Here in Cornwall we’ve even seen the Conservative’s waste money hiring taxis to ferry teas and coffees between council buildings link
Don't get me wrong waste in all facets of the civil services is troubling and needs addressing, where there are examples of money going on non-essential things this should stop. That said I'm not a subscriber to the Tax Payer's Alliance/ Eric Pickles school of thought that tightening up on waste, can somehow counter all of the austerity cuts from central government. That the odd hundreds or even thousand of pounds spent lavishly, can make up for hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts to Cornwall Council's funding. Or in other words a taxi fare, will not ensure there is money to keep public toilets open, or keep a care worker in a job.
This posturing to the right is partly a realisation that being on the left is hard for the Lib Dems to credibly do. Bedroom tax, council tax benefit support cuts, privatisation and of course voting loyally with the Conservatives in Westminster on every policy, makes it impossible to sell this to the electorate. Of course the recent Lib Dem and Tory supported Cornwall Council budget that put jobs cuts in Adult Care and Support and Children, Schools and Families at the forefront too. In the past the Lib Dems have sold themselves as pro Cornish devolution, they even tried selling the centralisation of unitary as such, which it has not been. They've previously tried to be Pro Cornwall, again trying to drown out Mebyon Kernow, but Devonwall, pasty tax, regional pay plans and the continuing underfunding of Cornwall's public services again makes this an argument hard to make in face of the facts. The only way they have left to go is right, they know the Tories are suffering both on Cornwall Council and up in Westminster, so they are trying to steal their votes. You can see on Alex Folkes' blog the attempts to appeal to Tory voters, why Tory ministers ought to agree with Cornwall Council Lib Dems rather than the Tories here: Shapp's agrees more with the Lib Dems than Tories here: Tories look to Lib Dems for leadership and various other posts illustrating that Tory ministers see eye to eye not with the Tory led council but with the Liberal Democrats. It's a shrewd approach by Alex too many in the Lib Dems are trying to continue to paint themselves as a party they clearly are not, credit to him they do need to reposition to the right in their rhetoric to match the new reality. If Eric Pickles has a second home in Cornwall perhaps he might find himself voting Lib Dem on May 2nd...
Don't get me wrong waste in all facets of the civil services is troubling and needs addressing, where there are examples of money going on non-essential things this should stop. That said I'm not a subscriber to the Tax Payer's Alliance/ Eric Pickles school of thought that tightening up on waste, can somehow counter all of the austerity cuts from central government. That the odd hundreds or even thousand of pounds spent lavishly, can make up for hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts to Cornwall Council's funding. Or in other words a taxi fare, will not ensure there is money to keep public toilets open, or keep a care worker in a job.
This posturing to the right is partly a realisation that being on the left is hard for the Lib Dems to credibly do. Bedroom tax, council tax benefit support cuts, privatisation and of course voting loyally with the Conservatives in Westminster on every policy, makes it impossible to sell this to the electorate. Of course the recent Lib Dem and Tory supported Cornwall Council budget that put jobs cuts in Adult Care and Support and Children, Schools and Families at the forefront too. In the past the Lib Dems have sold themselves as pro Cornish devolution, they even tried selling the centralisation of unitary as such, which it has not been. They've previously tried to be Pro Cornwall, again trying to drown out Mebyon Kernow, but Devonwall, pasty tax, regional pay plans and the continuing underfunding of Cornwall's public services again makes this an argument hard to make in face of the facts. The only way they have left to go is right, they know the Tories are suffering both on Cornwall Council and up in Westminster, so they are trying to steal their votes. You can see on Alex Folkes' blog the attempts to appeal to Tory voters, why Tory ministers ought to agree with Cornwall Council Lib Dems rather than the Tories here: Shapp's agrees more with the Lib Dems than Tories here: Tories look to Lib Dems for leadership and various other posts illustrating that Tory ministers see eye to eye not with the Tory led council but with the Liberal Democrats. It's a shrewd approach by Alex too many in the Lib Dems are trying to continue to paint themselves as a party they clearly are not, credit to him they do need to reposition to the right in their rhetoric to match the new reality. If Eric Pickles has a second home in Cornwall perhaps he might find himself voting Lib Dem on May 2nd...
With the Liberal Democrats vacating the pro Cornwall stance and the left entirely, Mebyon Kernow must rush to fill this gap, we must also show ourselves to be the descendants of the radicalism that the old Liberals once were. With One Nation Labour (under the God of neo-liberalism) tied to the tired old ideas of privatisation, deindustrialization and centralisation. Mebyon Kernow needs to be the party, that is radical that is pushing for change. Whilst the others argue over the fine details of the differences between themselves and drone about who is doing what too fast too slow or too shallow.
Our manifesto I believe does this and can be built upon to show how we are the descendants of Cornwall's radical tradition. For me as much as being pro Cornwall is about devolution and us getting a fair share, it's also about policies that are pro Cornish workers, families and businesses. About real change change that works for people in Kernow.
The ten points of the Putting Cornwall First manifesto.
1. Working to restore faith in local government
2. Protecting public services
3. Winning fair funding for Cornwall
4. Protecting the less well off and vulnerable
5. Safeguarding the Cornish economy
6. Developing pro-Cornwall planning policies
7. Delivering proper local needs housing
8. Protecting the Cornish environment
9. Making Cornwall Council democratic
10. Winning greater recognition for Cornwall
Please take time to read the summaries and the full pdfs and see how we are the party offering big ideas, ambitious change and a better Cornwall. Think differently on May the second, do you want change? do you want ambitious councilors? or do you want more of the same...
Our manifesto I believe does this and can be built upon to show how we are the descendants of Cornwall's radical tradition. For me as much as being pro Cornwall is about devolution and us getting a fair share, it's also about policies that are pro Cornish workers, families and businesses. About real change change that works for people in Kernow.
The ten points of the Putting Cornwall First manifesto.
1. Working to restore faith in local government
2. Protecting public services
3. Winning fair funding for Cornwall
4. Protecting the less well off and vulnerable
5. Safeguarding the Cornish economy
6. Developing pro-Cornwall planning policies
7. Delivering proper local needs housing
8. Protecting the Cornish environment
9. Making Cornwall Council democratic
10. Winning greater recognition for Cornwall
Please take time to read the summaries and the full pdfs and see how we are the party offering big ideas, ambitious change and a better Cornwall. Think differently on May the second, do you want change? do you want ambitious councilors? or do you want more of the same...
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