HAVE YOU WRITTEN TO KEVIN FOSTER (MINISTER FOR THE CONSTITUTION)?

As we mark the fifth anniversary of the recognition of the Cornish through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and five years of inaction from the UK Government – if you haven’t already done so – please write to the Minister for the Constitution Kevin Foster (see picture) and challenge him to take the lead in bringing forward a proposal for a Cornish tick-box in the next census.

His address is: Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS and the email for the Cabinet Office is: publiccorrespondence@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk

Please also write to your local MP on this matter. The address for all MPs is: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Email addresses can be found from https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

And if you live outside Cornwall, it would be especially helpful if you could write to your MP and show parliamentarians across the UK that there is a very wide demand for a Cornish tick-box.

SOME USEFUL INFORMATION TO HELP YOU MAKE THE CASE FOR A CORNISH TICK-BOX ON THE 2021 CENSUS

The Government White Paper “Help Shape Our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales” does not include support for a Cornish tick-box.

However, this Autumn, a statutory order will be laid before both Houses of Parliament. It will set out the content of the 2021 census and, very importantly, this order can be amended by the UK Government, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

We therefore need to start building a massive groundswell of support for a Cornish tick-box and to lobby Government Ministers and MPs to treat the Cornish in the same manner “as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

Here is some possible points to make in your letter:

• The White Paper, based on recommendations from the Office of National Statistics, states that the “ONS fully recognises the need of the Cornish community for data on the socio-economic, educational, health and housing conditions of those who identify as Cornish” (para 3.116). But in failing to support the inclusion of a Cornish tick-box on the 2021 census, they undermine their own stated commitment to “those who identify as Cornish.”

• In April 2014, the Cornish people were recognised as a national minority through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. This was a landmark decision by the UK Government and the official announcement stated that “the decision to recognise the unique identity of the Cornish, now affords them the same status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

• It is illogical and wrong that the Cornish would be the only UK national minority to be denied a tick-box in the upcoming census, and to have to “write-in” their national identity.

• If the next census (as in 2011) contains tick-boxes for British, English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish – but not Cornish – there will be significant doubts about the veracity of the data collected on the Cornish. With the Cornish having to rely on a “write-in” option – however energetically that option may be promoted – there will still undoubtedly be a significant undercount in comparison to those groups who have been afforded a tick-box, such as “the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

• There was no tick-box for Welsh on the 2001 census and 14% of the population of Wales “wrote-in” Welsh. Ten years later, with a tick-box, 66% of the population identified as Welsh. In 2011, there was no tick-box for Cornish on the census but 13.8% of the population of Cornwall “wrote-in” Cornish. As shown in Wales, a tick-box is needed to achieve a full count of Cornish people across Cornwall, England and Wales.

• The failure to properly collect data about the Cornish would make it difficult for the UK Government, plus other public bodies such as Cornwall Council and the National Health Service, to meet their obligations under the Framework Convention, and to devise appropriate policy solutions for this national minority.

• The White Paper states that the ONS considers the need for a Cornish tick-box to be “very localised and not strong enough to justify its inclusion in the nationwide census” (para 3.120). But how can the ONS consider the Cornish to represent a localised scenario, and yet do not take a similar view in relation to other groups principally associated with a specific historic territory, such as the Welsh. In the 2011 census, 16.9% of people who identified as Welsh were resident outside of Wales, while 12.3% of people who identified as Cornish were resident outside of Cornwall. However, Cornish people living outside of Cornwall in 2011 would have been less likely to have seen the publicity materials promoting the “write-in” option and remain significantly under-recorded.

• The tick-box issue is one of great significance to Cornish people and their public representatives. There was near-unanimous support for a cross-party motion, seeking a tick-box, which was tabled at a meeting of Cornwall Council in January 2019. Only one member voted against the motion and there was just a single abstention.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

MEBYON KERNOW HIT OUT AT GOVERNMENT INACTION ON FRAMEWORK CONVENTION

Five years on from the recognition of the Cornish as a national minority through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, on behalf of Mebyon Kernow, I have criticised the UK Government for failing to meet its obligations towards the Cornish.

To be blunt, I accused the UK Government of a “manifest failure” to deliver on the commitments it agreed to on 24th April 2014. My statement was follows:

“The recognition of the Cornish in 2014 was a landmark ruling and the UK Government made it clear that the Cornish would be afforded ‘the same status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.’

