Cllr Stephen Richardson at the MK Conference

Cllr Stephen Richardson from Illogan meanwhile appealed to delegates to work hard to “win unitary seats across the whole length of Cornwall next May” and to offer “hope where London hawks fear.”

He said “It is our duty to inspire all the people of Cornwall. To say that none of us is as good as all of us.

“We have to create a vision where people like you and me, the passenger on the Bodmin bus, the schoolgirl in the Camborne classroom, the boy playing football in Callington, the woman working in the Truro office and the man walking his dog in Penwith – where all of us can make a difference by working together.

“Working together for a Cornwall that is run for the benefit of the people who live here.

“Run by people who live, study and work here and who know what the real challenges are and how best to meet them.”