Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith urged Boris Johnson to adopt a “more humane approach” to Ukrainian refugees at Prime Minister’s Questions today.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Smith, a Conservative, said to Mr Johnson:

“People across the country are genuinely concerned at our response on refugees, on the bureaucracy, on the tone of our response.

“He’s shown with vaccines that government change really comes from the very top. Please can I urge him to look again at resetting our policy and taking control of a more humane approach to those women and men fleeing from Ukraine.”

Mr Johnson replied that this government “have done more than any other to resettle vulnerable people since 2015”.

Mr Johnson responds to Mr Smith.

He added:

“I think there is a huge opportunity now for us to do even more and that’s why my friend, the Rt Hon Secretary of State for Levelling Up will be setting out a route by which the British people — not just the family reunion route which can run into the hundreds of thousands — but also a route by which everybody in this country can offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine.”

Mr Johnson said further details would be revealed “in the next few days”.

Just over a week ago Mr Smith urged the government to “rip up the usual bureaucracy and let’s just say they are welcome and we will make it as easy as possible to be here”.

Harrogate Conservative leader defends local response

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper has accused the opposition Liberal Democrat leader Pat Marsh of appearing ignorant after she asked what steps the Tory-controlled council was taking to help the people of Ukraine.

Cllr Pat Marsh

Cllr Marsh asked in an email:

“What is being planned? Have we earmarked possible accommodation, have monies been allocated to help to feed, possibly clothe people?

“Please start some proactive actions now, the people of Harrogate district would support all efforts to help these desperate people fleeing a war zone, not of their making. We cannot just sit by and do nothing.”

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She also urged the council to lobby the UK government to grant more visas to Ukrainians.

Cllr Cooper’s response, seen by the Stray Ferret, says Cllr Marsh was “entirely wrong to allege that Harrogate Borough Council has sat by and done nothing”.

Cllr Richard Cooper

He added:

“For a start I have asked the council housing team to identify available properties so that we can react quickly to accommodation refugees as we did for Syrian and Afghan refugees.

“We have established contact with Jenny Travena, a former independent councillor, who is working with the Harrogate District of Sanctuary to coordinate our efforts when refugees arrive.

“We will take part in the government’s matching scheme to provide suitable accommodation with individuals and families fleeing the war when the final arrangements for it are announced.

“We have also determined that we have no contracts with Russian companies nor investments with them. We have cancelled performances at the Royal Hall from Russian linked companies and we have shown our solidarity with the people of Ukraine by hoisting their flag at the Civic Centre and the war memorial.

“I am concerned that your email gives an impression – granted that it appears to be from ignorance – that the borough council is taking no action whatsoever to prepare for Ukrainian refugees. This is entirely untrue. The action you have asked for is already being taken and I am rather surprised you didn’t know about it.”

“It’s really important that the United Kingdom makes an immediate open, welcoming and warm hearted commitment of sanctuary to those who wish to leave Ukraine.

“Rip up the usual bureaucracy and let’s just say they are welcome and we will make it as easy as possible to be here.”

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith last night called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to withdraw “false Savile slurs” after Sir Keir Starmer was surrounded by protesters outside parliament.

It is the second time in a week the local MP has criticised his party leader on Twitter. He said:

“What happened to Keir Starmer tonight outside parliament is appalling. It is really important for our democracy & for his security that the false Savile slurs made against him are withdrawn in full.”

Mr Smith’s tweet has received 50,000 likes and attracted national media coverage.

Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, required a police escort last night after being surrounded by a mob shouting slurs about Savile.

It came a week after Boris Johnson criticised the Labour Party leader for failing to prosecute the serial sex offender.

Mr Smith tweeted after that incident that “false and baseless personal slurs are dangerous”.

There have been subsequent calls for Mr Johnson to apologise for his comments but Downing street has indicated he will not.

What happened to Keir Starmer tonight outside parliament is appalling. It is really important for our democracy & for his security that the false Savile slurs made against him are withdrawn in full.

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 7, 2022

Sir Keir had to be escorted to a police car whilst protesters criticised him for supporting covid vaccinations and supposedly shouted “Jimmy Saville”.

On his twitter, the Skipton and Ripon MP said:

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Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, agreed with Mr Smith. He posted on Twitter last night:

“PM – Apologise please. We claim to be the Mother of all Parliaments. Let’s stop this drift towards a Trumpian style of politics from becoming the norm. We are better than this.”

Mr Johnson is yet to withdraw the comments but did condemn last night’s protest saying:

“The behaviour directed at the Leader of the Opposition tonight is absolutely disgraceful. All forms of harassment of our elected representatives are completely unacceptable.”

Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith is back in the spotlight for having three consultancy roles that earn him an extra £144,000 a year.

The Guardian reported today that MPs could be barred from holding consultancy positions.

It listed Mr Smith as the second highest paid of 30 MPs that would be affected by the move.

The news comes after the former Conservative MP Owen Paterson MP was found to have used his position to lobby the government on behalf of two companies that paid him.

The issue has reignited the debate over whether MPs should be allowed to hold external positions, and prompted allegations of sleaze.

As previously reported in the Stray Ferret, Mr Smith has three advisory roles outside of Parliament. They are in addition to his £81,932 annual salary as an MP.

All the roles were approved by the Advisory Committee of Business Appointments.

Mr Smith was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from July 2019 to February 2020.

In August 2020 he began advising Ryse Hydrogen, whose chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus manufacturer. The contract is £60,000 for 20 hours of work.

He is also paid to work for 30 to 40 hours over 12 months for MJM Marine, a cruise ship refurbishment company based in County Down. This contract is also for £60,000.

In January 2021 he began another role, advising Cork-based sustainable energy and aquaculture company Simply Blue Management. He is paid £24,000 over a year for up to two hours work per month.

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Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat leader on Harrogate Borough Council, said Mr Smith should “rethink” his other jobs and added that MPs should be stopped from taking on other work.

She said:

“His job is being an MP. To take on a paid position is so wrong. 

“From a purely democratic position, when you’re elected that should be the major concern, not distracted with outside jobs.

Shan Oakes, co-ordinator for Harrogate & District Green Party, said she was “appalled” by the Owen Patterson affair.

Ms Oakes, who attended the Stray bonfire on Saturday night holding rubbish bags with ‘Tory Sleaze’ written on them. added:

“With Harrogate having lots of Tory voters we assumed we’d get a lot of flack but we had not one negative comment. People were saying ‘thank you’.

“The whole thing stinks. Once these mechanisms of democracy are meddled with like this then we’re on a real road to ruin.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Smith to comment but did not receive a response.

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

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

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

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

He said:

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

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

He added:

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

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

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

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

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