Will Harrogate district opposition parties do a deal to fight the Tories in May?

Elections will take place across the Harrogate district on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The current two-tier system, where North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council provide different services locally, will be replaced by a single-tier system with one council in charge of England’s largest county.

Both of the councils that will be abolished are currently dominated by Conservatives. However, various scandals related to Boris Johnson and the government have buoyed opposition parties locally.

There are also rumblings of more independents standing across the district who have been unhappy with the direction of the Tory-controlled HBC and NYCC. There are already two independents in Ripon.

Reform UK, the new name of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, could be putting forward candidates for May and the Yorkshire Party has also previously stood candidates in Harrogate district elections.

But a crowded field could dilute any prospect of gains over the Tories — so the prospect of an electoral pact between some parties makes sense to some.

Andy Rickard, chair of Harrogate & District Green Party said “the time has come” for left-of-centre parties in the Harrogate district to do deals in order to defeat the Tories.

However, he said whilst the Greens have been in discussions with local parties no agreements have been made. As it stands, the party will stand in every division.

Mr Rickard said:

“It is vital that other parties work cooperatively to be rid of the Conservatives – at every level, local and national. 

“In the past, ad hoc bilateral discussions have taken place, and continue. The time has come to identify seats where cooperation can achieve success. Electors now understand that deals are the only way forward, as do the rank and file in all progressive parties.

“The Conservatives have lost touch with their voters who reveal in doorstep discussions that they also are unhappy with the present voting system.

“We are calling for all progressive parties in this region to work together to break the electoral log jam which is destroying our nation – starting with the May 2022 elections”.

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For last year’s Knaresborough Scriven Park by-election, the Greens asked supporters to vote for the Liberal Democrats, which was won by the Lib Dems’ Hannah Gostlow who took the seat from the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat David Goode would not be drawn on whether the party would return the favour and step aside in any seats for the Greens in May.

He said:

“The Liberal Democrats are very much focused on the huge election on May 5th to the new North Yorkshire Unitary Authority. These are the most important local elections in years with councillors being elected to the new authority for a 5 year term.

“We  are focused on continuing  our fight to give an alternative voice of strong opposition to Conservatives locally.”

At the time of the Knaresborough by-election, Chris Watt, a spokesman for the Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party, described the electoral pact as a “dodgy backroom deal”.

The party has no seats on Harrogate Borough Council but received 13% of the total votes at the last election in 2018, which could be enough to be a deciding factor if it did step aside in certain wards.

Mr Watt said it would not consider similar deals with other parties in May due to how “ineffective” he believes the local Lib Dems are on Harrogate Borough Council.

He said:

“Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party consistently sets out a positive vision for our area and our country. We will be doing so again at the elections to the newCouncil in May, where a strong Labour voice will be essential in standing up for our area.

Local people still remember the damage done by the Tory/LibDem Coalition Government and can see how ineffective the LibDems are at standing up to the Tories on the Council.

In contrast, Labour is listening to local people and will be presenting a strong and forward looking alternative. We want and expect to elect Labour councillors to the new Council in May.”

Ripon MP Julian Smith urges Prime Minister to withdraw Jimmy Savile ‘slur’

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to withdraw a “slur” he made against Sir Keir Starmer yesterday relating to Jimmy Savile.

Mr Johnson accused the Labour leader in the House of Commons of failing to prosecute Savile while he was Director of Public Prosecutions.

He claimed Sir Keir spent his time “prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile”.

The accusation has been described as “false and baseless” by Conservative MP Mr Smith. He said such “baseless personal slurs are dangerous”.

In a tweet this morning, Mr Smith said:

“The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong and cannot be defended.

“It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust and can’t just be accepted as part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate.”

The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can't just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate.

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 1, 2022

Mr Smith has joined Nazir Afzal, who was assistant chief crown prosecutor in London during the Savile allegations, in condemning the remark.

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Mr Afzal said the accusation was not true and said Sir Keir “had nothing to do with the decisions taken”.

‘He drags everybody into the gutter’

The Labour leader was head of the Crown Prosecution Service when the the decision was made not to prosecute Savile in 2009. However, he was not the reviewing lawyer for the case who dealt with the allegations.

Sir Keir later commissioned an investigation into matter, which criticised both prosecutors and police for their handling of the allegations.

