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 May, lockdown restrictions eased again and life in the district slowly began to return back to normal.

We asked 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 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:

• In the House of Commons, Mr Jones revealed that he was enlisted by the Conservative Party to knock on doors in Hartlepool for the May 6 by-election. The seat was won by the party for the first time in its history.


• He spoke about the sub-postmaster scandal in the House of Commons on May 19, saying: "Trust is central to a thriving Post Office and trust is necessary for people to take on the role of sub-postmaster or sub-postmistress with any certainty or security".


• Following the latest unemployment figures that revealed 2,530 people in Harrogate & Knaresborough were claiming unemployment-related benefits, the MP wrote on his website encouraging local employers to take part in the government's Kickstart scheme.


• On May 25 in the House of Commons, he raised the issue of community choirs being unable to rehearse indoors following the latest relaxation of restrictions. It prompted The Times' sketch writer Quentin Letts to describe the MP in the newspaper as a "timid flower".


• Writing on his local "news" website, Community News, Mr Jones looked forward to better times ahead: "Our country is turning its sights to a post-COVID future, a more digital and greener future. That is good news for us all".


• On May 26 he voted down several clauses put forward by opposition parties for the Environment Bill. These included stopping peat burning in upland areas and making it a duty to create a tree strategy in England.


• On May 27 in Parliament, he raised the fact that Knaresborough no longer has a bank.

 

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

• In early May, Mr Smith attended a meeting with North Yorkshire County Council about the local Transforming Cities Fund proposals in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.


• With museums reopening in May, he visited the gardens at the Ripon Workhouse Museum which is part of Ripon Museums.


• On May 19, he gave an online talk to children at Beckwithshaw Primary School. Writing on his website, he said the pupils were interested in local issues and asked him questions on covid and climate change.


• Last week, Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, described the claims by the Prime Minister’s former chief advisor Dominic Cummings over the government's handling of the covid pandemic as “for the birds".


• Five of Mr Smith's 11 tweets were related to Northern Ireland politics. He tweeted about the Ballymurphy inquest that exonerated those shot dead by British Army forces in 1971: "All thoughts & prayers with the families of those killed at Ballymurphy."

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

• On Twitter, he posted his own Eurovision Song Contest scorecard. He gave the UK entry, James Newman, a generous 24 points out of 40. In the actual competition, the song received no points and came last.


• A story published in The Times on May 9 revealed that Mr Adams received financial donations and luxury trips abroad from controversial Indian businessman Sanjeev Gupta. Mr Gupta has links to the biomass industry and, Drax Power Station, which burns the wood pellets to create energy, is in his constituency.


• The Minister for Asia tweeted that the foreign office will spend more money on the BBC World Service to help tackle fake news around the world.


• In ministerial written answers, he wrote about India's covid outbreak that ripped through the country in May: "We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner in the fight against Covid-19, and send our solidarity and condolences to the Indian people at this difficult time."


• He tweeted 17 times in May.