Devolution is coming to Cornwall, how you vote on thursday will have a huge effect on how ambitious our settlement will be

Devolution is an idea often talked about and little understood. What does devolvement mean? What will change? 

The simple answer to all these questions is a "great deal", the complicated one "that's up to you?"

In the last year or so all of the political parties have addressed the issue of Cornish devolution.

Labour Tory (and UKIP) say a Cornish Assembly would be too costly. Both concede powers should be devolved from the centre. Whether that means to local government? to mayors? Or perhaps to new bodies, both are keen on authorities working with each other, perhaps the ever fated Devonwall or Westcountry devolution will happen and we'll be ruled by Bristol...

The Liberal Democrats talk of devolution on demand, unfortunately unlike say Netflix, there is no preview button. They have committed to a Cornish assembly  (rather vaguely and half heartedly it must be said). They've also pledged to reduce the number of politicians in Cornwall. So they both want more powers to Cornwall Council with less councillors. Bigger budgets and responsibilities with less, oversight, scrutiny and accountability, a true example of Cleggism, being neither liberal nor democratic....

Cornwall Council have the most enthusiastic campaign, the Case for Cornwall. Which has it's merits, it's well presented and has some support in the council. Probably a bit dissapointing for the council that no political party at this general election has come out in support of the campaign. Which is odd as most candidates in Cornwall speak in favour of it and could have taken up this document to champion.

Meanwhile Mebyon Kernow have a policy document, Towards a National Assembly for Cornwall. It has been widely consulted on and spells out what powers we think Cornwall needs. It is by far the most ambitious in the powers and responsibilities it calls for. 

My argument is this, devolution will be a huge issue with the next government. Whichever of the coalitions takes office, power will be devolved. What shape that will be and how effective that could be in forging a better Cornwall, is undecided.

Parties will offer various pitches about how this election is crucially about tuition fees, austerity, climate change, the NHS, the economy, housing, low wages. I've heard all my fellow candidates utter these things. They've made some very good arguments. Clearly explained the problems of these things and why they're such vital issues.

My counter argument is this, yes we must address these vital issues and now, of course we must. However, rather than fight a pitched battle here and a pitched battle there against the entire government system. Vote for MK and push with us for devolution for these vital issues to Cornwall. So the people we need to influence, to change policy, live among us and are elected by the people and held to account by them. So we can look to a future where the privatisation of public services is a Cornish decision. So the definitions of affordable housing and actually building some genuinely affordable housing, is not ruled out by a ministerial decree. So we can have the tools to fix our communities by dealing with second homes. So we can have buses that work in unison with trains, where we can adjust our fares and timetables without meeting central government disapproval. So we can finally have the tools to deal with the problem of being one of the least economically productive parts of Europe and actually improve the Cornish economy. 

It's obviously up to you how you vote on May the seventh. Do be wary though, that devolution will be a massive issue and it will be led by MPs. My view is we need to be ambitious with the future. We need to aim higher and get the most powers and control over funding that we can. If you vote for Mebyon Kernow candidates on thursday you will be voting for the most ambitious people determined to win the most powers, freedoms and funding from central government. 

https://www.mebyonkernow.org/pages/cornish_assembly.php

A plea to the Lib Dems, don't reinvent the wheel, get on board with Mebyon Kernow's Cornish assembly ideas

Over the last few weeks the Liberal Democrats have started to campaign on the issue of Cornish devolution. Various pleas have gone around to mount a campaign and lately even a survey on people's ideas. My plea here is for them to stop reinventing the wheel and work with the campaign Mebyon Kernow already have. Over the last year MK have campaigned on the issue of a Cornish Assembly, we've held roadshows, got petitions signed, talked about it in the press, launched a consultation document, posted about it online and a whole host of other things. Why start a ground up campaign, when there is a body of work already there? Especially as the need to make a case to government is now, if Cornwall is to gain devolution the case needs to be made very very soon.

I know the Lib Dems have officially joined Cornwall Council's campaigns to get more powers transferred to the local authority. To beef up local government. But I think many in the Liberal Democrats know in their heart of hearts that Cornwall Council struggles with the power it has. It is widely seen as distant and too centralised to adequately represent all of Cornwall at the same time. It's relationship with the towns and parishes is already strained and Cornwall needs local government reform. I know Liberal Democrats agree with me on this, I've read your election leaflets, tweets and spoken to many of you about it.