In response to the claim by the Prime Minister, the Labour leader told ITV Good Morning Britain:

“It’s a slur, it’s untrue, it’s desperate from the Prime Minister.

“I was really struck yesterday in the House at how many Conservative MPs were disgusted at that untruth from the despatch box.

“Of course on our side, people were disgusted. But his own MPs couldn’t believe their Prime Minister had stooped that low.

“He’s degraded the whole office. And this is how he operates. He drags everybody into the gutter with him.

“Everybody he touches, everybody that comes into contact with him is contaminated by this Prime Minister.”

Commissioner candidates questioned: Tackling inequality

In the third of a series of articles on crime issues in the Harrogate district, candidates standing to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are questioned on equality.

Candidates hoping to succeed controversy-hit Philip Allott as North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner have pledged to increase efforts to tackle equality issues facing North Yorkshire’s police and fire services, with one hopeful insisting a community-wide effort is needed to effect lasting change.

However, ahead of York and North Yorkshire residents going to the polls on Thursday, there are differences in the way candidates for the £74,000-a-year role believe equality concerns, both inside and outside the services, should be addressed.

The latest published workforce profile for the fire service from 2018 shows 95% of operational officers are male, and 84% described themselves as white British.

While the service says it supports staff to respect individual values and differences and takes an active part in diversity events, such as Pride, just one per cent of staff said they were homosexual in the profile.

Among the many equality issues North Yorkshire Police is trying to tackle includes a gender gap that is significantly above the national average, despite its chief officer team comprising more women than men.

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The force has said it is committed to setting challenging equality objectives, but the five challengers following Mr Allott resigning over women’s safety comments all insist more could be being done by both services.

Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

Hannah Barham-Brown, of the Women’s Equality Party said ending gender-based violence would be her top priority, and would work to identify issues that most affect women in North Yorkshire.

She said: 

“Equality is not something that can take place just inside or out of the services – it’s a collective, communal movement that requires the participation and contribution of every member of the community.”

Keith Tordoff, Independent

Independent Keith Tordoff said he would ensure hate crime and hate incidents were being dealt with properly to protect marginalised groups. 

He said: 

“With confidence in the police, recruiting from diverse and ethnic backgrounds will be more likely for the police and fire service of North Yorkshire.”

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

Labour candidate Emma Scott-Spivey said equality would be at the heart of all the work she does, adding it would be “hardwired into my police, fire and crime plan and it will be something that I will expect the services I oversee to reflect”.

She said: 

“As will a zero tolerance approach to crime, including hate crime, that targets protected groups. I will be the voice for all people but most of all for those whose views are not being heard.”

James Barker, Liberal Democrat

Making the services “genuinely inclusive places to work where diversity is championed” is vital, said Liberal Democrat James Barker, before adding North Yorkshire “is ahead of the game in some respects in that it was one of the first forces in the country to record misogyny as a hate crime”.

He said: 

“We need to protect and support all of North Yorkshire’s diverse communities, and I will ensure that guidance and training is introduced to make services trans inclusive and implement a strategy to provide specialist BAME and LGBT+ services.”

Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

Conservative candidate Zoe Metcalfe said she would work with the services to ensure the correct recruitment strategies are in place. 

Mrs Metcalfe said: 

“There can be no room for inequalities in North Yorkshire and I will ensure the commissioner’s office leads the way on equality issues and will work with senior figures within the services so they do likewise.”

Commissioner candidates questioned: Future of fire service

In the second of a series of articles on crime issues in the Harrogate district, candidates standing to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are questioned on the future of the county’s fire service.

The five candidates competing in next Thursday’s election to become the new North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner have set out their pledges to protect the future of the county’s under-funded fire service.

There have been recent warnings that the service, which serves around 824,000 people, is facing a “bleak” future due to under-funding, staffing shortages and out of date vehicles.

James Barker, Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat candidate James Barker, who is a York councillor, said the current situation was “not sustainable” and that this was due to the £1.8 million in annual funding cuts that the service has seen since 2016.

He said:

“The government now needs to step up and deliver the funding that is desperately needed.

“In March this year, Liberal Democrats on City of York Council proposed a motion calling on the government to undertake a comprehensive funding review of fire and police services in North Yorkshire.

“With serious flooding becoming a more common occurrence, our reliance on fire and rescue services is likely to increase, and so they must be properly funded.”

