Nigel Adams Archives - Page 7 of 8

MPs watch: Afghanistan, football freebies and food banks

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 August, parliament was in recess for the summer. However, MPs were recalled to the House of Commons due to the escalating situation in Afghanistan.

However, none of our district MPs contributed to the debate on August 18.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but 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:

Mr Jones posted twice on his MP’s website in August. One post saw Mr Jones call for people to help to reduce their carbon footprint after the publication of the Independent Panel on Climate Change report.
On August 14, Mr Jones updated his website to back a local bus service bid by North Yorkshire County Council of up to £20 million.
Mr Jones was branded a “hypocrite” over a post he made on his Community News website about food banks. He did not respond to requests for comment by the Stray Ferret.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith updated his website once in August. The post reflected on what he did in his constituency in July.
He tweeted six times in August. Among his social media posts were to congratulate Damian Hinds MP for being appointed security minister.
Mr Smith posted six times on his Facebook page. He encouraged 16 and 17 year olds to get their covid vaccine after becoming eligible.

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

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

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

A regular Twitter user, Mr Adams tweeted 12 times in August.
Among his tweets were support for the Paralympic Games and congratulating Indonesia on its independence day.
On August 23, Mr Adams visited an Afghanistan Crisis Centre set up by the Foreign Office. He said it was a “great to see all the fantastic work” the centre had done.
He tweeted on August 25 that he and the Foreign Office would continue to resolve the crisis in Myanmar and paid tribute to the Rohingya muslims who have lost their lives.
Mr Adams updated his website once in August. This was to publicise the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s consultation on priorities for fire and policing over the next four years.
According to MPs register of interests as of August 23, Mr Adams had received £6,000 worth of free hospitality tickets to England’s Euro 2020 games.

MPs watch: Football, Yorkshire Show and covid vaccines

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 July, the remaining covid restrictions were lifted, a historic decision was made to overhaul local government across North Yorkshire and England reached their first major football tournament final in 55 years.

Parliament went into recess on July 22.

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 July 5, Mr Jones voted for the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill on its third reading in the House of Commons. The bill has been criticised for giving more powers to police over protests.
Voted to make covid vaccines mandatory for staff working in care homes.
On July 15, Mr Jones called for a debate on the future of the events industry in the House of Commons.
On Friday, he was quoted as “welcoming” new funding for flood defences in Boroughbridge.
Mr Jones updated his website once in July. He visited the CityFibre works in Knaresborough, a £46 million project which is currently under construction.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for “retweets only”.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

Mr Smith tweeted on July 5 that he visited Broughton Hall.
On the same day, he voted in line with the government on the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill.
Mr Smith also voted for mandatory covid vaccines for care home staff.
On July 16, he wished “good luck” to the Great Yorkshire Show on its final day.
Mr Smith did not speak in the House of Commons in July.
The MP posted four times on his website in July.
On July 23, Mr Smith tweeted to promote walk-in vaccine centres in North Yorkshire.
On July 27, he posted on his website that he had visited Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa at Bolton Abbey Estate. He said it was “great to see that they are busier than ever”.

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

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

A regular Twitter user, Mr Adams tweeted about England reaching the final of the Euros and posted a video of him at the Denmark game on July 7.
He tweeted again on July 11 to say he was “absolutely gutted” that England lost in the final to Italy.
On July 13, the Minister for Asia met with the Indonesia ambassador to the UK.
On July 15, he met the South Korean ambassador.
Mr Adams voted in line with the government on the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill and mandatory covid vaccines for care home staff.
On July 20, Mr Adams visited a United Nations memorial to those who fought in the Korean War.
Mr Adams tweeted on July 26 that a dog had visited his office.
Mr Adams updated his website once in July.
He spoke in the House of Commons on three occasions in July.

Union criticises Harrogate district MPs for backing compulsory vaccines

The trade union Unison has criticised MPs in the Harrogate district for voting in favour of compulsory vaccinations for care home staff.

MPs voted through plans to make it mandatory for staff who work in a Care Quality Commission-registered care home to have two jabs of a covid vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.

