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, Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, resigned with immediate effect. The move came after the resignation of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was later found to have deliberately misled parliament by the Privileges Committee.

Meanwhile, 13 candidates have put their names forward to contest the Selby and Ainsty by-election. Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, July 20. 

We asked Ripon MP Julian Smith if he would like to highlight anything in particular, but did not receive a response.

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 attended the Harrogate Hospital Community Charity summer extravaganza on June 4.
• On June 8, Mr Jones spoke in the House of Commons to ask how the government would promote open access railways.
• On June 11, he attended the Army Foundation College Freedom Parade in Harrogate.
• Mr Jones also took part in a community litter pick in Bilton as part of the Great Big Green Week on June 11.
• Mr Jones also spoke in parliament to ask government what steps were being taken to support female entrepreneurs amid concern that the number of women starting businesses is below that of men.
• Mr Jones voted in the House of Commons for the Privileges Committee report on June 19.
• On June 22, Mr Jones weighed in on the debate over designating Harrogate’s Stray as common land. He there was “no positive reason for change”.
• Mr Jones gave Harrogate Ladies College prefects a tour of the Houses of Parliament on June 28.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent a list of his engagements for June.

Among those included hosting a charity coffee morning for Henshaws, attending the bed race in Knaresborough and taking part in a Barclays Business roundtable event at the West Park Hotel.

He also attended a National Farmers Union event on June 6 and filmed a video for World Environment Day.

Mr Jones’ office pointed out that his engagements and activities could also be found on his Community News Website and his Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

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

• On June 5, Mr Smith spoke in the House of Commons on the government building trust with the current inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.
• Mr Smith voted in the House of Commons for the Privileges Committee report on June 19.
• On June 24, Mr Smith joined the Conservative by-election campaign in Selby and Ainsty.
• On June 28, Mr Smith attended a networking event with Ripon Business Improvement District where he heard concerns from local businesses.
• Mr Smith met with the Dean of Ripon Cathedral in Westminster on June 28. Among the discussion was refurbishment plans at Ripon Cathedral.
• Mr Smith updated his MPs constituency website 10 times throughout June.

Read more:

• Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect
• Local MPs vote in favour of Privileges Committee report

North Yorkshire Council has said it’s still working towards a sale of Ripon’s historic Spa Baths — almost two years after a preferred bidder was chosen.

The Grade II-listed baths was the last of its kind to open in England but was put on the market by the now-abolished Harrogate Borough Council due to the construction of the new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lanes.

After 117 years of service to Ripon, the baths closed for good in November 2021.

A year earlier in October 2021, Ripon-based Sterne Properties was selected as the preferred bidder by Harrogate Borough Council but a deal had not been struck by the time North Yorkshire Council took over the process in April this year.

Sterne Properties has plans to strip out the building to create a new hospitality facility for the city.

Ripon City Council nominated the baths as an asset of community value which gave it a window to make a bid but council leader Andrew Williams said it could end up being “very complicated and very risky financially” so it backed the Sterne Properties proposals instead.

Read more:

• Bid to retain Ripon Spa Baths for community use fails
• Sale of Ripon Spa Baths to go ahead despite protests

North Yorkshire Council declined to say why the process is taking so long and how much the proposed sale was worth when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But the baths were previously put up for sale by Harrogate Borough Council in 2008 with a £3.3m price tag. It was later withdrawn following a community campaign.

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of resources, Gary Fielding, said:

“Sterne Properties Ltd was selected as the preferred purchaser for this vacant asset because of its positive plans for the future of the former Ripon Spa Baths site.

“We are continuing to work constructively with Sterne Properties to complete the purchase.

“As it is a commercial transaction, the value and terms of the purchase remain confidential.”

The ruling Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council are attempting to woo independent councillors in a bid to maintain control.

The Stray Ferret understands meetings have taken place with a view to securing the support of three independents.

The Conservatives currently hold 45 of 90 council seats following this month’s defection of Cllr Mike Jordan — precisely half.

They still retain control by virtue of having the chair’s casting vote. But with the power balance on a knife-edge, and the next North Yorkshire elections not scheduled until 2028, the Tories are worried about losing control if further defections or by-election losses occur.

