Recognition of the Cornish as a national minority was not worth the paper it was written on

On this day April 23rd, last year the government announced that they were recognising the Cornish people under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. This was widely welcomed including by myself, that the Cornish were now recognised as a nation. However 12 months on, what has really changed?

I became concerned back in February when people contacted me to say that they had registered to vote online and did not have the option to identify themselves as Cornish, as this screenshot of the website shows:

This situation prompted me to contact the Liberal Democrat ministers and ask them what had actually changed since the fanfare of the announcement? Why situations like this were still occurring, let alone things more ambitious than adding a 7 letter word. That was back on the 11th of February and the reply? a deafening silence. 

This is the problem with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, they'll put out grand press releases about devolving power to Cornwall, Cornwall getting it's own minister and fair funding for our public services, but when it comes to the crunch they just don't deliver. The time has come for Cornwall to stop looking to the same old leopards in the vain hope they'll change their spots and vote for Mebyon Kernow- the Party for Cornwall. We are not interested in propping up minority governments and other political shenanigans but are solely focussed on doing what is best for Cornwall.  

 

Lib Dems need to come clean about plans for another Tory coalition

Daily leaflets are going through people's doors throughout Cornwall from the Lib Dems. The budgets aside of how much all that printing up country costs and how much the Royal Mail charge. They are all covered in messages about keeping the Tories out. Hoping people have forgotten the last 5 years completely and are unaware that plans are afoot for the Lib Dems again to prop up the Tories.

It's time for Cornwall’s Liberal Democrats to come clean and admit that the anti Tory message is just rhetoric. Nick Clegg told the press at their manifesto launch that he's willing to do a deal with anyone to be in power. What was once a party of principle and common sense is now an empty vessel interested only in power. Little wonder they're facing a wipe out on May the 7th.

Mebyon Kernow will not do a deal with the Tories or any of the Westminster parties. If people want a party that will fight the Tories or any government, for Cornwall to get a better deal, and fairness in policy then vote MK.

Cornwall loses out on fuel discount in the budget, unlike other areas

In the next budget 17 areas across the UK will benefit from a fuel duty rebate. The justification for this is due to the rural locations of the areas, the lack of public transport and the higher price of fuel. We have to ask ourselves why has Cornwall missed out yet again? Can we afford to be ignored by voting for the apathy and lack of influence of Tory and Lib Dem MPs?

We've seen throughout this government the unwelcome reduction in public transport due to austerity. The fuel duty rebate would have helped make up for how these cuts have affected people's lives and the local economy. It would have provided a welcome boost and a compensation for public transport cuts. 

The more eagle eyed among you may notice a trend in the 17 areas announced, as announced by Danny Alexander MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey link:

"The 17 areas which will benefit from the price cut are:
IV54 (Highland – Scotland)
IV26 (Highland – Scotland)
IV27 (Highland – Scotland)
NE48 (Northumberland – England)
PH41 (Highland – Scotland)
KW12 (Highland – Scotland)
PA80 (Argyll and Bute – Scotland)
PH36 (Highland – Scotland)
IV22 (Highland – Scotland)
PA38 (Argyll and Bute – Scotland)
PH23 (Highland – Scotland)
PH19 (Highland – Scotland)
IV21 (Highland – Scotland)
LA17 (Cumbria – England)
EX35 (Devon – England)
IV14 (Highland – Scotland)
Hawes (North Yorkshire – England)."

Note that not a single part of Cornwall is eligible for the scheme. Despite similar problems of high costs of fuel and rural locations, particularly places like North Cornwall, the Roseland, West Penwith and the Lizard Peninsula. Why?

A welcome u turn by Andrew George on planning echoing MK policy

Plagiarising MK's recent policy announcement Andrew George has spoken in parliament about how planning should be devolved to Cornwall. Which goes to show if MK can exert this pressure without an MP imagine what we could do with proper representation for Cornwall in parliament.

No doubt with a keen eye on this announcement by MK:

"All planning decisions should be taken in Cornwall: The leader of Mebyon Kernow has challenged central government to democratise the planning system and for all planning decisions to be taken in Cornwall." Link

Or these words from my Conference speech:

"Mebyon Kernow wants a planning system that Kow Tows not to developers and the interests of profit but Kow Tows to the people of Cornwall. So we can be masters of our own destiny, decide what planning policies we want and what housing numbers suit us.

The present centralised planning system favours developers and works hard for their needs and wants. Yet it ignores the needs and wants of our communities. The present planning policies do nothing to stop unsustainable development on green fields of houses unaffordable on the average Cornish wage." Link

The present St Ives constituency MP, Andrew George, had this to say:

"I hope you don't think I am damaging you with faint praise when I say that you are the best party leader by far, and therefore you will recognise that Cornwall will benefit a great deal from the proposed devolution enabling act.

"But would you agree that under these proposals that Cornwall and places like it could redesign their planning and housing system to put local need above speculators' greed and the growth of second homes?"