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

Labour’s Emma Scott-Spivey, who is a student paramedic and the daughter of two police officers, also blamed government cuts for the service’s “shocking state” which she said she would “rebuild” if elected.

She said:

“What the Conservatives have done is unforgivable.

“We must fund our emergency services properly, they should be focused on saving lives, not being sacrificed to save money.”

Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

Harrogate Cllr Zoe Metcalfe is the Conservative candidate and defended the party’s record by highlighting how police and fire services have worked together, as she also promised to lobby the government for extra cash for services.

She said: 

“Back room blue light collaboration has worked extremely well in North Yorkshire and York, not only does it enable better intelligence sharing it maximises the resource for front line policing and fire service delivery.

“I will work closely with our Conservative MPs and lobby the government to provide more money for our fire service.”

Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

Hannah Barham-Brown, who is standing for the Women’s Equality Party, said she was “astounded” by the pressure put on fire services, adding:

“As Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, I intend to hold regular meetings with the fire service and see how I can set the budget to try and match their needs.”

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Dr Barham-Brown, who works as a GP in Leeds, also said:

“As a public servant myself, I know how terrible cuts to our emergency services have been and I will lend my voice to those calling for increased funding for these lifesaving services.”

Keith Tordoff, Independent

Independent candidate Keith Tordoff, who served for 20 years at West Yorkshire Police, said he “cares deeply” about the fire service as he has family members who work in it.

Setting out his priorities, he said:

“We need to obtain a fair settlement from government and I will fight as hard as I can to make the case for the fire service.

“I would explore, working with the unions, to see if private sponsorship was feasible for equipment requirements.”

The election is being held after the previous commissioner Philip Allott quit following criticism over the comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard.

Conservative Mr Allott faced repeated calls to stand down after saying Ms Everard should never have “submitted” to the fake arrest by the police officer who murdered her and that women needed to be more “streetwise”.

Voters will go to the polls to choose Mr Allott’s replacement on November 25, with the results set to be announced the following day.

Commissioner candidates questioned: Women’s safety

In the first of a series of articles on crime issues in the Harrogate district, candidates standing to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are questioned on women’s safety.

The resignation of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott has thrown a spotlight on the safety of women and girls.

Mr Allott quit last month after a two-week storm of sustained criticism over his comments that women needed to be more “streetwise” in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard.

And now, the five candidates competing to replace him at next Thursday’s election have had their say on how they would tackle the problem, with one promising an inquiry into misogyny at North Yorkshire Police.

Hannah Barham-Brown, Women’s Equality Party

Hannah Barham-Brown, who is standing for the Women’s Equality Party, said she would launch the probe if elected as she believes women and girls have been “let down” and “deserve better”.

She said:

“As a GP, the deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party and as a queer, disabled woman myself, I have years of campaigning experience and a lifetime of lived experience when it comes to women’s safety and freedom.

“I am determined to deliver better for my community by launching an independent inquiry into misogyny in North Yorkshire Police, ensuring a trauma-informed and victim-led approach to investigations and implementing compulsory training for all agencies working with black and minoritised women who are victims of violence – amongst other things.”

James Barker, Liberal Democrats

There are two men in the election race – and both previously stood when Conservative Mr Allott was elected by a margin of more than 31,000 votes in May.

This includes York Liberal Democrat councillor James Barker who said the current situation for women and girls is “troubling”.

He said: 

“There were 597 rape cases recorded in North Yorkshire in the year to March 2020 of which 88% involved female victims, as did 85% of 635 sexual assaults.

“There were over 7,000 crimes flagged as domestic abuse, but there will be harassment and worse that goes unreported.”

Cllr Barker, who served in the military for 24 years, added: 

“There is much to do, but as a start I would want to increase efforts to prevent and detect violence against women and girls.

“This will include ensuring all frontline staff are trained to detect and respond appropriately to domestic abuse, sexual violence and sexual harassment.”

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Keith Tordoff, Independent

Independent candidate Keith Tordoff, who served for 20 years at West Yorkshire Police, also said women and girl’s safety was a priority and that he wanted to bring Clare’s Law more into public view.

Clare’s Law aims to prevent domestic abuse and is named after 36-year-old Clare Wood who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Greater Manchester in 2009.

Mr Tordoff added: 

“I want to review work already under way by the police and find things which could be done better, such as benchmarking Domestic Violence Protection Notices, Domestic Violence Protection Orders usage and using new resolution schemes like the Cautions and Relationship Abuse programme.