They held 47 of the 90 seats after last year’s election in May but the death of Margaret Atkinson, whose Masham and Fountains division was won by the Liberal Democrats in a by-election, eroded their majority and Cllr Jordan’s defection wiped it away.

Multiple sources from different parties have told the Stray Ferret discussions have taken place between the Conservatives and independents who are believed to be open to their advances.

It is not clear what form any alliance would take but the Liberal Democrats are believed to be concerned about any deals that may be struck as part of whatever arrangement is agreed.

Nine councillors currently belong to an Independent group on North Yorkshire Council. Another six are unaffiliated.

Read more:

• Conservatives lose majority on North Yorkshire Council
• Harrogate town council set to be formed as 66% back the idea

Plans to create a Harrogate town council look set to go ahead after a second consultation revealed the majority of respondents support the idea.

Letters were posted to 35,583 homes in Harrogate inviting them to have their say on the subject.

The results, published today, reveal 65.5% said they were in favour of the move — which would lead to the creation of a new council tax charge.

However, just 1,698 responded, which represents just 4.7% of households.

North Yorkshire Council launched the second consultation as part of a community governance review in March.

Harrogate and Scarborough are the only parts of the county not to have a parish or town council.

The areas in Harrogate which are set to pay extra council tax to fund the town council.

The first consultation in Harrogate, which began in August last year and received only a 3.5% response rate, revealed 75% supported a town council — so support has waned.

In a report due before councillors on Wednesday, a recommendation will be made to refer the responses to full council later this year.

Cllr David Chance, executive councillor for corporate services at the council, said:

“The public consultations which have been carried out in the areas under review have shown that there is support among residents who responded to the consultation for town councils to be created for both Harrogate and Scarborough.

“Full consultations have been conducted to gauge the public’s opinions on the proposals, and the recommendation is now for a full council meeting to discuss the plans for the two new councils.

“If the decision is taken to introduce the town councils for both Harrogate and Scarborough, this will provide more democratically-elected voices for both areas to ensure that the views of local people are heard effectively to help us deliver key services.”

Read more:

• Second consultation to be held on whether to form Harrogate town council
• Liberal Democrats back creation of Harrogate town council

Establishing a town council, with yet to be determined powers, is expected to create an additional annual council tax charge of between £40 and £60 for the homes affected.

The town councils would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on May 2, 2024, when councillors would be elected for a reduced term of three years. Elections would then take place every four years from 2027.

The parish would be divided into divisions, based largely on the divisions that now apply since North Yorkshire Council was established in the spring.

A total of 19 members would be elected to the town council.

Thirteen candidates will contest the Selby and Ainsty parliamentary by-election next month.

Nominations for candidates closed on Friday and voters will go to the polls on Thursday, July 20.

All 13, except the Conservative candidate Claire Holmes, are male.

This will be the first local election to require photo ID following recent changes introduced to prevent fraud.

The candidates are:

• Andrew Philip Gray, Independent
• Claire Holmes, The Conservative Party
• Mike Jordan, Yorkshire Party
• Dave Kent, Reform UK
• Keir Alexander Mather, Labour Party
• Nick Palmer, Independent
• Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party
• Sir Archibald Stanton, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• Matt Walker, Liberal Democrats
• Arnold Francis Ignatius Warneken, The Green Party
• John William Waterston, Social Democratic Party
• Luke John Wellock, Climate Party
• Tyler Callum Wilson-Kerr, Independent.

Although Selby and Ainsty is centred on Selby and reaches almost as far south as Pontefract, its northern portion includes Spofforth and many of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton and Tockwith.

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

The by-election has been called following the resignation of Conservative MP Nigel Adams, who had held the seat since 2010. The Tories will be defending a 20,137 majority.

Read more:

• Council spends £2m on consultants for Harrogate’s Station Gateway
• Harrogate High School ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

The electorate in the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters will need to bring photographic identification to be able to vote.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence, full or provisional, a UK passport or a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, or any of the Channel Islands, and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.  You can do so here.

