Supporting the Economy

During these tough times, I will keep doing everything I can to support businesses across the community and support economic growth along with job creation. I am eager to ensure that local business and employment can recover from the impact the Coronavirus has had on the economy. 

Ensuring inward investment into the constituency is a priority for me. Skipton has recently been awarded funding from the Government’s £95 million Future High Streets Fund.

Leading the efforts to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire is another example of work I have done over the past ten years to boost our economy so that businesses can grow and create jobs across the constituency.

Regularly, I visit and speak to farmers across my constituency. Leaving the European Union has meant leaving the Common Agricultural Policy – and moving to a system where farmers are paid public money for public goods. I continue to engage regularly with local farmers and represent their views to the Government.

The Environmental Land Management Scheme, the centre piece of the UK's future agricultural policy, will be made up of three component parts: the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which will pay for farmers for actions taken to manage their land in an environmentally sustainable way; Local Nature Recovery, which will pay farmers for actions that support local nature recovery and deliver local environmental priorities; and Landscape Recovery, which will support the delivery of landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term, land use changes.

In 2010 I helped set up the Skipton and Ripon Enterprise Group which offers free mentoring to businesses in my constituency. I was delighted to assist their Ripon launch and the group now covers many towns and villages across the area including Skipton, Ripon, Settle, Sutton-in-Craven, Cross Hills, Ingleton, Bentham, Masham, Pateley Bridge, Grassington, Boroughbridge, and Northallerton. Some of the most successful business leaders in North Yorkshire offer free help and advice to other newer businesses on how to grow and expand.

News

The Budget

Yesterday, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Budget which includes further support for people, businesses and investment. 

Over this year and the next, the Government will have responded to the pandemic with a £407 billion support package.

Julian Smith MP visits The Stripey Badger

In early October Julian Smith MP spent the afternoon visiting The Stripey Badger Bookshop, Coffee Shop & Kitchen, an independent bookshop in Grassington. Julian met with Linda who owns and runs the shop with her son James.

Julian Smith MP visit Bibby’s of Ingleton

Julian visited Bibby’s of Ingleton, the family run coach holidays operator, to see their wide variety of tours that they have been offering, with a fantastic range of holidays, day excursions and the option to privately hire coaches.

Julian Smith MP visits Farmison & Co

Julian visited Farmison & Co where he viewed their expansion plans and heard about the company's success creating jobs and growing consumer demand for local meat, with specific regard to their online meat box deliveries and their aim to ensure everyone ‘eats better meat’. 
 

Julian Smith MP visits local gin distillery, Spirit of Masham

Mr Smith toured Spirit of Masham gin distillery and had a taste of the Gin experience that is on offer. He also saw how owners Carol and Derek transformed their distillery. They were the first in the country to apply to HMRC regardingmaking and distributing hand sanitiser.

Julian Smith MP visits local businesses as lockdown restrictions ease

July 3rd Julian Smith MP spent the afternoon visiting local small businesses in Skipton. He visited a number of local businesses along the high street which have re-opened after the outbreak of coronavirus, and are now welcoming customers whilst implementing safe, social distancing measures.