Cycling in Yorkshire
Andrew Jones was re-elected MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough on 12th December 2019.
If you write to Mr Jones about an issue, he'll reply politely If he thinks you might vote for him in future; otherwise, not so much. Whether his replies are polite or not, I haven't seen any evidence of action leading to results, so in my view it's a waste of time contacting him.
In the 2019 General Election, the Conservatives got 43% of the votes and 56% of MPs. Their campaign was simplistic and often shockingly dishonest. They failed to explain, or even set out, most of their policies.
Perhaps driven by the strange and worrying Dominic Cummings, they come across as lacking in ethics or self-restraint. There is a realistic fear that they are intent on using power not for the benefit of the people of this country, but to entrench their own privileges and hold on power, and to attack anyone who disagrees with them.
It will be vital to hold them to account.
At the time of writing the Fixed Term Parliaments Act hasn't been repealed, and it sets the date of the next General Election. This means the first opportunity to vote Johnson out is Thursday 2nd May 2024. It may seem a long way away, but we all need hope and we all need to look forward to something better.
This is a countdown until our opportunity to get rid of Johnson (clock set to run out at midnight on 2nd May 2024):
11th June 2020
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick has admitted that his planning decision in favour of Tory donor Richard Desmond showed apparent bias. Can we expect Andrew Jones MP to argue for reform of party funding?
Read about Robert Jenrick apparent bias to Tory donor.
8th May 2020
Boris Johnson's Conservative government speaks only in propaganda catchphrases, to the point that most people want their ears stuffed with Polyfilla. There are some please don'ts and please dos to improve the current propaganda catchphrase situation.
Read about government by propaganda catchphrase.
24th February 2020
There's a long and inglorious tradition of propaganda by 3-word
catchphrase. The Conservatives seem to think it's an essential
accompaniment to any election, and they've assaulted our ears with any
number of inanities. I have some suggestions for the next one - vote for
the best worst one of them.
Vote for the next Tory catchphrase.
18th February 2020
The BBC is a unique institution which has been a permanent presence throughout my life, and is a fundamental part of what constitutes Great Britain.
It is much more popular than the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson or Dominic Cummings, but it is under attack by them. The attacks must stop, and Andrew Jones should stand up for his constituents against no. 10.
Read about Andrew Jones MP: leave the BBC alone.
14th February 2020
Does Britain's party funding system inspire confidence, or is it murky and badly flawed?
Read about party funding.
12th February 2020
Boris Johnson yesterday re-announced a tiny cycling fund, with money for infrastructure which amounts to a miserly £1.18 per person per year. He described the fund in a different way, so it wasn't immediately obvious that there was nothing new in what he said.
How do these plans compare with the other parties' pledges on cycling investment? Find out in Johnson re-announces tiny cycling fund.
4th February 2020
'Napoléon's wars were his own wars, made inevitable by his measureless greed for power, wars which never served the interest of France, wars for which the deceived and all too patient nation paid with the blood of its sons...' Those are the words of Pieter Geyl.
Johnson hasn't taken Britain to war, but there are similarities to Napoleon, in their common disregard for other people in pursuit of personal ambitions.
Read about Napoléon in no. 10.
31st January 2020
Flocks of redwings have been delighting Harrogate residents this winter, but now their presence here has been challenged. They are just 'not British enough', say the Stray rabbits.
Read about redwings 'not British enough' - rabbits.
15th January 2020
Matt Hancock today told Nicky Campbell that we don't need to fly less, because "flying has already decarbonised, and can decarbonise more". Is he right?
Read about Matt Hancock and decarbonising air travel.
14th January 2020
It's cringe-worthy, creepy propaganda, but if you didn't vote for them, are you a "people"?
Read about "the People's Government".
6th January 2020
The Conservative manifesto allocates a huge sum to causing increased congestion and exacerbating air pollution, by building new roads. Andrew Jones's election literature tried to portray him as a battler against the so-called Harrogate relief road, but he'll be going off to Westminster and voting to inflict 'relief roads' on towns and cities around the country.
Cock-a-hoop after getting 43% of votes in the election, the Conservatives clearly believe that they are incredibly clever. The lesson they have drawn from the election is that you win by convincing people that black is white; and never mind policies, it's the vacuous 3-word slogan that matters.
It seems you can recruit 'new' nurses who already work for the NHS; nobody cares if you lie about the number of new hospitals you plan to build. But mendacious propaganda doesn't change the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Post-truth politics don't alter the laws of physics.
Read about more roads and no cycling.
22nd December 2019
The number of votes needed to elect an MP varies wildly according to party, and millions of voters are unrepresented. What should the government do about it, and what should we expect of local MP Andrew Jones?
Read about an
unfair electoral system.
17th December 2019
The Conservatives won 43.6% of the vote - more than any other party, but NOT more than half of the votes.
If you listened to cock-a-hoop Tories in the aftermath of the election, you would think that a majority of British people had voted for them, and given them an 'overwhelming mandate'. But they didn't.
Read an analysis of the election result.