The leaders of a council which has remained under Conservative stewardship for decades have dismissed proposed changes to its constitution.

A full meeting of North Yorkshire County Council, which has been run by Tories for all but eight of the last 50 years, saw the authority likened to the Russian parliament under Vladimir Putin as opposition members vented frustration over the level of control Conservatives exert over meetings.

The meeting heard while the Conservatives only attracted 41% of the votes at last May’s elections, the political group held 100% of the posts on its decision-making executive, control of all but one of its watchdog-style scrutiny committees, and was now looking to restrict the time opposition members could ask questions.

A proposal had been put forward to allow more time for questions, with its proponents saying it would allow them to better hold the ruling administration to account.

Leader of the opposition, Councillor Bryn Griffiths, told the meeting proposals for the county council’s successor unitary authority’s constitution contained clauses that would limit the quarterly question time for the authority’s leader to ten minutes and to five minutes to other executive members.

The Liberal Democrat group leader said democracy was effectively being “guillotined”, leaving sufficient time for only two or three questions to be answered, and no time for follow-up questions.

Coun Giffiths said the Tories’ concession to publish councillors’ questions and the council’s answers on its website was welcome, but it was “not an alternative to democratic questioning and scrutiny in the council chamber and in the public forum”.

Green group leader Councillor Andy Brown told the meeting elected members had a right to have their voice heard and that should not come at the gift of the ruling group.

He urged the Conservatives to give opposition members “the chance to ask sensible questions for a reasonable time”.

Coun Brown added:

“I know nobody here wants to establish a Soviet-style parliament, but if you’re not careful this resembles very much the kind of rule that exists in the Russian parliament at the moment to curb debate. If you vote for it all you will be doing is forcing the opposition to work more closely together.”

The meeting also heard opposition calls for more of the council’s scrutiny committees to be lead by councillors who are not in the administration’s party, but Conservatives rejected claims they were “marking their own homework” and argued they had an open transparent system of scrutiny that had worked well for many years.

A move to end notices of motion to full council being referred to the council’s executive without debate was also voted down by Conservatives, who argued the proposal would lead to inordinately long and unfocused meetings.

However, the meeting heard the proposed constitution would give about 90 minutes for councillors’ questions.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said the constitution would be reviewed in a year.

He said rather than having to wait for the quarterly full council meetings to ask questions, the proposed system would enable members to ask questions immediately and get a response from executive members within ten working days.

Coun Dadd said by publishing councillors’ questions and responses to them the unitary authority would operate “a more modern way of doing business”.

Both Coun Dadd and other executive members underlined that the council chamber was about debate and holding the executive to account, rather than raisng very parochial issues, and the constitution aimed to “protect the integrity of the council chamber”.

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.

This month our MPs gave their thoughts on the partygate scandal as well as on Rishi Sunak’s wife’s tax affairs.

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, as usual, 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 out on Mr Jones:

• On April 6, Mr Jones added his voice to the widespread disappointment that the area has not been awarded any money from the government’s Bus Back Better scheme.
• This month, the government launched controversial plans to send ‘illegal’ asylum seekers to Rwanda. On April 20, Mr Jones voted for an ammendment to the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill to enshrine this power in law.
• Mr Jones visited Harrogate’s job centre on April 13, where he posed for a photo with Aldi and Warner Hotels employees who were recruiting.
• On April 19 in Parliament, Mr Jones asked for more information about the controversial asylum seekers processing centre in Linton-on-Ouse. He asked: “When might it open? what is its capacity? and how many local jobs will be created?”
• Speaking in the Commons on April 21, Mr Jones backed an investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over “partygate”.
• Mr Jones has not updated his official website since January.
• During a Commons debate on April 26, Mr Jones responded to calls from some Labour MPs to bring trains into public ownership. Mr Jones said Labour “haven’t got a clue” and that rail travel has thrived since privatisation.
• On April 26, Mr Jones said it was ‘deeply disappointing’ that the Taliban in Afghanistan had suspended secondary school classes for girls.
• On April 27, Mr Jones voted in favour of the government’s Elections Bill, which aims to tackle election fraud.

Read more:

• Is there a part for you in Ripon Theatre Festival project?

• Knaresborough car finance company shortlisted for four awards

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

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

• On April 8, Mr Smith defended Chancellor and fellow North Yorkshire MP Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy after she volunteered to pay more tax. He tweeted: “Not required in law but this is right decision. Both Rishi Sunak and Ashkata Murty have shown dedication to North Yorkshire & the United Kingdom over many years. Diversity of origin, background & roots is to be celebrated as is a v successful woman as well as a v successful man.”
• Mr Smith congratulated journalist and Grassington man Chris Mason on his appointment as the new BBC political editor. “Great news! Ermysted’s Grammar School old boys smashes it again!”
• Mr Smith voted in favour of a clause in the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill that commits the UK to receiving 10,000 refugees a year through official resettlement schemes.
• Mr Smith also voted to send ‘illegal’ asylum seekers abroad.
• On April 27, Mr Smith also voted in favour of the government’s Elections Bill.
• On April 28, the Ripon MP visited the city’s cathedral for a preview of an event that celebrates its founding in 1350. He said: “Flowers, light, sound – it has it all. Get along this weekend if you can.”

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

• On April 9, the MP announced he would be standing down at the next general election. He told the BBC he wanted to spend time on other interests after more than a decade in parliament.
• Mr Adams called criticism by Keir Starmer towards Rishi Sunak’s wife over her tax affairs “distasteful and desperate”.
• On April 12, the MP posted on his website that he welcomed a government ‘crackdown’ on fly tipping.
• On the same day, the MP praised Boris Johnson for his trip to Ukraine to meet president Zelensky. “Outstanding leadership from both men”, he tweeted.
• The MP hailed the government’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda in Africa. He tweeted: “This plan will deter and prevent thousands of dangerous channel crossings organised by people smugglers who care not if their clients drown or not. If you think that is ‘inhumane and horrific’ there’s not much more I can add.”
• On April 12, Mr Adams said it was time to let Boris Johnson ‘get on with the job’ after being fined by the police for breaking lockdown rules.

Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls was quizzed by students about politics and life with a stammer during a visit to Harrogate’s Ashville College.

Mr Balls visited last week at the invitation of sixth former Thomas Grattoni-May, who is an advocate for stammering children and youth panel member of the charity Action for Stammering Children.

The former politician and TV personality, who is vice president of the charity, spent half an hour chatting to pupils about their studies, interests and aspirations.

Students from St Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate and All Saints Roman Catholic School in York also attended and were able to take part in a question and answer session.

Read more:

• Ripon man who helped Ukrainian refugees set for hero’s return
• Harrogate schoolchildren hold peace walk for Ukraine

Thomas Grattoni-May, Ed Balls and Leanne Norton, head of sixth form at Ashville College.

Leanne Norton, assistant head of sixth form at Ashville College, said:

“He showed a real interest in our learning support department and how the team helps pupils like Thomas throughout their school life, and prepares them for the next stage in their careers, be it further education or into the workplace.

“It was also a fantastic opportunity for our pupils, plus those from St Aidan’s and All Saints, to hear from a former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer about his own personal experiences. In the audience were our own Year 11s who have opted to study our brand new government and politics A Level in the 2022-23 academic year, so this was a great insight into what a life in government can be like from someone who has experienced it first-hand.”

Thomas Grattoni-May said:

“I am incredibly grateful to Mr Balls for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit Ashville and to help promote Action for Stammering Children. He is a superb advocate for the charity, and it was fabulous having him here.”