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 November, MPs and their second jobs came under close scrutiny as Conservative MP Owen Paterson resigned after coming under fire for breaching parliamentary standards.

Meanwhile, all Harrogate district MPs voted for a controversial new Health and Social Care bill, which saw some Conservative backbenchers rebel against the government.

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.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• Mr Jones did not post any news on his website in November.


• He spoke eight times in the House of Commons this past month.


• Among his contributions was to welcome to the government’s integrated rail plan on November 18. This came despite previous comments by Mr Jones in February 2019 when he described the potential scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 as a “betrayal of the north".


• He later posted a statement on his Conservative-run website describing the plan as "very positive".


• On November 22, Mr Jones voted with the government on the Health and Social Care Bill. Some Tory backbenchers raised concern that the government’s proposal will see the poor pay more towards their care.


• Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Read more:

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  Ripon residents give their views on MP Julian Smith’s £144,000 consultancy work

  
  


• MPs watch: Sewage dumps, commissioner resignations and David Amess

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

• Mr Smith did not update his website during November.


• He tweeted eight times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets congratulating Zoe Metcalfe on being elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.


• During November, Mr Smith’s extra jobs came under scrutiny in the wake of the Owen Paterson affair. Mr Smith earns £144,000 a year from three advisory roles in addition to his £81,932 MP’s salary.


• Mr Smith voted with the government on its Health and Social Care bill on November 22.


• He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons during November.

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

• Mr Adams tweeted four times in November.


• He posted once on his website on November 18 about Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting his constituency during the launch of the government’s integrated rail plan.


• On November 4, Mr Adams voted for the Leadsom amendment during the Owen Paterson affair. The amendment proposed not suspending Mr Paterson, despite breaching parliamentary standards.


• Mr Adams voted with the government on the Health and Social Care bill on November 22.


• He appeared in the House of Commons four times during November to make both spoken contributions and to answer questions as a government minister.