You can register to vote here.

More information on the by-election is available here.

The Liberal Democrats have selected NHS worker Matt Walker as their candidate for the forthcoming Selby and Ainsty by-election.

Mr Walker was brought up in Knaresborough, just outside the Selby and Ainsty constituency boundary, and currently represents the Knaresborough West division on North Yorkshire Council.

He previously campaigned to be the Lib Dems’ candidate for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency at the next General Election, but Tom Gordon was selected instead.

A manager in the National Health Service who has raised funds for charities in Harrogate, Mr Walker said he will be putting the NHS at the top of his concerns during the by-election. 

He said:  

“As a candidate I will be a passionate campaigner for the area, listening to residents’ views and championing their issues.  

“Residents across Selby and Ainsty have been let down, our NHS is on its knees. In my professional life I am a manager in the NHS, and in one of my previous roles I spent time managing the GP out-of-hours and minor injuries unit at Selby Memorial Hospital. I’ve seen first hand just how amazing our NHS is and just how much damage the Conservatives have done to it.  

“The Liberal Democrats will be fighting for every vote at this election. Whether it’s the crisis in our NHS or the cost of living, the government has taken North Yorkshire for granted for too long and it’s time for a change.” 

The Lib Dems polled just 4.5% of the vote in the 2019 election, which Nigel Adams won with a majority of 20,137 for the Conservatives.

Mr Adams’ decision to resign triggered the by-election, which will be held on Thursday, July 20. 

The other candidates declared so far are: for the Green Party, Arnold Warneken, the councillor for Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council; for the Labour Party, Keir Mather, a senior public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); for the Conservative Party, barrister and East Riding of Yorkshire councillor Claire Holmes; for the pro-Brexit Reform Party, David Kent; and for the Yorkshire Party, Mike Jordan, whose defection from the Conservatives earlier this month lost the party its majority on North Yorkshire Council.

Tyler Callum Wilson-Kerr, a councillor for Aberford & District Parish Council and former Yorkshire Party member, has also confirmed he will stand as an independent. The youngest candidate in the field, he will be campaigning on a platform of devolution, sustainable energy, tenants’ rights, social housing, and the abolition of tuition fees.

Although Selby and Ainsty is centred on Selby and reaches almost as far south as Pontefract, its northern portion includes Spofforth and many of the villages in the Vale of York, such as Great Ouseburn, Green Hammerton and Tockwith.

Photo ID required to vote

In a statement, North Yorkshire Council said anyone interested in becoming a candidate in the Selby and Ainsty by-election must submit a completed set of nomination forms before the deadline at 4pm this Friday (June 23).

Residents of the Selby and Ainsty constituency have until midnight on Tuesday, July 4, to register to vote and until 5pm on Wednesday, July 5, to apply for a postal vote. If someone is unable to vote in person or by post, they have until 5pm on Wednesday, July 12, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station for the by-election will need to bring photographic identification, such as a UK photocard driving licence, a passport, or concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID should apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, July 12.

Read more:

• Tories select replacement candidate for Selby and Ainsty by-election
• Labour names candidate for local by-election
• Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect

The Conservatives would retain Harrogate and Knaresborough while Labour could gain Selby and Ainsty if a general election were held tomorrow.

According to Electoral Calculus, a political forecasting company, Andrew Jones MP would win a fifth successive election in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, Labour would unseat the Tories in Selby and Ainsty, which includes areas of rural Harrogate, and Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, would retain his seat for the Conservatives but in a far closer contest.

Electoral Calculus uses past voting figures, polling trends and party support to predict the average outcome of seats in the House of Commons.

The chances of winning seats in Parliament has become particularly pertinent as a by-election looms in Selby and Ainsty next month and a general election is lined up for next year.

The Conservative campaign in Selby and Ainsty was thrown into disarray on Friday when its candidate, Michael Naughton, withdrew just days after being selected.

But with by-election fever mounting, we looked at the state of play locally according to Electoral Calculus.

Harrogate and Knaresborough

According to the political forecaster, Andrew Jones has a 67% chance of winning in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones, who has already confirmed he will stand at the next election, currently has a majority of 9,675.

