This week’s speaker was Jason McCartney, M.P. for Colne Valley. He gave a
wide-ranging and well received presentation, working without notes . He
covered his previous careers as a commissioned officer in the R.A.F. serving in
many countries and his time as a broadcast journalist for both B.B.C. and I.T.V.
Yorkshire. He had reported many important stories include the local instigators
of 7/7 bombing and the murder of Sharon Beshenivsky.
He related his time in Parliament – first elected in 2010, losing in 2017 and
returning in 2019. He talked about many issues in his presentation and in
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replies to questions. His appointment as delegate to the N.A.T.O assembly, his
time with David Cameron, his loyalty to Huddersfield Town, how his view
changed to support a form of National Service, were all mentioned. He talked
about the strength and international reach of successful local businesses, and
their importance to the area. He also proposed a dual council solution to the
‘poor performance’ of Kirklees.