Harrogate MP's unprecedented complaints to Ed Davey spark new row with Lib Dems

Although the Lib Dems have already dismissed the accusations as completely "out of touch", Andrew Jones MP says his strongly worded criticisms are the result of a series of recent Lib Dem incidents which add up to more than the occasional mistake.

Mr Jones said: “Following a referral to the police by the Green Party about an election offence committed by the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, I am releasing a letter I have sent to Rt Hon Ed Davey MP regarding a series of actions by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats.

“The letter I have sent to Mr Davey is the latest of several sent since December 12, 2023.

"Mr Davey has not responded to any of them.

"His inability to defend the local Liberal Democrats is telling.”

Mr Jones's incendiary letter to Lib Dem leader ends by asking when will Ed Davey "curb the behaviour of this obviously rogue organisation?”

In response, a Lib Dem spokesperson told the Harrogate Advertiser:

“At the next General Election people in Harrogate and Knaresborough have a clear choice.

"They can back an out of touch MP or get real change with the Liberal Democrats.

"Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Conservative MP has supported a government that’s allowed sewage into our rivers and brought our NHS to its knees."Many people are now backing Tom Gordon and the Lib Dem team who are fighting for a fair deal for the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough."

But the man who has been Tory MP of Harrogate and Knaresborough since 2010, claims the political behaviour of his opponents had led to the following actions:

Compensation for untrue statements made about me, Andrew Jones.

A police investigation into previous election irregularities.

Incitement to trolling by a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate.

A standards investigation which found against the Liberal Democrat council group leader.

A police investigation under Operation Bridger protocols.

Unfounded claims about misuse of public money by me.

A Liberal Democrat councillor arrested for hundreds of anti-semitic social media posts.

A detailed MRP poll published earlier this year by YouGov predicted Liberal Democrat candidate Tom Gordon was set to defeat the Conservative Party’s Andrew Jones in Harrogate & Knaresborough at the next election.

More widely, the Liberal Democrats are predicted to win 48 seats at the next election, most of which are from the ‘Blue Wall’.

This follows a series of unprecedented by-election wins by the Lib Dems and Labour in formerly safe Conservative seats in the past two years, as well as hundreds of gains in local elections across the ‘Blue Wall’ since 2019.