georges, Steven Jackson, to respond to Mr Goode’s comments but we did not receive any responses.

MPs watch: Ukraine war dominates agenda

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.

This month the war in Ukraine dominated the news, with constituents across the district raising money, donating goods and offering their homes to refugees.

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:

Mr Jones spoke about the Ukraine war nine times in the House of Commons this month. On March 2, he said: “My constituents have told me that they want to see the government continue to support the Ukrainian resistance in three ways: humanitarian assistance in the region; welcoming refugees here; and military aid.”
On March 1, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Richard Cooper, who is also Mr Jones’ office manager, told a council meeting that the MP had written to Boris Johnson to ask if council housing stock could be used to house Ukrainian refugees.
On March 4, Mr Jones met with the new acting chief executive of the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Jonathan Coulter, to discuss catching up on elective care and visiting arrangements at the hospital.
Writing on his Community News website, Mr Jones praised the local fundraising efforts in Harrogate and Knaresborough for Ukraine. He wrote: “Locally, the outpouring support is typical of the generous and compassionate nature of our communities.”
On March 22, the MP voted in favour of Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill. The clause is controversial and gives the Home Office the right to strip people of UK citizenship without warning. A petition calling for its removal received 325,000 signatures.
Following news that rail operator Northern would be cutting several train services from Harrogate station, Mr Jones wrote to the company’s chairman urging it to ‘rethink’. Despite his plea, Northern announced on March 29 that the cuts would be staying.
On March 24 Mr Jones called on the government to tackle fake ads that purport to be from consumer journalist Martin Lewis.
On March 29, Mr Jones posed for a picture at a Sight Loss Councils event in Westminster. The group briefed MPs on issues affecting blind and partially sighted people.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

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

The Ripon MP praised Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky following his speech to MPs at the House of Commons on March 8. “Incredible leadership and resilience,” he tweeted.
On March 9 in the Commons, Mr Smith called on the government to “look again” at its approach to Ukrainian refugees.
On March 14, he thanked his “many constituents” for offering their homes as part Homes for Ukraine scheme that launched that week.
The former Northern Ireland secretary attended a St Patrick’s Day event at the Ireland Embassy in London on March 16.
Eight of his 11 tweets were related to Northern Ireland.
On March 14, Mr Smith voted against a Liberal Democrat amendment to the government’s Animal Welfare Bill that would force the government to publish the number of animals killed by sewage dumping in rivers every year.
Posting on his website on March, 18, Mr Smith said he was pleased to hear that work on the A59 at Kex Gill is expected to start at the end of this year.

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

On March 30, the MP praised the bravery of fellow Tory MP Jamie Wallis for coming out as trans.
Whilst attending the Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool, Mr Adams had another confrontation with ‘Stop Brexit Man’ Steve Bray. The MP said in a video: “I see a village has lost its idiot”. Last year, Mr Adams told Mr Bray to f*** off outside Parliament.
On March 20, the MP met the Ukraine ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, in Blackpool. He said it was “great to see him join the standing ovation for Boris Johnson”.

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What is Community News?

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