Besides which there is a distinct lack of ambition with these plans, slightly more say over this and that won't change a great deal. Whereas MK is calling for government departments, quangos and other public bodies to be devolved. We don't want a token power here or there, we want the power to make decisions and the people and offices moved here into Cornwall that will carry out this change. As a nice aside we would then with devolution take jobs the Cornish taxpayer already pays for and bring them back here, more jobs west of the Tamar.

The Liberal Democrats passed a Cornish Assembly as party policy back in March and no further work has been done on this. It is clear to me that the central leadership of the party are happy to play with idea but they will not bring it forward themselves. I'm trying to appeal to some of you so I'm sorry to be blunt but the chances of both the Lib Dems being in government again after the next election and the party leadership then pushing it onto the agenda are very slim. This is a unique opportunity and may not present itself again for a long time. I do think many grass roots Lib Dems in Cornwall are sincere about the need for a Cornish Assembly and don't want to rebrand Cornwall Council a Cornish Assembly, any more than I do. I appreciate no one wants to break ranks and disagree with the Cornwall Council group's policy of localism in conjunction with the Independents. But you don't really want that any more than I do. You voted at conference for a Cornish Assembly not this hotch potch of localism masquerading as proper devolution.

There is two things that need doing, firstly the argument to the Cornish public needs making, consensus needs to be built. Secondly the hands of those in Westminster need forcing. If the Lib Dems in Cornwall present ideas like Mebyon Kernow's devolution document with public support to local councillors and MPs they and the leadership will have to support it. Cameron will have to follow suit. The Tories in Cornwall have a poor understanding of devolution and thus a weak argument. This great demon of an 'expensive layer of bureaucracy' they so fear, already exists in Whitehall. A strong and wide assembly campaign can easily dismiss the notion we shouldn't move jobs and public spending west of the Tamar for fear of upsetting ministers.

The timetable for getting a proposal before government is tight, if the promises both made to Scotland and by Cameron are kept to. Plans need to be before government in a matter of weeks. If we don't get bespoke plans before government we will end up with whatever they think adequate and probably, what they offer everyone else. Which will no doubt be along the lines of what Cornwall Council is proposing. Or even worse perhaps they will offer us an elected mayor and rename us a city!

The time has come for Cornwall to take matters into our own hands. For the decisions crucial to us, to our environment, our people, our economy to be made here in Cornwall not 300 odd miles away. That process can start now with working together to get decent devolution on the agenda. I heard -for the first time in a long time- a Lib Dem saying on the news that the party wants a federal United Kingdom. Lets see Cornwall playing a full part in that federation.

The Cornish Assembly document is here
Please if you know a Lib Dem, forward to this to them or at least convince them to be bold and brave on this issue.

The latest periodic Tory press release on Cornish devolution

Ten days ago I wrote on the Liberal Democrat's and a Cornish Assembly . Since then the Cities Minister (urban-centric much?)Greg Clark has come out and said that Cornwall might indeed get devolution, as the Western Morning News title suggests: Minister signals appetite for Cornwall devolution deal. My original thought was to think the same as I did with the Liberal Democrats, in short why now and not before, nearly 4 years of coalition government and nothing so far.

But I thought I'd look into it some more and find out what the Conservative Minister actually wanted. But the details are hard to nail down, as Stephen Richardson wrote of the Lib Dems approach. Both parties have vague pronouncements, despite both being in government, having a small fortune to develop policies and of course armies of bureaucrats to do their bidding, no firm details, no consultation barely a couple of paragraphs of press statements. Unlike Mebyon Kernow with a tiny budget in comparison and no taxpayer paid help to call upon, yet we've developed a comprehensive document at the outset of a consultation process.

I've digressed slightly so I got to looking for Greg Clark and what he thought and I stumbled upon this statement:

"Greg Clark, the minister charged with stripping Whitehall of responsibilities, insists the region will not miss out from "the biggest transfer of power" in a generation."