The website says the Liberal Democrats have a 20% chance of winning while Labour, which has yet to name a candidate, is rated 13%.

The figures come as Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat candidate for the seat, this week called for an election in light of three Conservative MPs resigning last weekend.

The predictions for Harrogate and Knaresborough, according to Electoral Calculus.

However, under an election scenario, the Lib Dems would pick up 28% of the vote – which is down on their 2019 figure of 35.6%.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones’ share would drop from 52.6% to 37%.

However, the increase in share of Labour from 9.6% to 24% suggests a split in the vote which paves the way for the Tories to retain the constituency.

Selby and Ainsty

The chances of the Conservatives holding onto Selby and Ainsty in the upcoming by-election look tight, according to Electoral Calculus.

Voters will head to the polls on July 20 after the resignation of Nigel Adams MP last weekend.

Labour announced 26-year-old Keir Mather will fight the by-election for the party.

Michael Naughton was picked to succeed Mr Adams for the Conservatives but withdrew on Friday and a replacement has yet to be named.

The Green Party has chosen Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council, as its prospective parliamentary candidate.

The predictions for Selby and Ainsty, according to Electoral Calculus.

Electoral Calculus has the contest as a two-horse race, with Labour a 55% chance of winning and the Conservatives 45%.

Such a result would be dramatic given that Mr Adams, who was a former Foreign Office minister, had a majority of 20,137.

Under such a scenario, Labour would increase its vote share from 24.6% at the last election to 39.8%.

Meanwhile, the Tories would fall from 60.3% to 37.9%.

Skipton and Ripon

A similarly tight contest can be found in Skipton and Ripon.

Julian Smith, the former Northern Ireland secretary, currently holds the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 23,694.

He’s predicted to have a 55% chance of retaining the seat for the party.

The predictions for Skipton and Ripon, according to Electoral Calculus.

Meanwhile, Labour has a 44% chance.

Despite a predicted drop in vote share from 59.5% to 37.5%, Mr Smith would be safe.

The figures, however, also forecast a hike in Labour’s share from 19.1% at the last election to 35.5%.

Read more:

• Tories and Greens name candidates as local by-election looms
• Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect
• Labour names candidate for local by-election

The Yorkshire Party candidate to be North Yorkshire mayor next year quit the party after a disagreement over a policy to hand out free chickens.

Keith Tordoff, who is from Pateley Bridge, pledged in an interview to give three chickens to 20,000 households in North Yorkshire.

But the policy had not been discussed in detail with the Yorkshire Party and thus Mr Tordoff will now seek election as an independent candidate.

He announced his resignation from the party this week.

Other disagreements included the Yorkshire Party’s website ‘not being up to date’ and there not being enough volunteers.

Mr Tordoff said:

 “They don’t like stories like the chicken story.

“They really tried to clamp down and said that shouldn’t have been released.

“I’ve been contacted by one of the largest egg producers in the country saying they want to offer help.

“It stimulated the imagination of people but the Yorkshire Party leadership didn’t think it was appropriate and would make the party look a bit foolish or silly.”

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge man resigns as Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate
• Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate promises free chickens if elected

Mr Tordoff also said he recorded a promotional song based on the lyric in Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing ‘your chicks for free’.

He said:

“They didn’t want me to release that.

“It’s not going to diminish anything but unfortunately they couldn’t quite see through it.

“I don’t think they quite have the drive, the vision, the imagination, or my appeal to people to work on projects.”

Although he wished the Yorkshire Party the best, Mr Todoff said its leadership “went over the top” on their crackdown of his policy.

He said:

“They couldn’t grasp it.”

Yorkshire Party co-leader Bob Buxton said: 

“Keith is used to being independent.

“He came up with the chicken story and that perhaps took away the emphasis from more substantial policies.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad policy but I would have liked to have fleshed it out a bit more.

“He’s very autonomous.

“It was all very polite but he felt and we felt it was best to part ways.”

The party will field a different candidate following the by-election in Selby and Ainsty triggered by Boris Johnson ally Nigel Adams.

