Julian Smith Archives - Page 10 of 12

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.”

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.”

MPs watch: lockdown three and hopes for the vaccine

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 January the third national lockdown has dominated life in the district, with non-essential retail and hospitality closing and the majority of school children now being taught from home.

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 January 13, Mr Jones revealed on his website that he had visited the Great Yorkshire Showground to check on progress with the vaccination programme. At that point, he said the site had vaccinated over 3,000 people at a rate between 125 and 135 people per hour.
Writing on his website later in January, he called the latest lockdown the one “nobody wanted”. However, he said the vaccines now provide “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Mr Jones was contacted by a constituent in Knaresborough who told him that she had received two pre-packed sandwiches, two mini yoghurts, an apple, an orange and two potatoes to feed her son for five days. ‘This simply isn’t good enough,’ the MP wrote on his website.
At a Commons debate on the Financial Services Bill on January 13, Mr Jones spoke about the cycle of debt that some constituents become trapped in. He said debt is “sometimes very easy to get into and very hard to break out of.”
He voted in favour of the ‘authorisation of criminal conduct’ clause in the Criminal Conduct Bill that gives protection to police or MI5 agents working undercover to commit criminal acts “where it is necessary and appropriate”.
On January 26, Mr Jones voted down an amendment to the Environment Bill to enshrine air pollution limits in law.
Mr Jones met virtually with fellow MPs and figures from the rail industry as part of his role as co-chair of the Transport Across the North APPG.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority published its latest annual report of MPs expenses which revealed that in 2019/20, Mr Jones spent £174,597.97 on accommodation, office, staffing, staff absence, travel and other costs.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

The Ripon MP was appointed an external advisor to a green energy company at a rate of between £1,000 and £2,000 per hour. It’s the second lucrative advisory position he has taken in a year. Both companies have ties to Ireland, where Mr Smith spent time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 2019/20.
Mr Smith tweeted 13 times in January, including a tweet that marked a year since he helped to broker a historic power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland.
He retweeted celebrity PE teacher Joe Wicks announcing his return to YouTube.
He also voted in line with the government on its controversial ‘authorisation of criminal conduct’ clause in the Criminal Conduct Bill.
The expenses report revealed Mr Smith spent £170,235.42 last year.
Mr Smith was interviewed on the BBC’s Today Programme on Saturday criticising the EU’s decision (and then retraction) to over-ride the Brexit Northern Ireland border deal and create checks on vaccine’s coming into the UK. Mr Smith called the act “almost Trumpian”.

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

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

The MP hit out at the Yorkshire Post for running a story about vaccines from Yorkshire being redistributed to the south of England. He tweeted that the story was “irresponsible and sad”. In a public row with a number of conservative MPs on the report, the paper’s Editor robustly defended the story.
The expenses report revealed Mr Adams spent £191,616.52 last year, the most of our three MPs.
He tweeted 16 times in January, including a screenshot that revealed he walked 24,101 steps in one day.
A big sports fan, Mr Adams hailed the England cricket team’s series win over Sri Lanka.
The minister for Asia called on the Hong Kong authorities to “end their targeting of pro-democracy voices.”

Harrogate district MPs claim £536,000 in expenses last year

The Members of Parliament serving the Harrogate district claimed a total of £536,449 in expenses last year.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which monitors expenses, published its annual report yesterday.

The report reveals the total expenses for all MPs in 2019/20, including accommodation, office, staffing, staff absence, travel and other costs.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate, spent the most of the t hree district MPs with an overall spend of £191,616.52.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, spent £174,597.97 and Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, spent £170,235.42.

All MPs were within their budgets set for office, staffing and accommodation spend.

Of all MPs in Parliament in 2019/20, Mr Adams ranked 294th of those who spent the most while Mr Jones was 389th and Mr Smith 496th.

Roger Godsiff, who was MP for Birmingham Hall Green until he lost his seat at the 2019 General Election spent the most with £265,668.31. Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, claimed the least with £7,391.51.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP Harrogate and Knaresborough

Office spend – £20,761.73
Staffing spend – £145,085.64
Accommodation spend – £1,457
Travel and subsistence spend – £7,293.60

Julian Smith, Conservative MP Ripon and Skipton

Office spend – £12,564.65
Staffing spend – £151,729.18
Accommodation spend – £2,540.57
Travel and subsistence spend – £3,226.02
Other costs – £175

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP Selby and Ainsty (which includes rural Harrogate)

Office spend – £9,823.58
Staffing spend – £127,512.06
Staff absence spend – £21,523.51
Accommodation spend – £21,990.74
Travel and subsistence spend – £10,766.63

Julian Smith MP takes second lucrative advisory role

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith has been appointed as an external advisor to a green energy company at a rate of between £1,000 and £2,000 per hour.

The former Northern Ireland secretary will be paid £2,000 a month to advise Simply Blue Management for the next year and will work between one and two hours each month.

The company, whose head office is in Cork, describes itself as ‘the leading early stage developer of sustainable and transformative marine projects’.

Last year the Stray Ferret revealed Mr Smith would be paid £3,000 an hour for another external advisor role with low carbon transport company Ryse Hydrogen.

That contract was for 12 months, with Mr Smith being paid £60,000 for 20 hours work.