Which is a statement any one but the staunchest of centralists would welcome. It continues:

"Asked by the Western Morning News whether a Cornish Assembly could result from the Act, Mr Clark said: "The direction we are going is to get powers out of Whitehall and into local communities, wherever they are. Although this part of the Act was drafted in conjunction with the leaders of the core cities group, in fact it applies to everybody."

This guys on our side, but before you all rip up your Mebyon Kernow membership cards and join the Tories. This statement was released in 2011, from a WMN article titled: Localism bill could open the door to Cornish Devolution. So far I don't think the doors been unlocked nor the handle turned let alone the door opening. Three long years for anything, there's a clear pattern of periodic press releases. Perhaps the first was David Cameron in November 2010:

"I think Cornish national identity is very powerful- people feel a great affinity with Cornwall. We're going to devolve a lot of power to Cornwall"

As I said with the Lib Dems I'd love to be wrong, I'd love for Cornwall to get some meaningful devolution to a Cornish Assembly. But there seems little appetite with any of the Westminster parties to make this happen. They know it's a good thing to say, so they say it. But I fear that if any of them truly wanted to give powers to Cornwall they'd have done it already, or a bill would be passing through parliament or something would be happening fact is it's not. Look out for a few similar press releases from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in the run up to the Euro elections, perhaps one around the end of the year so people don't forget and an increasing frequency up to the polls in 2015.

Localism enough slogans already, what will happen? and what will it cost?

There is a lot of talk by government MPs about their coveted localism and what good it will do to Cornwall. But I don't know what they mean. I understand the concept don't get me wrong, I've heard the slogans of 'power to the townhall' in fact I'm sick of hearing them. We know localism has introduced directly elected mayors to English cities and been rejected by voters in others. But what does it actually mean for Cornwall? what does power to the townhall mean?  Is it a credible alternative to a 'costly' Cornish assembly as George Eustice and Sarah Newton claim? Here's my thoughts...

Firstly and foremostly, I have to say I hate the word localism, I think it means devolution to local government but there's no clear simple definition. Why the real widely used word devolution could not have been used is beyond me. There is nothing local about the invention of localism, localism is not local councils demanding more power it is about the centre offering more power to the periphery. Localism is the idea of central government, imposed upon local government. The devolution of powers is something I welcome don't get me wrong, but I fear that central government inventing and dictating what localism is and isn't to local government, is a deeply flawed beginning to the whole process.

 

Outlining their localist versus nationalist agenda in an article titled Devolution is defunct Sarah Newton and George Eustice Conservative MP, (formerly of UKIP) roundly condemn the assembly campaign :

Instead of clinging to this defunct devolution agenda, Cornwall must embrace a forward-looking approach. Rather than espousing the politics of victimhood and isolationism, our agenda must project Cornwall as a distinct, self-confident but outward-looking and enthusiastic part of the UK.

Other than depicting the ideas of devolutionists such as Mebyon Kernow in a meaningless way, they portray their ideas as positive and ours as negative. Which is a cheap political trick, they're bad we're good, they offer poverty and sadness, we offer wealth and happiness blah blah blah. I'm not interested in their sound bite critique of other parties and groups. What does interest me is what localism is and what it actually means. From my perspective it is clear that there is a clearly made case for a Cornish assembly, the petition pictured above outlines some powers. The Mebyon Kernow website clearly explains MK's position and ideas and the Cornish Constitutional Convention website offers research and publications outlining how an assembly would work. We might not know the exact details but we can be clear that plans for a Cornish assembly offer legislation to be written in Cornwall, for services -and importantly jobs- to be devolved to a Cornwall but for us to remain distinctly part of the UK, leaving some powers vested with central Westminster.

What does localism offer? how will a 'localist' Cornwall Council deliver the Conservative promises of 'distinct, self-confident but outward looking and enthusiastic part of the UK'. There are so many questions yet to be answered:

What powers will be devolved?
How will Cornwall be distinct?
How will these powers makes us 'self confident'?
Does Cornwall have a self confidence problem?
Will people in Cornwall make the decisions?
What decisions will Westminster make?
Will quangos, departments and bureaucrats be devolved to Cornwall?
Or will jobs and administration remain in London?
Will council tax pay for services previously supplied by central government?
When will the locals get a say in localism?