A Pateley Bridge man who was selected to stand for the Yorkshire Party for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has resigned from the party.

Keith Tordoff announced his candidacy for the role just over a week ago.

However, in a statement, he said he had decided to resign from the Yorkshire Party “with immediate effect” in order to stand as an independent.

Mr Tordoff, a former police officer, detective and specialist fraud investigator who owns Tordoff Gallery in Pateley Bridge, said the move would allow for “freedom and flexibility” in his campaign.

His statement said:

“The freedom and flexibility of being an independent candidate allows for Keith to appeal to all sections of society and members of all political parties as well as deliver on all relevant issues affecting the people who live, work or visit North Yorkshire.”

The move comes after Mr Tordoff, 67, released a list of pledges last week, which included giving 2,000 households three chickens each.

He said this would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.

Mr Tordoff also said his priorities would be to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse; improve transport links and connectivity, especially for rural communities; making North Yorkshire a safer place to live, work and visit and to make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability.

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge man to stand for Yorkshire Party in mayoral election
• Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate promises free chickens if elected

The 67-year-old, who was born and raised in Leeds, was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to business and the community.

Mr Tordoff has also previously stood as an independent candidate in both 2021 North Yorkshire Police, Fire Crime Commissioner elections, finishing in third place.

Zoe Metcalfe, the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives in Aldborough, has announced she hopes to be selected by the Conservatives in the mayoral election.

The Yorkshire Party’s candidate for the North Yorkshire mayoral election in 2024 has promised 2,000 households three chickens each.

Keith Tordoff, who lives in Pateley Bridge, has announced he will be the Yorkshire Party candidate to lead the North Yorkshire joint authority and has already made a list of ambitious pledges.

Mr Tordoff, 67, a former police officer who worked on the Yorkshire Ripper murders, has also been a specialist fraud investigator for banks.

Born and raised in Leeds, he is proud of his Yorkshire heritage and even brags that he ‘never goes abroad’ due to his fondness for his home county.

Having previously stood in elections to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, coming third in 2021, he feels he is the best candidate to lead North Yorkshire.

He said:

“Ultimately, Yorkshire ought to be brought together under one mayoral authority and if I were elected I would work with other mayors in the region to achieve that so it ends up with the best in charge of Yorkshire.”

Mr Tordoff criticised the government’s record on ‘levelling up’, adding:

“They haven’t delivered on it.

“They’ve had ample time to do it now, so it needs somebody with a bit of drive, passion and who is able to negotiate to get a better deal for Yorkshire.

“There needs to be someone, such as myself, with some honesty, integrity, and who will deliver.

“Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens aren’t going to do that.”

Nutrients from eggs

One of his policies involves poultry. Mr Tordoff explained:

“2,000 households, where suitable – we’ll provide you with three chickens; that’s 6,000 chickens.

“Those households, in a short space of time, would have eggs with all the nutrients they need.”

Read more:

• Zoë Metcalfe confirms bid to become North Yorkshire’s first mayor
• Pateley Bridge man to stand for Yorkshire Party in mayoral election

Mr Tordoff claims it would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.

His four main pledges are ‘to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse’, ‘improve transport links’, ‘make North Yorkshire a safer place’ and ‘make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability’.

Other initiatives he outlined included free public transport for those under 18-years-old, as well as free membership at boxing clubs, drama clubs, art groups and gaming rooms.

To fund these ambitions, Mr Tordoff is relying on his negotiating skills to get more money for North Yorkshire.

He has also pledged to set up a York and North Yorkshire venture fund lobbying the government for an additional investment of £25 million.

Yorkshire Party co-leader, Dr Bob Buxton, said: 

“Keith is the clear alternative to the Tories in North Yorkshire.

“His experience, skills and passion make him ideally equipped to take on the complex challenges that come with being the first Mayor of North Yorkshire.

“He is a man who sees the big picture but also has the critical skills to understand the details and ensure that the solutions are the right ones.”

Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives in Aldborough, has announced she hopes to be selected by the Conservatives in the mayoral election.