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20
Oct 2022
Liz Truss resignation: Harrogate district reaction
Local political parties and Andrew Jones MP react to todays resignation of Liz Truss.
Liz Truss making her resignation statement outside 10 Downing Street this afternoon.
Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister today after just 44 days in office.
See how the Harrogate district reacted to the news this afternoon.
5.01pm - Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems still searching for candidate
The lengthy process to find a prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough remains ongoing.
The local party called today for an election but as yet it doesn't have anyone to take on Conservative Andrew Jones.
It said in June it had started the process but four months on the matter remains unresolved.
David Goode, chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems, said
“We are moving at pace to select a parliamentary candidate. It is a rigorous process for a target seat but be in no doubt we are planning to fight Harrogate and Knaresborough to win at the next election, whenever that maybe. We need a MP who will work for us, not just trot along behind the government.”
Monika Slater, a Lib Dem who represents Bilton Grange and New Park on North Yorkshire County Council, said
“Boris Johnson failed our country and Liz Truss trashed our economy.
“People in Harrogate and Knaresborough deserve better than this incompetent and chaotic government, which has sent mortgages spiralling while our NHS services are stretched to breaking point.
“The Conservative party have proven time and time again they are not fit to lead our great country.
“This country needs a general election and Andrew Jones and other Conservative MP’s cannot prop up more chaotic Governments.
“At the next election people across Harrogate and Knaresborough will be backing the Liberal Democrats to get a fair deal on the NHS and the cost of living instead of more Conservative chaos."
4.35pm - Andrew Jones MP: Truss departure 'inevitable'
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has published a statement on his Community News website.
Mr Jones said:
“As difficult as today is for her it has, I’m afraid, been inevitable and it is the national interest that matters.
"It was an enormous and unforced error to bring forward the mini-Budget without an assessment by the Office of Budget Responsibility and an accompanying statement on departmental spending.
“It was a mistake for her to surround herself with just supporters and not form a broader-based team.
“Ms Truss began to undo the damage with the appointment of Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor who jettisoned a lot of the mistakes she had made, calmed the markets and emphasised the need for stability.
“But the personal damage to her was done and too severe for her to have any hope of recovery. It has felt in parliament that over the last week her authority had been seeping away. That is why she had to go."
Mr Jones, who said there was "plenty to be positive about here in Harrogate and Knaresborough" when the government announced its mini-budget last month, did not reveal who he supports as a successor.
But he said whoever it is “needs to bring on board all the talents available to them, adding:
"Our politics and our country need a period of calm stability and I look forward, at last, to that being delivered.”
4.17pm - Could North Yorkshire be home to the Prime Minister by next Friday?
Richmond MP Rishi Sunak is the clear bookies' favourite to succeed Liz Truss as Prime Minister. Oddschecker currently has him at 10/11, with Penny Mordaunt second favourite at 11-4. But the odds against third favourite Boris Johnson have been slashed to 9-2.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones and Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith both supported Mr Sunak in the leadership contest against Liz Truss.
3.50pm - Nigel Adams 'not doing any media at the moment'
Minutes after posting that none of the local Conservative MPs had replied to us, one of them responded. But it isn't exactly hold-the-front-page stuff.
Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams' senior parliamentary assistant emailed to say:
"Nigel is not doing any media at the moment."
3.41pm - Silence from Harrogate district MPs
We asked the three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include parts of the Harrogate district whether Liz Truss was right to resign and who they supported to be her successor.
We asked Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams to reply by 3.30pm today. So far none has replied.
3.06pm - Are local opposition parties ready to fight an election?
Local Liberal Democrats and Harrogate supporters have been quick to call for an election but would they be ready to fight one?
Currently only the Green Party has a prospective parliamentary candidate to take on Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
We have asked the Liberal Democrats and Labour for details of their search to find PPCs and will report their responses.
2.50pm - Yorkshire Party calls for end to 'London-centric' politics
The Yorkshire Party says 'Yorkshire has been left to fend for itself'.
https://twitter.com/Yorkshire_Party/status/1582825610136588288
2.33pm - Tories 'have lost mandate to govern,' says Green PPC.
Paul Ko Ferrigno, the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Green Party in Harrogate and Knaresborough, has added his voice to calls for an election. He said:
"The Conservatives are unable to govern themselves and have lost any mandate to govern the country.
"People are worried about the cost of fuel and the cost of energy and rising mortgage rates and rising inflation and their dwindling quality of life.
"We don’t need another week of Tory navel gazing, we need a General Election and a government that puts people first."
2.11pm - Ripon-based Lib Dem leader in House of Lords calls for election
Dick Newby, the Liberal Democrat peer and party leader in the House of Lords, has tweeted for an election.
https://twitter.com/RichardNewby3/status/1583079997199089664
2.05pm - Harrogate Labour campaigner calls for election
Chris Watt, local Harrogate Labour party campaigner, has also called for an election.
He told the Stray Ferret:
"The Tory government are a shambles. They've trashed the economy and presided over 12 years of stagnation.
"They can keep changing their leader but we need a change of government.
"The choice is clear: more of this incompetent Tory government, which the MP here has consistently supported. Or a Labour Government led by Keir Starmer. We need a General Election now so the people can decide."
He has also been tweeting:
https://twitter.com/ChrisWatt4/status/1583078910950281217
2pm - Call from Liberal Democrats for General Election
Skipton and Ripon Liberal Democrats have called for a General Election following the departure of Liz Truss.
https://twitter.com/SkiptonRiponLD/status/1583077632979062784?s=20&t=yOrqpSznmcwOkHCPUYvvNA
1.55pm - Harrogate politicians reaction
Following the announcement of the resignation of Liz Truss, the Stray Ferret has contacted the Harrogate district's three Conservative MPs for their reaction.
We have also contacted opposition parties for their thoughts on this afternoon's news.
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