All these things are abundantly unclear, I would imagine the 'distinct' aspect of the benefits of localism is an out and out fabrication. It is impossible for everywhere to be under the same uniform Westminster localism policy and yet be distinct in any meaningful way.

One of the Tory arguments against a Cornish assembly deserves some mention and indeed merit, the old refrain it will cost taxpayers more, this is an effective political argument these days and they deploy it well:
"This should be less about paying for more politicians in a costly assembly and more about giving those councillors we already have a greater say."
So the simplistic logic an assembly would cost more, indeed it can not be denied. The reorganisation of government is a costly process whether it be devolution or umm localism (you say potato). If the accusation is that a Cornish assembly would be expensive what then is the true cost of all these unannounced policies of localism? Call me a cynic if you will, but no one can do more for less. If Cornwall Council is to do more, to take control of services and to make more decisions, this will cost more. Councillors salaries, civil servants wages, consultants fees (it is Cornwall Council after all), rental on buildings, electricity, fuel etc. If we are to argue costs of devolution, we should consider costs for both localism and an assembly. We should also consider plans for an assembly include devolution of tax payers money to Cornwall from the Treasury. Localism however is ambiguous, whether council tax will be raided or the Treasury for these extra cost of localist local government is as clear as mud.

The Conservative MPs for Camborne and Redruth, Truro and Falmouth can criticise the assembly campaign that is their right to do so, they can brush aside the 50,000 signatories (albeit ten years ago), if they want. But if a man elected by less than 16,000 people and a woman elected by less than 21,000 can hope to hold authority on the subject, will they please inform the general public of what their ideas actually are? And how these grand promises of a better future can be both realised and paid for? The cross party campaign for a Cornish Assembly has clear well researched ideas of how to implement devolution, our cards are on the table, but when will the government reveal its hand?

senior Cornish Tory echoes MK policy to lobby for a Cornish police force

the Canadian Cornwall has it's own police force why not the Cornish Cornwall?

Very pleased to see that the Conservative cabinet member and councillor for Bodmin, Lance Kennedy echoing my call to devolve policing to Cornwall. It's always been the policy of Mebyon Kernow that all governmental institutions and bodies be devolved to Cornwall including the police force. The idea is certainly not that radical, at the moment Devon and Cornwall police force is the biggest in England and the smallest constabularies are smaller than Cornwall.

It is also very encouraging to see a councillor taking up the baton of fighting for a Cornish police force. On the 6th of September 2011 a majority of Cornwall councillors voted that:

1. The Council urgently meets with the Chief Constable and Chair of Devon and Cornwall Police Authority to assert:
   
   (i) equal partnership between Devon and Cornwall
   (ii) fair division of resource
   (iii) policing style relevant and effective for Cornwall
   (iv) equal representation in governance of police
2. The Council Send a strong cross party delegation to Home Secretary to assert stronger Cornish representation in governance, opposition to Devonwall, assessment of case for a Cornish Commissioner and police force, and the principle of democratic governance and accountability.

So far no one has championed this cause in an official capacity (that I know of). Certainly Lance's comments appear on the BBC Cornwall newsite (Councillor bids for Cornish police force) but don't feature on the news  section of Cornwall Council's website. It would seem safe to assume that this is not council policy that the administration at Cornwall Council have so far refused to lobby on this subject and are ignoring the will of the chamber to do so (not for the first time). I know Robertson and other senior Tories in Cornwall are keen not to upset their bosses in the party in Westminster but they should take up this cause and spend more time listening to the people of Cornwall and councillors. Doing what is best for Cornwall rather than what is the best for Tory policy in London.

the Scottish independence referendum and an assembly for Cornwall

The news and political classes are abuzz with the prospect of Scottish independence. A very real and exciting landmark in UK politics is upon us, whatever the outcome, the SNP and their talented leader Alex Salmond are making history. In the years to come historians, enthusiasts and commentators will speculate on the events of the next few years attempting to see where it all went right or wrong for the parties involved. If Scotland does get independence, the UK will yet again shrink on a comparable scale with the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, hopefully this time peacefully. If Scotland does not leave the union, if Cameron, Miliband and Clegg can join together and sell the benefits of union successfully, the UK will still change. The dominant idea of centuries that the people of these isles should be ruled exclusively by London is seriously under question. The nature of the union itself has to change and adapt to meet these realities. The idea that London knows best and is a source of great power and influence is increasingly being questioned.