“I have ideas around tackling rape culture with public education, looking at a way of having independent oversight of rape and abuse decisions and investigations.

“I want to update police vetting and stop officers using WhatsApp on duty too.”

Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative

Harrogate councillor Zoe Metcalfe is the Conservative candidate and said improving safety for everyone – particularly women and girls – was at the top of her agenda.

She said it is “unacceptable” that females are subject to harassment, abuse and violence, adding:

“I will expand the support available to victims and survivors, introduce preventative measures to stop the violence happening in the first place and commission outside agencies to work with teachers in delivering healthy relationship, sex and health education.

“I will also increase the pathways to report domestic abuse and commission domestic abuse workers in A&Es.”

Emma Scott-Spivey, Labour

The final candidate is Labour’s Emma Scott-Spivey who is a student paramedic and the daughter of two police officers.

She described violence against women and girls as an “endemic” and said she would “restore trust” in the commissioner’s office if elected.

She said:

 “My first priority as commissioner would be to restore trust and rebuild our frontline – repairing the damage done by Philip Allott and making sure our emergency services have the tools they need to keep us safe.

“The culture of male violence and how politicians and public services respond to it must change urgently.

“I will appoint a senior leadership officer to drive forward the police’s response and work with women’s groups, community groups, schools and victims organisations to make women and girls safer.”

The announcement of the election results will take place on 26 November – the day after voters go to the polls.

All you need to know about next week’s police commissioner election

The countdown has begun for the election to replace former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott.

Voting will take place on November 25 to replace Mr Allott who quit last month following a two-week storm of sustained criticism over the comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard.

Mr Allott had only been in the job for five months having been elected in May and faced multiple calls to resign after saying Ms Everard should not have “submitted” to arrest by the police officer who murdered her and that women needed to be more “streetwise”.

There are five candidates competing for the £74,000-per-year post with women’s safety already featuring as a key part of their campaigns:

Conservative

Harrogate councillor Zoe Metcalfe is the Conservative candidate and said her focus is on “improving safety for women and girls across North Yorkshire, supporting victims of crime and tackling serious and organised crime”.

Ms Metcalfe is a project manager for a property company in addition to being a member of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Labour

Emma Scott-Spivey, who is a student paramedic and the daughter of two police officers, will contest the role for Labour.

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She said she wanted to stand in the election after hearing Mr Allott’s comments and that she would prioritise tackling violence against women and girls, as well as county lines drugs gangs.

She said: 

“The police are facing unprecedented challenges – not just from savage cuts to funding but also due to a breakdown in trust. That trust must be rebuilt and the damage done by Philip Allott must be repaired.”

Liberal Democrat

The Liberal Democrat candidate is City of York councillor James Barker who served in the military for 24 years and also stood for the commissioner role in May when he finished in fourth place.

He said: 

“There is work to do to rebuild the trust lost with victim’s groups, women’s groups and the public at large.

“If elected, my priority on day one would be starting the long process of making sure everyone can have faith that the PFCC listens to and supports victims of crime.”

Independent

Keith Tordoff, who served for 20 years in West Yorkshire Police and ran the world’s oldest sweet shop in Pateley Bridge, has also decided to stand again as an independent after finishing in third place in the last election.

He said the county had been “badly let down” by the previous commissioner and that he will “prioritise responses for crimes against women, hate crime and fight for justice for all victims of crime”.

Mr Tordoff said: 

“With my policing, business and community led background, I will work tirelessly if elected to keep the people living, working or visiting North Yorkshire safe.”

Women’s Equality Party

The final candidate is Dr Hannah Barham-Brown who will stand for the Women’s Equality Party and works as a GP in Leeds.

She said she took part in protests against Mr Allott and that she would launch an independent inquiry into misogyny at North Yorkshire Police if elected.

Dr Barham-Brown said:

 “Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live their lives free from the fear and the threat of violence, and that is why I am contesting this election.

“I will not allow politicians to sit idly by while women lose their lives and freedom in the face of violence.”

The announcement of the election results will take place from Selby Civic Centre on 26 November – the day after voters go to the polls.

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How will the election work? 

Polling cards were sent out earlier this month with the deadlines to register and to vote by post having already passed, while the deadline for proxy voting is 5pm on Wednesday.