As former Northern Ireland secretary until February last year, Mr Smith sought advice from the Office of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about a potential conflict in taking the new role at Simply Blue Management.

In his response, committee chair Lord Eric Pickles warned Mr Smith there were “inherent risks’ with the appointment due to his previous position.

However, he was happy for Mr Smith to take up the role provided he doesn’t use any information gained during his time as a minister to benefit the business.

He also said the Ripon MP was not allowed to lobby the government on behalf of the business or advise on contracts with the UK government or the Northern Ireland executive for two years from the end of his appointment as secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Lord Pickles wrote:

“As a former minister, there are also inherent risks with the contacts you have gained in office. However you have stated that you will not have contact with the government and this role will be advisory.

“The committee would draw your attention to the lobbying and bids and contracts bans below which makes it clear that it would be improper to make use of your contacts (directly or indirectly) to the unfair advantage of your employer, or advise on a bid or contract relating to the UK government or Northern Ireland executive.”

Neither Mr Smith nor Simply Blue Management responded to the Stray Ferret’s request for a comment on his appointment.

MPs watch 2020: the year of coronavirus, Brexit and free school meals

Each month the Stray Ferret tracks what the three MPs in the Harrogate district have been up to in Parliament and their constituencies.

As this is the last month of the year, this time we have provided a round-up of the activities of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams throughout 2020.

The district’s three elected Conservative representatives in the House of Commons have a combined 30 years’ experience as MPs but nothing could have prepared them for 2020 and the arrival of coronavirus.

As always, we asked all three if they would like to highlight anything in particular. Once again, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here are some of the key moments from Mr Jones’s year:

Fresh from a fourth straight general election victory, Mr Jones began the year by speaking out on his website against what he described as the toxic nature of modern political campaigning. He wrote: “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.”
In April, at the height of the first lockdown, Mr Jones warned constituents about the dangers of covid: “This virus doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor, by race, by religion, by nationality, by gender or sexuality or by political allegiances.”
One of Mr Jones’s nine tweets in June was that he found some car keys near to Tewit Well in Harrogate.
On his website in June, Mr Jones wrote to the head of Bauer Media to “seek assurances” about the future of Stray FM. The radio station rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio in September.
On August 2, Mr Jones hailed Harrogate Town’s win at Wembley as “the best news in ages”. He also tweeted about Notts County’s non-existent equaliser, which was quickly deleted. This led to the Stray Ferret’s Paul Baverstock suggesting that Mr Jones might not have been actually watching the game.
Mr Jones released a statement apologising for the government’s u-turn over A-Level results. He said: “I am sorry for the distress and uncertainty this has caused pupils. In all about 20 students contacted me personally and I am writing to each of them”.
Mr Jones refused to comment on a Stray Ferret story involving a police investigation into allegations of missing Porsche sports cars from GMUND in Knaresborough. The company was run by Andrew Mearns, while his wife Cllr Samantha Mearns was a company secretary until late 2018 and is now a caseworker in Mr Jones’s office.
At Prime Minister’s Questions in October, the MP urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to commit to a support package for the conference and exhibition industry.
In October, 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 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 said on October 20 “a blanket national lockdown is wrong and local interventions are what we need now to tackle this crisis”. On November 2 he voted in favour of a new national lockdown.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Ripon, here are some of the key moments from Mr Smith’s year:

In February, Mr Smith was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary. Despite lasting just 204 days in the role, he was widely praised for his work, including brokering talks between rival political parties to restore a power-sharing government at Stormont.
In May, the MP contacted the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, offering support after she received death threats for speaking out over Dominic Cummings’ decision to travel with symptoms of covid-19, against government advice.
In July, Mr Smith voted against protecting the NHS in a future trade deal with the US. Unlike Mr Jones, he wrote to the Stray Ferret to explain why he voted this way. He said: “No future trade agreement will be allowed to undermine the guiding principle of the NHS.”
Throughout the year, Mr Smith has raised residents’ concerns about the 1,300-home Ripon barracks development to local health leaders and Harrogate Borough Council officials, including chief executive Wallace Sampson.
The Stray Ferret revealed in August that Mr Smith has been appointed as an external advisor to a hydrogen company at a rate of £3,000 per hour.
In September, he abstained on both Internal Markets Bill votes, which related to Brexit. Opponents of the bill said it could lead to a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
That month, the MP visited Ripon Cathedral to view its new £6m design plans, which include new toilets, a cafe and the creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural parts of the Harrogate district.

In rural south Harrogate, here are some of the key moments from Mr Adams’s year:

The arch Brexiteer celebrated January 31 when the UK left the European Union. He wrote on Facebook: “Today is a historic day but tomorrow, the work to take our country forward continues with renewed enthusiasm.”
In April, the MP offered his “thoughts and prayers” to prime minister Boris Johnson, who was in hospital with coronavirus. He wrote: “The Boris I know is a fighter and will defeat this.”
In July, Mr Adams hit out at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he had an “obsession” with undermining the Brexit vote.
In September, he criticised environmental group Extinction Rebellion after it 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”.
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.”
Ahead of a planning committee hearing into 72 homes in Spofforth in November, Mr Adams’s office confirmed to the Stray Ferret that he had made representations to councillors ahead of their decision, which was ultimately to refuse the plans in their current form.

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.

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.

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.

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1,932 free meals in district

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