Julian Smith Archives - Page 11 of 12

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.

How Harrogate district MPs voted on post-Brexit bill

Two of the MPs who cover the Harrogate District voted for the government’s Internal Market Bill last night, which will attempt to override the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, voted in line with the government despite concerned letters from their constituents this past week.

However, Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, was among the MPs, including Theresa May and Sir Keir Starmer, who either abstained or did not vote.

The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”. Mr Smith is the former Northern Ireland secretary, in office from July 2019 to February this year.

The bill passed the House of Commons on its first hurdle last night by 77 votes, 340 MPs voted for the legislation while 263 voted against.

It will now go to committee stage and face further votes in the Commons before it goes to the House of Lords.

The Stray Ferret had previously contacted all three MPs for their views on the matter, but received no response.

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the plan, including David Cameron, Theresa May and Gordon Brown.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

Harrogate district MPs silent over post-Brexit bill

All three of the MPs covering the Harrogate district have remained silent about tonight’s vote on the government’s Internal Market Bill.

The Stray Ferret contacted Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams for their views on the bill, but has yet to receive a response.

MPs are set to vote on the legislation at its second reading tonight.

The bill seeks to override some aspects of the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union.

Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, has said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.

Some Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the bill or abstain.

Patrick Milne, who lives in Harrogate, has sent the Stray Ferret a copy of an email he has written to Mr Jones asking him to confirm that he would uphold the rule of law.

The email says:

“Could you please confirm that as lawfully elected Parliamentary representative for Harrogate and Knaresborough, you will at all times support and defend the rule of law, domestic and international?

“Could you also please confirm that you will never, under any circumstances, support or vote in favour of any action which breaks, or proposes to break the law, even in a ‘very specific and limited way’?”

Five former Prime Ministers have spoken out against the government’s plan. David Cameron said today that breaking an international treaty should be a “final resort”.

Sir John Major, Theresa May, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have also criticised the government.

What is the Internal Market Bill?

After the UK left the EU on January 31 it signed a withdrawal agreement.

The agreement included a Northern Ireland Protocol, which was designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland.

The Internal Market Bill attempts to override parts of the agreement and would allow the UK to modify or reinterpret state aid rules if the two sides do not strike a future trade deal.

What’s on the agenda for our MPs in Parliament?

Harrogate district Conservative MPs, Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams, return to the House of Commons this week after a six-week summer recess.

It is likely to be a busy autumn with key decisions looming on coronavirus, finance and the environment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak face pressure from backbench Tory MPs over proposed tax rises to cover the mounting coronavirus bill for initiatives such as furlough payments and Eat Out to Help Out.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis told The Times it would be “very unwise” to increase taxes because of the “fragile” state of the economy. But Sunak is said to be considering raising corporation tax, reforming pension tax relief and making more people pay capital gains tax.

The Stray Ferret asked our three MPs if they backed tax increases but none had responded by the time of publication.

Skipton & Ripon MP Julian Smith, Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and Selby & Ainsty MP Nigel Adams.

Votes on legislation are usually announced with just a few days notice, and there are important bills that our MPs could vote on before Christmas.

Mr Smith, Mr Jones and Adams could be asked to vote on the government’s flagship Environment Bill, which would introduce legally binding targets for water, waste and air quality.

The House of Commons will break for the party conference season in September and October — but the pandemic means it will look very different. Our MPs would have headed to the Conservative conference in Birmingham but it has now been cancelled and the event will take place online instead.

A deadline of December 31 for a Brexit trade deal with the European Union is also looming. However, if a deal is agreed MPs won’t have a say on it.

MPs watch – Porsches, refugees and £3,000 an hour jobs

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.

MPs were not in Parliament in August due to the summer recess. They return on September 2.

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 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.
According to a tweet from a constituent, Mr Jones wrote a letter about refugees crossing the channel on boats from France. In the letter, Mr Jones said the refugees “shouldn’t be crossing several safe countries” to get to the UK and he’s “working hard to find a solution to stop them”. However, the United Nations says refugees can legitimately make a claim for asylum in the UK after passing through other “safe” countries.
On August 10, Mr Jones published figures on his website that revealed more than 15,000 people in his constituency have been furloughed from their jobs since March.
He also welcomed news that Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is set to receive an additional £527,000 to support Accident & Emergency (A&E) capacity ahead of the winter months.
Mr Jones tweeted three times in August.
On August 4, the MP welcomed £1.5m of government funding for a business park in Harrogate.
Mr Jones released a statement welcoming 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 missing Porsche sports cars and Cllr Samantha Mearns, who works as a caseworker in his office.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:

The Stray Ferret revealed that Mr Smith has been appointed as an external advisor to a hydrogen company at a rate of £3,000 per hour.
On Twitter, the MP for Ripon paid tribute to veteran Northern Irish politician John Hume who died on August 3.
Fourteen of Mr Smith’s 19 tweets this month were related to Northern Ireland. He tweeted once about Ripon.
Mr Smith praised Netflix drama The Fall which he said he was “totally glued to” during lockdown.
On Facebook, Mr Smith complimented Ripon Catherdral’s 11,000 origami angels, which is a project organised by churchgoers to send messages to family members and key workers.
Mr Smith advertised for a new parliamentary assistant to respond to constituency enquiries, help run his social media accounts and assist with casework. The salary has not been disclosed publicly.

Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty

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

Mr Adams spoke out on Twitter on a range of subjects including Jeremy Corbyn, the debate over singing Rule Brittania at the Proms, and the sentencing of the Manchester bomber.
Mr Adams is the minister for Asia and earlier in the month welcomed ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries for ASEAN day. He said UK-ASEAN trade reached a 10-year high of £41.9bn in January.
He tweeted 14 times in August including several times about Drax Power Station in Selby, which is part of his constituency.
He visited several restaurants in his constituency that are participating in the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Harrogate district MPs silent on government planning reforms

Harrogate District MPs are remaining tight-lipped about the government’s planning proposals as a storm brews within the Conservative party over the reforms.

If passed, the proposals would have a big impact locally and could see Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan redrawn so land would fall into one of three categories: growth, renewal or protected.

The government could also set a fresh housing needs requirement for Harrogate if they think more homes should be built on brownfield sites within the district.

The Stray Ferret asked Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams whether they backed the proposals but none responded at the time of publication.

The BBC reported last week that one Tory MP is predicting “quite a battle” in the Conservative party over the issue.

Conservative MP for the Cotswolds Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said he is worried the reforms will lead to “the slums of tomorrow” due to lower quality housing being built in affluent areas.

On the Today Programme this morning, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight Bob Seely even suggested that a large amount of new homes being built on the island could affect his majority at the next General Election.

James Jamieson, the Local Government Association’s chairman and a Conservative councillor also said a loss of local control over developments “would be a concern.”

The government wants to see 300,000 homes built a year in the UK and housing minister Robert Jenrick said the proposals will “cut red tape” to deliver housebuilding on a faster scale.

But it’s been criticised by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) who called the proposals “disgrace” and the Labour Party who called it a “developers’ charter”.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said the government’s planning reforms won’t do enough for affordable or social housing in the district.

She said:

“Yet again, we are witnessing a Conservative-run government who are completely unwilling to understand what people need. Reforming planning laws will not aid those who are either stuck on waiting lists or struggling to get the funds together to buy their own home.”

MPs watch: NHS ‘on the table’ in US trade talks?

Every month the Stray Ferret has been trying to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In July, lockdown restrictions were eased which saw a raft of businesses reopen in the district, including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers. It was also the last month in Parliament before the summer recess and several crucial votes were cast.

This month, we have included Conservative MP Nigel Adams as several villages in his Selby and Ainsty constituency fall within the Harrogate district — including Huby, Spofforth, Kirby Overblow and Sicklinghall.

We asked Mr Adams as well as Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones and Ripon MP Julian Smith, if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them at the time of publication.

So here is what we know after analysing their online presence and activity in Parliament.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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

On July 7, Mr Jones voted against offering financial support for migrant victims of domestic abuse.
On July 20, he voted against protecting NHS in a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.
Earlier in the month, Mr Jones praised a rainbow tribute to NHS and key workers on the Stray. He said: “Our key workers have kept the nation going throughout lockdown and I want to see local and national celebration of that.”
Mr Jones tweeted just five times during July, down from nine tweets in June. He does not have a Facebook page.
He posted on his website a message of good luck to Harrogate Town ahead of their play off final this Sunday.
In a Commons debate about the future of the Palace of Westminster, Mr Jones called on lawmakers to invest in improvements. He said: “We need to save it for future generations as our national Parliament, making sure not only that it is modernised, but that it is fit for service for centuries ahead.”
On July 8 he gave a “cautious welcome” to pledges made by Bauer Media about the future of Stray FM. The company told Mr Jones that no jobs would be lost as the station transitions to Greatest Hits Radio.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith also 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.”
On July 23 Mr Smith went on a tour of Spirit of Masham, a gin distillery that has been producing hand sanitizer during the pandemic.
On July 16, Mr Smith published on his website letters he received from HBC’s Wallace Sampson and NYCC’s Richard Flinton regarding infrastructure improvements to the proposed Ripon Barracks housing development.
As businesses reopened in Ripon in early July, Mr Smith visited Little Ripon Bookshop where he was “heartened” by the hard work of staff to make the shop Covid secure.
On July 2, he attended a virtual environmental lobby organised by green group The Climate Coalition that discussed how to encourage a healthy and green recovery from coronavirus.
11 of Mr Smith’s 23 tweets were about Irish politics. He was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary in February.

Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty

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

Mr Adams is the minister for Asia in the Foreign Office and he answered several questions in Parliament about China. Regarding the detention of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, he said: “We remain concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression in China, and urge the authorities to immediately release human rights lawyers detained for the peaceful and constitutionally protected expression of their views.”
He also said he was “seriously concerned” about the situation involving Uighur Muslims.
The majority of his 25 tweets concerned foreign affairs in countries including Vietnam, Nepal and Myanmar. None related to his constituency
Mr Adams voted in line with the government on the Trade Bill and the Domestic Abuse Bill.
He hit out at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he had an “obsession” with undermining the Brexit vote.
A Liverpool fan, he tweeted “rejoice” at his club winning the Premier League title.
The news section of his website has not been updated since April.