There are a number of possible outcomes for this change, Westminster and Whitehall could centralise more power with the advent of either Scottish independence or 'devo max', localism could come to the fore and power disseminated across the remainder of the UK, an English parliament might appear, English regionalism might be tried again, Wales may choose to follow Scotland on the brave path to nationhood. There's no real way of knowing what might change. But change it will, the real question for Cornish campaigners, Mebyon Kernow and others that advocate devolution is how do we get on the agenda? How do we put our hat in the ring? How do we articulate our desire for constitutional and  governmental change? This is an historical moment for the UK and it is also an historic opportunity for the people of Cornwall to make positive changes in our relationship with the UK. I fear that if we do not articulate our desire for change if we are not successful in championing the pro devolution sentiment in Cornwall we will fall by the wayside. We will end up at best with the current arrangement, that is direct rule from Westminster and responsibility for little more than planning applications and footpaths. At worst an English parliament will be created, Cornwall will be at the periphery of it and our needs will be lost whilst this new arrangement finds it place in the world and administers what would still be a large and varied area. We might see localism whereby Cornwall Council will be given more power and responsibility, but I doubt whether the council has the capacity and the power to administer such tasks. As we have seen with the LEP giving more power without the institutions and staff to administer such ventures has poor results and is an unpalatable option. Ultimately we have two choices accept centralisation or argue for more powers.

This has begun, we are successfully making the case for devolution, MK has brought devolution to the attention of the public, we have got newspapers and bloggers talking about a Cornish assembly. They are not all in favour it must be said. From the Labour blogger Mudhook we have questions about the funding of an assembly, where will the taxes come from? will we pay for ourselves? unfortunately Mudhook finds problems not solutions. He mocks that no one supports the assembly, that it is unrealistic that we don't know how it will be funded. We need to win over these unambitious people, stuck happy with the status quo of poverty, Euro funding dependence, and an abject lack of political power for the people of Cornwall.

Many London media outlets are noticing the long fought campaign for Cornish devolution too, suddenly real Cornish issues, more than cream teas and holidays, have made their way to London's gaze The Daily Telegraph offers Never Mind a Scottish Referendum Now Cornwall Wants it's own Government, not to mention the scores of articles about the Cornish EDM, some of which are listed on The Cornish Republican blog here.

Today This is Cornwall has an article typifying my sentiment toward the subject with the title Where Will the SNP's referendum leave MK's ambitions?. It is an interesting piece, it doesn't delve too far into the Cornish situation which is unfortunate. The author also calls into question whether non-Scots and non-Cornish will decide the future of these respective Celtic nations. An argument presumably based on the idea that Scottish or Cornish nationalism lacks a broad appeal, this is a falsehood. Devolution is not just of benefit to a particular group in society it is of benefit to all, Scottish and Welsh students benefit from better conditions than their English cousins not based upon their ethnicity or place of birth but on the virtue that they live in those devolved nations. I would argue that what is of benefit to Cornwall is of benefit to all the people of Cornwall, devolution is not about being Cornish its about securing the best deal from the UK and better governance for One and All.

The time for change is now, direct Westminster rule has failed to stimulate the Cornish economy instead successive regimes have centralised jobs and services undermining our economic position and our ability to create Cornish solutions to Cornish problems. The United Kingdom will be reordered in the coming years, things will change, centres of governmental power will rise and fall as a consequence of Scottish nationalism. They have proven to Cornwall that change can be made, the only thing that stands between Cornwall and making positive change and starting a new future is the ambition to imagine it and the strength of will to make it happen. There is a gaping opportunity for Mebyon Kernow and Cornwall to stand up and tell London's elites that government here can be better. We have the resources, the ability and the intelligence to start to make our own decisions to make politics work better for the people of Cornwall. The time to argue for devolution and a better deal for the people of Cornwall is now.