Anybody thinking the Lib Dems were serious about devolution to a Cornish Assembly should note Clegg's answer:

"If in Cornwall it is felt that a Cornish assembly borne out of the existing county council - not inventing yet another talking shop for politicians, it could cut the number of politicians if it wished to - if it wanted to have powers in the planning areas you suggest, that is something I hope we would empower the future Cornish assembly to do." Link

Quite how Cornwall Council could morph into an assembly, have more powers and less elected councillors is patently ridiculous. Especially when on an issue like planning where most decisions are taken by officers. This happens partly as there are not enough councillors, quite how this would be more democratic is ludicrous. It reminds me greatly of the last time the Lib Dems fiddled with local government, centralising everything in Truro and slashing the number of democratically elected representatives,  it is clear by devolution they only wish to continue on this trajectory.

The Lib Dems can't be allowed to damage Cornwall in this way again, if voters want more powers to Cornwall and devolution  within Cornwall,  then MK is the clear choice. Further if voters want a party committed to devolving issues like planning rest assured MK MPs would not sit on their hands for 5 years and start listening to the public on the eve of an election....

P.s. anyone else noted the way Tory, Lib Dem and Labour worry about more politicians in a Cornish assembly, yet do nothing about the very expensive and hugely bloated House of Lords?

Clegg's visit to Penzance and absence from the Autumn Statement

Today 2 things happened in politics, 1 there was the Autumn Statement setting out the Coalition government's priorities for the next budget. 2 Nick Clegg came to Penzance to talk about money put into a breakwater study.

A month ago Penzance Town Council voted to put a contribution towards a study into a breakwater. I blogged about it here. Nick Clegg was in Penzance today announcing the government will put forward their contribution. A welcome step? Yes of course. News? Not in the slightest, the town council was asked by government for a contribution with the understanding they would fund the rest.

This is a welcome step, having proper sea defences is a must for Penzance and is long overdue. As I've written before this is the start of a journey. Having a study conducted will be a step forward, the first if many, afterward funding will need to be found.

So why would the Deputy Prime Minister come all the way to Penzance for a small step? The Cornishman asked Clegg if it was a deliberate snub of the Autumn Statement. Nick of course denied it. I can definitely see why they asked the question. The Deputy Prime Minister avoiding the Autumn Statement is a snub and a silly one. Budgets are massively important things, it lays out what will happen next year or indeed not happen, not being there for essentially a preview of the budget is odd to say the least.

Although I have a different theory. There is a definite reason to snub the Autumn Statement for Cornwall's MPs. We aren't mentioned once. Not especially unusual but when one of the themes of Osborne's speech was devolution and we aren't mentioned (again). Another section titled Northern Powerhouse detailing investment in the North of England. No powers nor including in regional infrastructure funding.

There's no good story there for Cornwall there's nothing for our MPs to be proud of. When the local newspapers hit the stands don't be surprised if the front page is Clegg in Cornwall. Not that Cornwall has missed out on any new spending in next year's budget.

Cornwall Council in the eye of the storm of austerity

A story is doing the rounds in the press, that a Cornwall Council officer expressed the opinion that services did not need to be gold plated and that the bare minimum would do. This is the latest in the government's austerity drive, four years in and the pressure continues to fall on the smallest authorities.

Back in May the Local Government Association was warning of the consequences of all of this pressure on local councils:

Research carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that the impact of spending reductions will start to become increasingly visible over the next two years, as councils tackle a further £10 billion cut in Government funding.

In many areas where the well of efficiency savings has run dry, councils are on the verge of a tipping point where they will not have enough money to meet all their statutory responsibilities.

Government funding given to councils to run local services will have been cut by 40 per cent by May 2015. LGA modelling, which factors in reduced funding and rising demand for adult social care, shows that money available to provide popular services like running gyms, parks, libraries and youth centres is likely to shrink by 66 per cent by the end of the decade.

Councils reaching ‘end of road' 

The key point here is statutory services, with the twin pressures of huge government cuts and a council tax freeze in the last few years by Cornwall Council, non statutory services have been hit hard. Whereas before the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat government came to power, Cornwall Council no longer provides or has greatly reduced things like public toilets, town center cctv, weed spraying, litter cleaning, public transport, upkeep of parks and a whole host of other day to day things, as well of course as thousand of jobs gone. This is because none of these things are statutory duties i.e. there is no legal obligation for the local authority to provide them. But now we are in a situation where the funds will mean that Cornwall Councillors will be faced with the choices of how to interpret statue. Expect nuanced arguments that as the quoted officer has argued that the bare minimum is within the law and services especially worryingly of health and social care will be run down.

This process will intensify and intensify and as I blogged recently all of the Westminster parties are committed to austerity. Not one of the Labour, Tory or Lib Dem leaders has ever defended local government, has ever defended the frontline of public services, or ever stated that they would like to see local government funding cuts halted or even lessened. We are in the eye of the storm, next May it is inevitable that one of the austerity parties or a combination of them, will take power and again austerity and cutting of public services will dominate. The politics of the sloping shoulders will continue and cuts won't fall hardest on Whitehall and government departments but on already hard pressed local councils....

As a postscript if you think statues will protect frontline public services and will force either local authorities or government to properly fund services to a minimum standard, you may be right but do bear in mind the Department for Communities and Local Government is doing a wholesale review on the 1294+ statutory duties...