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 needs politicians to care and not just in election leaflets

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has a recycling bag filled with glossy pamphlets, leaflets and sales pitches from politicians. Looking through them, you'd think Cornwall has a bright future the fundamental issues are all addressed. The low wage economy, high house prices, second homes, the saddecline of traditional industries like fishing and agriculture and the lack of support of small businesses, over-development and the list goes on. MPs and prospective MPs know what needs to change, it's not a question of misunderstanding Cornwall, but yet nothing changes?

I could have written this blog and talked about this 5 years ago or 10 years ago or at any point during my lifetime and anywhere in Cornwall. The same leaflets were sent around then, slightly different pictures granted but the same issues over and over again. Like Groundhog day without the charm and humour of Bill Murray and the slight variations of the theme are far from humour and are to the detriment of Cornwall.

I just feel a sheer sense of frustration that nothing ever happens, that change is so hard to come by. It's almost like a conspiracy of ineptitude no matter who we send to Westminster, Tory, Lib Dem or Labour. Especially now when we have 6 Cornish MPs at 'the heart of Westminster' all in the ruling coalition. What exactly is the problem? Is it just a cynical attempt to garner votes? Do they not really care about these fundamental issues?

Please readers do me a favour if the suits from the big parties call, ask them what exactly they do when they go to Westminster? are they not trying or just don't care when they've got people's votes?

Come polling day think about what you would like to change and ask yourself will the person I elect do that, or even bother?

What is the point of the Liberal Democrats?

Reading through the latest batch of Liberal Democrat press releases and perhaps the tired old rhetoric, those weary words but it soon sent me to sleep. I guess that's causality, one thing causes another. I awoke and y'know when you just get up and you feel a bit confused with reality? Well I was in that stage pondering what I'd read. Was it real? Had dreams impinged upon reality?

Thankfully not! Alas it was real, even bleary eyed I can tell the and difference between reality and smoke and mirrors. And I thought what's the point of the Lib Dems?

(Other than to send you to sleep of course!)

Look at the subjects of their statements and they all tug at the heart strings, who in the right mind would want to close libraries? Bulldoze woodland for housing? Spend millions on a police commissioner and lay off front line officers, front desks and run a 101 service to rival pigeon post? Who would want to privatise the NHS and open it up to sale to all kind of speculators like Lockheed Martin? Enforce regional pay and take more money out of Cornish workers pockets?

Which brings me back to the subject of causality, none of these things would be possible without people like yourself, your friends, neighbours and family voting Liberal Democrat. Despite their words they ought to be judged on their record not what they should, could or might've done but what they teamed up with the Tories to do to our communities. Perhaps when you next awake you too might ponder what is the point of voting Lib Dem? Before we all wake up next May to another nightmare coalition, enabled by Clegg's Cornish chums, convince someone to think about the last 5 years of dissapointment and betrayal.

The UK enters recession but Cornwall's pain is yet to come

On the day that the UK enters into recession and the double dip recession has arrived it is worth noting how the government's latest budget will really harm Cornwall. I already touched upon the fact that the budget holds no good news for Cornwall, unlike other areas we will not see any additional infrastructure here. Instead we have just bad news upon bad news.

On this blog I have wrote a lot about pasty tax, on This is Cornwall this week they have revealed research by Francis Clark Accountants that the tax will cost Cornwall an estimated 30 million pounds and risk 400 jobs. This is a problem not just for bakers but also for our farmers who produce the top quality ingredients in our favourite dish.  Of course the other great loser in this is you and I, the ordinary people of Cornwall and tourists who will pay more for pasties. Good news for the treasury and their coffers, awful news for one and all in Cornwall.

Then there's the caravan tax. The government is also planing on applying vat to the price of static caravans. This means that the price of caravans will rise, adding more money to ordinary people's holidays. So this will make holidaying in Cornwall less competitive with the continent and leave tourists less money to spend when they are down here and of course less money for pasties. It also means Cornish people going on caravan holidays elsewhere will have less to spend.

The pasty tax was not the only knife heading for Cornish voters backs, the government is also going to introduce regional pay (localised pay) which basically means depressing the wages of places like Cornwall for public sector workers. Teachers, nurses, fireman etc will be paid less here in Cornwall than say London despite the fact they will be doing the same job. Much like the pasty and the caravan tax, this is central government taking money out of the Cornish economy and out of the pockets of people here in Cornwall.

The economic outlook is bleak we are now in a double dip recession, but the future for Cornwall is surprisingly worse, by taxing pasties, caravans and taking pay out of our workers pockets, Westminster is in effect taking millions out of the Cornish economy. There's no indication at all that any of this money would find it's way back here, I'd love to be wrong but it's obvious that Cornwall is heading for a deep recession at the hands of the London treasury and to it's benefit. Quite what Cornwall has done to be so shabbily treated by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government, I don't know.

It's worth noting that pasties soon will be taxed at 20% yet caviar isn't, caravans will be taxed at 20% yet second homes aren't, regional pay will apply to the rank and file but not senior management.