Voters are being urged to check their poll cards to see where their local polling station is as some may have changed due to the need for covid safety measures.

Anyone who has tested positive or has symptoms should not visit a polling station.

If you can not vote in-person because of covid, or because of your employment or a disability, there is an option to apply for an emergency proxy vote by 5pm on the day of the election.

Janet Waggott, election returning officer and chief executive of Selby District Council, said: 

“Covid remains an important consideration and we’re putting arrangements in place to help you stay safe at the polling station; such as hand sanitiser and face masks.

“Residents should be reassured that voting in these elections will take place in a covid-safe environment.”

Elections for commissioners use a supplementary voting system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference.

If no candidate receives a majority then all but the two leading candidates are eliminated and a second count takes place.

In the second count, the second preference votes of those supporting eliminated candidates are distributed among the two leading candidates.

In May, Philip Allott took 84,737 of the first and second-preference votes ahead of Labour candidate Alison Hume who finished in second place with a total of 53,442 votes.

The final results in terms of total votes were:

‘Political bias’ row in Starbeck over appointment of residents’ group chair

A political row has broken out in Starbeck over the election of a new chair to a residents’ group tonight.

Chris Watt has put his name forward to be on the committee of Starbeck Residents’ Association and to become its new chair.

The association, which awards grants and campaigns to safeguard local facilities, holds its annual general meeting at St Andrew’s Church in Starbeck at 7.30pm.

A vote will take place to appoint a new chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer and a new committee will be appointed.

However, Mr Watt’s decision to stand has attracted criticism from a local business owner because he is a member of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party.

Andrew Hart, who owns the Red Box Post Office on Starbeck High Street, told the Stray Ferret he opposed Mr Watt standing because his decisions could be influenced by his Labour affiliation.

The group’s current chair, Geoff Foxall, also has connections with the local Labour party.

Mr Hart pointed to the association’s constitution, which states one of its objectives is to be “a strong non-political community voice” that represents the views of Starbeck residents.

He said this meant active political party members should be prevented from standing for senior positions.

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He added:

“I think for the sake of transparency the Starbeck Residents’ Association needs to be dissolved tonight and hold full and proper elections in one month’s time without any political office holders standing.”

Mr Hart set up a group called Starbeck Community Group this year to debate Starbeck issues.

Mr Watt told the Stray Ferret he would not comment until after the AGM tonight.

LibDems, Labour and Greens in Harrogate district consider collaboration

Informal discussions could take place between the local Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green parties about working together.

The move follows Conservative Matt Scott’s victory in last week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Arnold Warneken, who represented Harrogate and District Green Party, told the Stray Ferret he had approached the Liberal Democrats and Labour about setting up a meeting.

Mr Warneken said co-operation “made sense” and he hoped some form of progressive alliance would emerge.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said collaboration with other parties was “a discussion that needs to be had” and she was open-minded on the subject.

Cllr Marsh described the loss of the seat on North Yorkshire County Council formally held by the Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber as “a huge shock and disappointment”.

Asked why she felt voters had turned against the Liberal Democrats, she said:

“I have no idea. With all the sleaze and cronyism taking place and I am at a total loss to understand why anyone still votes for the Conservatives.”

Asked if she would consider her position as leader following the by-election defeat, she said she had been re-elected two weeks ago and intended to carry on.

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Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said it was not averse to discussions but its ability to enter into any formal arrangement with other parties would be determined by the national Labour Party. She said:

“It’s about building a progressive alternative and when we agree on issues we would like to work with anyone, irrespective of party membership or support.

“It is a matter of building coalitions, issue by issue, where we agree.”

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Scott, who won 43 per cent of the vote in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, why he felt voters had switched to the Conservatives and what was top of his agenda but he declined to answer.

 

 

North Yorkshire crime candidates: Conservative and Labour

Voters head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

As candidates finalise campaigning ahead of the poll, they have spoken of what they view as the biggest tasks facing Conservative Julia Mulligan’s successor to ensure the best policing service possible is delivered.

Today, we feature Philip Allott, Conservative candidate, and Labour’s Alison Hume.

You can read about the Liberal Democrat and Independent candidates here.

Philip Allott, Conservative

A toughened approach to crack down on county lines drug dealing would be the top of marketing specialist Philip Allott’s agenda if he is named the new commissioner.

The former pupil at King James’ School in Knaresborough said despite the best endeavours of North Yorkshire Police and the regional crime unit, county lines dealers “are obviously still very active in North Yorkshire”.