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Ripon MP defends controversial NHS Trade Bill vote

Ripon and Skipton Conservative MP Julian Smith has written to the Stray Ferret defending his decision to vote in Parliament against protecting the NHS from a future trade deal with the United States.

Last week an amendment was put forward to the government’s Trade Bill to ensure the NHS principle of being “free at the point of delivery” was not compromised by any future trade deal. The amendment failed by 251 votes to 340.

Included in the amendment were attempts to protect NHS staff from having their wages or rights cut as the result of a trade deal, protections around the pricing of medicines, and stopping confidential patient data being sold off to private companies.

However, Mr Smith said that he did not believe the amendment would have been legally binding.

He said:

“I recognise the strength of feeling about the provisions in new clause 17. However, for what I believe are sensible and practical reasons, I felt it best not to support the clause.”

Mr Smith said he does not believe any future trade agreement will lead to standards in the NHS being lowered.

He added:

“No future trade agreement will be allowed to undermine the guiding principle of the NHS: that it is universal and free at the point of need. I welcome the government’s clear and absolute commitment that the NHS will be protected in any future trade agreement. The price the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table and nor will the services the NHS provides.

“It is important to bear in mind that the Trade Bill is a continuity bill. The powers within the bill could not be used to implement new free trade agreements with countries such as the US.

“Instead, the bill only allows for trade agreements that we have been party to through our EU membership to be transitioned into UK law.

“My ministerial colleagues have no intention of lowering standards in transitioned trade agreements, as the very purpose of these agreements is to replicate as close as possible the effects of existing commitments in EU agreements. None of the 20 continuity agreements signed have resulted in standards being lowered.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones also voted against the amendment. Mr Jones did not respond to the Stray Ferret when asked for comment.

District’s MPs vote against protecting NHS in trade deal

Andrew Jones and Julian Smith both voted against protecting the NHS from any future trade deal with the United States or other country.

Last night’s amendment to the Trade Bill, which failed by 251 votes to 340, also included a provision to ensure the NHS principle of being “free at the point of delivery” was not compromised by any future trade deal.

The Trade Bill lays out what trading relationship UK will have with other countries post-Brexit. The amendment was submitted by Green MP Caroline Lucas and was backed by Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer.

Included in the failed amendment were attempts to protect NHS staff from having their wages or rights cut as the result of a trade deal, protections around the pricing of medicines, and stopping confidential patient data being sold off to private companies.

Trade minister Greg Hands told the Commons that the NHS “remains protected and will never be on the table at any trade deal”.

The campaign group We Own It said the MPs who voted against the amendment have “handed the NHS to Donald Trump on a silver platter”.

During the 2019 General Election, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn produced a leaked document which claimed that the NHS was ‘on the table’ in future trade talks with the United States. This was denied by prime minister Boris Johnson.

When he visited the UK in June 2019, President Trump said that the NHS could form part of trade negotiations between the two countries.

Earlier this week, Andrew Jones, the Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, praised the new rainbow tribute in Harrogate to key workers.

The Stray Ferret contacted both Andrew Jones and Julian Smith to ask why they voted against the amendment last night but neither had responded at the time of publication.

Ripon Barracks proposals move online following criticism

Homes England has published updated plans online for the 1,300 home development at Ripon Barracks, after concerns were raised from Ripon residents about transparency during lockdown.

The development, which encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks is being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

There are 1,300 homes mooted and it’s designated within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

The development will be called Clotherholmes and the new plans include a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

Homes England had been accused of “a lack of transparency” around the plans due to lockdown, with local resident Barbara Brodigen telling The Stray Ferret that local residents have failed to have their voices heard.

Whole process online

Homes England said they initially wanted to publish the proposals online and to display them at a public event. However, due to the restrictions in place as a result of Covid-19, they have instead put the whole process online which includes information boards, an FAQ document and a pre-recorded presentation from the project team.

Ripon councillor Mike Chambers told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the plan but said its “achilles heel” is its lack of transport provision.

He said:

“I’m very concerned about displaced traffic and rat runs. I’m continuing to press to ensure we have the best possible traffic plan going forward so residents can live their lives as they want.”

People can submit questions about the development until July 26. Responses will then be added to the FAQ document and uploaded to the project website.

A planning application is due to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council later this summer.

Martin Wilks, Ripon Barracks project manager at Homes England, said:

“After being impressed with the level of interest shown in our proposals last autumn, we provided local groups with further opportunities to comment on our proposals – we paused, listened, and refined our proposals.

“We now feel confident that our updated plans meet the needs of Ripon’s community, both present and future, as well as providing a number of additional benefits that will allow community spirit to be placed at the heart of the development of Clotherholme.

“These include greater access to green space through the establishment of parkland in Laver Banks, more diverse employment opportunities through the provision of flexible workspaces, and a range of facilities such as allotments, sports pitches and mixed-use community spaces.”

Meanwhile, Julian Smith MP has published a response from Homes England on his website, dated July 9, after he raised concerns from residents in a letter last month.

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Whole process online

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