It will become law from October after the House of Commons last night approved the regulation by 319 votes to 246.

The district’s three Conservative MPs, Andrew Jones, Julian Smith and Nigel Adams all voted in favour of the move.

But the North Yorkshire branch of Unison tweeted:

“Concerning that Conservative MPs in our area voted to allow the state to mandate vaccination.

“We encourage all our members to get vaccinated, but making it law is not the way a liberal democracy should operate.”

Concerning that Conservative MPs in our area voted to allow the state to mandate #vaccination. We encouragr all our members to #GetVaccinated but making it the law is not the way a liberal democracy should operate. @nadams @AJonesMP @kevinhollinrake @RishiSunak @JulianSmithUK https://t.co/usBHo7oKvj

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) July 13, 2021

Unison was responding to a tweet by Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, saying care staff “need respect” and she objected to mandatory vaccines.

She said:

“This authoritarian state is encroaching on human rights of others. What next?”

Some rebel Tory MPs said the government should have published an impact assessment before the vote, which ministers said was “being worked on”.

William Wragg, Conservative MP, said he was “in despair” and that the government was “treating this House with contempt”.

Care minister Helen Whately said managers could discuss the vaccine with staff or look at alternative roles for those who did not want to be vaccinated.

The Stray Ferret approached all three of the Harrogate district MPs for comment, but received no response.

MPs watch: Fish and chips in Batley and Spen

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 June, a planned covid ‘freedom day’ was delayed and the district was gripped by Euro 2020 fever.

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 Harrogate & Knaresborough MP was spotted campaigning for the Conservatives ahead of the Batley & Spen by-election on five different occasions. He was photographed eating fish and chips with Tory candidate Ryan Stevenson.
On June 16 he voted to extend coronavirus restrictions until July 19. There were 23 Tory rebels.
On the same day in the House of Commons, he asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, about the continuation of business support grants with the delay in easing restrictions.
The MP told the BBC’s Local Democracy Service that he would be “very sad” to lose around 1,500 voters in a proposed boundary shake-up.
On June 17 he chaired a Department for International Trade meeting that offered advice to Yorkshire businesses on trading internationally.
Mr Jones was quoted on his community “news” website discussing the improving retail occupancy rates in the Harrogate district. He said: “These have been difficult times and we are still not through them. Retail and hospitality are going to face ongoing challenges but these figures are positive and an improving position on much of the last few years”.
Mr Jones did not update his website in June.
The MP attended Harrogate Grammar School with Conservative councillors to meet pupils and celebrate Walk to School Day.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Mr Smith posted on Twitter that he had also been campaigning in Batley & Spen for the Conservatives. “Great feedback on the doorstep”, he tweeted.
He tweeted that he has given talks at 15 schools in his constituency over the past few months. Schools included Beckwithshaw and Kirkby Malzard primary schools.
The MP posted on Facebook that it was “great to be back” in Pateley Bridge, as he was photographed inspecting a David Bowie film poster at Tordoff Gallery.
He also visited Stump Cross Caverns, which raised over £70,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign that gave pledgers the chance to win a camper van.
The Boundary Commission proposed changes to Mr Smiths’ constituency that would see him lose Bishop Monkton and Burton Leonard.
During a Commons debate about the Northern Ireland protocol, the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland called for “compromise on both sides” following months of unrest in Belfast. Mr Smith has spoken in Parliament on six occasions this year, with five of them being about Northern Ireland.

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

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

The Minister for Asia condemned the closure of Hong Kong pro-democracy news outlet Apple Daily. He tweeted that it was “another chilling step towards silencing opposition voices.”
The MP sarcastically praised former speaker John Bercow after he defected to the Labour Party from the Conservatives. He tweeted: “I’m sure he will be a great asset to them given his popularity with the great British public.”
In the Commons, Mr Adams said the UK government “does not shy from taking action” against China over human rights abuses.
The Boundary Commission proposed changes to Mr Adams’ constituency that would see him lose all areas within the Harrogate district.

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, 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

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.

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