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, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his autumn statement, which included scrapping planned investment zones in the Harrogate district and across the country.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours were also revealed, which is set to include district MP Nigel Adams.

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 out on Mr Jones:

• On November 10, Andrew Jones debated the possibility of the River Nidd at Knaresborough achieving bathing water status in the House of Commons.


• Mr Jones called for a debate on green building regulations in the House of Commons to be “sped up”.


• Mr Jones asked for reassurance from ministers on November 15 that park home residents would get support for energy bills amid concern over rising prices.


• In response to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement on November 17, Mr Jones said he felt Mr Hunt had made some “difficult decisions but right ones”.


• In response to new IPSA guidance over expenses for festive decorations, Mr Jones said he has “never used parliamentary expenses to pay for festive decorations or parties and I never will”.


• On November 28, Mr Jones asked whether ministers would focus education funding on “creating estates to deliver the skills needed in the growth sectors of the future” after Harrogate College announced a £16 million estates scheme.

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

• Mr Smith made three spoken contributions in the House of Commons in November on matters relating to Northern Ireland.


• On November 8, Mr Smith tweeted that he was pleased that Ripon Museums had secured a grant from Arts Council England.


• Mr Smith commemorated Armistice Day by placing a tribute on behalf of Skipton and Ripon in parliament’s garden of remembrance.


• Mr Smith also laid a wreath on Remembrance Sunday in Ripon as part of commemorations on November 13.


• The Ripon MP paid tribute to local constituency Cllr Margaret Atkinson on November 14, who died suddenly. He said she had “a passion, focus & dedication to public service which she pursued for many decade”.


• Mr Smith made no public comment on Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, but he retweeted the Treasury Twitter account announcing measures included in the statement.

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

• On November 8, it was revealed by The Times newspaper that Nigel Adams is in line for a peerage in former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours.


• On November 23, Mr Adams asked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for more support for bus services as he warned that 80 services across the county were at under threat.


• Mr Adams spoke only once in the House of Commons in November, which was to ask the Prime Minister for support on buses in North Yorkshire.


• He made no public comment on Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement.

Read more:

• Harrogate district MP Nigel Adams to step down at next election


• Harrogate district MP in line for peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours