Election debate in Marazion for BBC Radio Cornwall

Last night I attended a St Ives constituency debate in Marazion, featuring al 6 candidates from UKIP, Labour, Lib Dems, Tories, Greens and myself for Mebyon Kernow. It was a lively debate and I'm grateful to Radio Cornwall for inviting me along, although we have many troubles getting fair coverage on the BBC generally. Radio Cornwall at least are fair and impartial to how is invited along. Not that I'm not without some grumbles, I was a little hamstrung by the fact I was last or nearly last to answer every question and consequently Laurence would ask me to be succinct after hearing other candidates talk at great length, meaning I was often cut off half way through answering the question of when I paused for the audience to applause. If you hear it let me know what you think, perhaps I'm being unfair...


This was my 5th hustings of the campaign and I'm starting to get into the swing of things. I find it fascinating that at the start of the hustings, I've always noticed people at the back muttering and looking at me with suspicion. Perhaps they think that MK is some kind of loony nationalist party and that every answer to every question will boil down to blowing up the Tamar bridges and cutting us from the world. Interestingly these very same people were some of the first to come and shake my hand at the end, congratulate me on my performance and ask more about Mebyon Kernow and our policies. I think much like Plaid Cymru and the SNP represented by Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon on the tv debates, MK presents an alternative to the same old policies of the Westminster party. When people are made aware of the real policies they find out it's more than a sense of pride in place and a desire for greater autonomy. It's about bespoke policies to suit Cornwall and getting our little corner of this isle a fair deal on funding.

See what you think for yourselves as the Radio Cornwall hustings will be aired on thursday at 12.