Dismissing a suggestion that the issue was persisting due to a lack of resources to tackle it, he said government funding was being directed to the regional crime unit.

He said:

“The thing I am interested in is making the drug dealers’ lives a misery. In many cases there is intelligence and we can use that intelligence to stop vehicles on suspicion, particularly cross-border.”

Mr Allott said he would push for further work to enable teachers to spot pupils who are part of county lines drug dealing, help housing associations to identify cuckooing and action to spot children carrying drugs on railways.

He said: 

“The police on their own are not going to solve this and I see my role as working with different agencies, getting them all on board and actually communicating with each other, sharing intelligence and working for the greater good.”

Mr Allott said as commissioner he would also foster closer working with other agencies, launching a “complete reset” between the councils and the commissioner’s office.

He said: 

“We should be working for the greater good. I see the councillors from each of the different authorities as the eyes and ears of the commissioner. I see it as a partnership approach and that’s perhaps a very different way of looking at things.”

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Alison Hume, Labour

Clamping down on serious crime, rural crime and antisocial behaviour would be among York-based lecturer and TV writer Alison Hume’s top priorities.

But the most important issue for her would be tackling violence against women and girls, using some of the commissioner’s £5m pot for victims to introduce a clear strategy working across all agencies and attract further funding to get to grips with what she describes as “a national emergency”.

She said: 

“If this was happening to men, dare I say it would have been dealt with.”

Ms Hume said the greatest challenge for the incoming commissioner would be to connect with the public. 

She said: 

“You have to be the voice of the people and for the last nine years we’ve had a commissioner who hasn’t been visible and approachable.”

Ms Hume added tackling county lines was “clearly number one on the list” of challenges for North Yorkshire Police. 

She said: 

“Crime gangs are ripping our families and communities apart. support the creation of a specialist enforcement unit to track criminals on roads and railways and support drug diversion schemes to reduce harm and demand.

“The people who get caught up in county lines are not criminals, they are victims, we need to build safe services to prevent them going into a life of crime. North Yorkshire does not get a fair share of the pie and I will be fighting at a national level for better funding.”

She said she would establish a rural crime taskforce in every district, with officers trained in dealing with offences ranging from domestic abuse to wildlife crime.

She added: 

“I think the public would be shocked to know the rural crime taskforce is just a handful of officers and they have to cover the whole of North Yorkshire.”

‘A costly PR stunt’: calls for an inquiry into Harrogate Nightingale

A senior politician from Ripon has described the Harrogate Nightingale as a “costly PR stunt”, amid calls for an inquiry.

Lord Newby’s criticism comes after NHS England said this week the hospital, which cost £27 million to set up, would be decommissioned at the end of the month.

It has not treated a single covid patient, prompting calls for an inquiry.

Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, who lives in Ripon, said:

“The Nightingales were a costly PR stunt.

“They could never be used as planned because there was never the staffing for them. They were introduced because the government was desperate to be seen to be responding effectively to the pandemic, which at the time looked to be potentially out of control.

“The Harrogate Nightingale should have been closed months ago, in order to avoid the high cost of maintenance and so that Harrogate could begin to plan for its reopening.”

Jim Clark, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Harlow on Harrogate Borough Council, repeated his

call for an inquiry on BBC Look North yesterday.

He told the programme:

“It wasn’t an insurance policy in Harrogate because we didn’t have the staff to man it and I think it’s then been discovered that as soon as it was built it wasn’t essentially fit for purpose.”

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones and Richard Cooper, leader of the Conservative-controlled Harrogate Borough Council whether they supported calls for an inquiry. Neither replied.

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Asked the same question on Look North, Cllr Cooper said the location of the Nightingale Hospitals was likely to be considered as part of a wider covid inquiry. He added:

“But we’ve been pleased to host the Nightingale and to host the thousands of diagnostic tests that have been carried out there.”

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, supported calls for an inquiry, adding:

“Over a decade of Conservative cuts has led to an NHS operating on a shoestring. Whether there was ever the staff to run such a Nightingale hospital, should it have been toward full capacity, needs to be made clear.”

Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said the Nightingales were “a legitimate insurance policy” in the early days of covid when it seemed hospitals could be overwhelmed. She added:

“There seems little point in wasting any more public money on an inquiry at this stage.”