The essential nature of British politics is adversarial, encapsulated by the way the chamber of the House of Commons is set up.
The Government sits on one side, the Opposition on the other, directly facing each other just a couple of yards apart. In a space which visitors always find surprisingly compact, it can create a uniquely challenging environment, especially on set-piece occasions like a Budget or Prime Minister’s Questions.
It can give the impression that Westminster politicians spend all their time arguing aggressively with each other.
While vigorous debate is at the heart of any democracy, a lot gets done in Parliament through consensus and working together.
Working cross-party – that is with politicians of different political parties – is something I have always enjoyed and found to be effective.
Last week I found common cause with Sam Rushworth, the Labour MP for the neighbouring constituency of Bishop Auckland, over the Hope Moor Wind Farm proposal.
The boundary of our two areas runs through the middle of the site earmarked for the 23 turbines which, if built, would be higher than the Blackpool Tower. They would cause huge damage to the environment, to the valuable peat eco-system on the moors and be visible for miles across the sensitive landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
I first expressed my opposition to the idea earlier this year but this was the first time that Dr Rushworth had done so. It is a difficult matter for him given his party’s current policy on wind turbines so I appreciate his support in the campaign to stop the plan.
I hope we have similar successes to those I have had with other local MPs from opposing parties over the years.
Liberal Democrat Tim Farron, whose Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency borders mine to the west, worked with me when we fought Government’s decision in 2024 to hold up the upgrading plans for the A66.
We ultimately succeeded in our efforts to convince Labour Ministers that the upgrading to dual carriageway of the vital route between our areas was essential on safety grounds and also the economy of the North of England.
The upgrading will be carried out although there has been a sting in the tail of the Government’s otherwise welcome decision to press ahead with the scheme: work won’t start immediately on ‘our’ section near Ravensworth. It will be at least nine years before the whole project is complete.
I was also pleased to with work with the former Labour MP for Darlington back in 2017 when plans for health services re-organisation threatened to lead to a downgrade of Darlington Memorial Hospital.
The Memorial is not in the area I represent but for many of my constituents in North Richmondshire and parts of the Yorkshire Dales it is their nearest hospital. The potential loss of consultant-led A&E and obstetric services would have been a disaster for them and heaped far too much pressure on the James Cook University Hospital at Middlesbrough.
Thankfully, we successfully headed-off that misconceived approach.
These are just a couple of examples of how politicians can put aside differences and tribal allegiances to work for a common good.
