Backbencher
Hollinrake was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the seat of Thirsk and Malton at the 2015 general election following the de-selection of Anne McIntosh. [16] Hollinrake was a strong supporter of David Cameron's Northern Powerhouse idea,which aims to link the north of England more closely to markets in the south;making it easier to travel,exchange and do business. [17] He was elected with 52.6% of the vote and a majority of 19,456. [18]
In January 2016,Hollinrake was one of 72 MPs who voted down an amendment in Parliament on rental homes being "fit for human habitation" who were themselves landlords who derived an income from a property. [19] He was opposed to Brexit before the 2016 referendum. [20]
At the snap 2017 general election,Hollinrake was re-elected with an increased vote share of 60.0% but a decreased majority of 19,001. [21]
In 2019,Hollinrake was one of 72 MPs who voted to not permit same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland. [22] He served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Gove as Secretary of State for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs from June to December 2019. [23]
At the 2019 general election,Hollinrake was again re-elected,with an increased vote share of 63.0% and an increased majority of 25,154. [24] [25]
In 2020,Hollinrake became one of four Vice-Chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Whistleblowing. [26] This group has been subject to criticism by some campaigners on whistleblowing law reform. [27]
In September 2020,Hollinrake was criticised for a tweet he made in response to a question about the free school meal campaign run by footballer Marcus Rashford. [28] When asked on Twitter ''why it takes a footballer to make a stand for hungry children in our country'',he replied that ''where they can,it's a parent's job to feed their children.'' [29] This prompted a backlash from Rashford and members of the public. Hollinrake defended himself,stating that tax rises would be required for such action. [30]
In April 2021, The Observer revealed that Hollinrake claimed expenses of £2,925 each month between April and November 2020 to pay his own rent despite renting out five residential properties of his own in York. When asked to comment,Hollinrake acknowledged that he owned other properties,but claimed to have seen a "substantial reduction in earnings" since leaving the private sector and said that he did not think it would be reasonable for him to have to pay for his own accommodation expenses in London. [31]
In November 2021,he was one of 13 Conservative MPs who voted against a government-supported amendment to defer the suspension of Conservative MP Owen Paterson who was found to have breached lobbying rules. [32]