“A significant document, the Framework Convention sets out numerous obligations for the Westminster Parliament. These include support for Cornish language and culture with associated improvements in education and the media, the greater visibility of the Cornish in public life and the media, the protection of the integrity of Cornwall and its historic borders, more opportunities for Cornwall and the Cornish on the international stage, and so much more.

“It is therefore desperately disappointing that the anticipated changes in public policy have simply not materialised, because the UK Government, and other bodies such as the BBC and the Office of National Statistics (ONS), have failed to meet their stated responsibilities.

“Five years of inaction from the Westminster establishment represents a manifest failure to treat the Cornish in the same manner as the ‘Scots, the Welsh and the Irish,’ while many of their actions have been prejudicial to the intent of the Framework Convention.

“Five years on from 24th April 2014, the UK Government needs to apologise for their failure to deliver on the articles of the Framework Convention, and it needs to immediately put in place measures to properly reflect the status of the Cornish throughout all aspects of cultural, economic and political life in Cornwall and across the UK as a whole.”
Examples of the UK Government’s failure to deliver on articles in the Framework Convention:

· In 2016, less than two years after ministers set out their positive support for Cornish culture, the UK Government ended all central government funding for the Cornish language.

· Also in 2016, the BBC launched its new Charter which included support for the “regional and minority languages of the United Kingdom” but Cornish was explicitly excluded.

· The present proposal for the 2021 census shows that there will be tick-boxes for all the UK national minorities – with the exception of the Cornish who will have to “write-in” their nationality.

· The ongoing review of the boundaries of seats in the Westminster Parliament respects the historic territories of the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh, but this is not the case with Cornwall, which faces the imposition of a “Devonwall” cross-Tamar parliamentary seat.

· The UK Government continues to treat Cornwall as no more than a local government area, whereas the other Celtic parts of the UK have devolved settlements, which reflect their national status and can exhibit real power on behalf of their residents.

HELP US TO MAKE THE CASE FOR A CORNISH TICK-BOX ON THE 2021 CENSUS

The Government White Paper “Help Shape Our Future: The 2021 Census of Population and Housing in England and Wales” does not include support for a Cornish tick-box.

However, this Autumn, a statutory order will be laid before both Houses of Parliament. It will set out the content of the 2021 census and, very importantly, this order can be amended by the UK Government, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

We therefore need to start building a massive groundswell of support for a Cornish tick-box and to lobby Government Ministers and MPs to treat the Cornish in the same manner “as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

Please write to the interim Minister for the Constitution Kevin Foster and ask him to take the lead in bringing forward a proposal for a Cornish tick-box in the next census. His address is: Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS and the email for the Cabinet Office is: publiccorrespondence@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk.

Please also write to your local MP on this matter. The address for all MPs is: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Email addresses can be found from https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

If you live outside Cornwall, it would be especially helpful if you could write to your MP and show parliamentarians across the UK that there is a very wide demand for a Cornish tick-box.

POSSIBLE CONTENT FOR YOUR LETTER

• The White Paper, based on recommendations from the Office of National Statistics, states that the “ONS fully recognises the need of the Cornish community for data on the socio-economic, educational, health and housing conditions of those who identify as Cornish” (para 3.116). But in failing to support the inclusion of a Cornish tick-box on the 2021 census, they undermine their own stated commitment to “those who identify as Cornish.

• In April 2014, the Cornish people were recognised as a national minority through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. This was a landmark decision by the UK Government and the official announcement stated that “the decision to recognise the unique identity of the Cornish, now affords them the same status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

• It is illogical and wrong that the Cornish would be the only UK national minority to be denied a tick-box in the upcoming census, and to have to “write-in” their national identity.

• If the next census (as in 2011) contains tick-boxes for British, English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish – but not Cornish – there will be significant doubts about the veracity of the data collected on the Cornish. With the Cornish having to rely on a “write-in” option – however energetically that option may be promoted – there will still undoubtedly be a significant undercount in comparison to those groups who have been afforded a tick-box, such as “the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

• There was no tick-box for Welsh on the 2001 census and 14% of the population of Wales “wrote-in” Welsh. Ten years later, with a tick-box, 66% of the population identified as Welsh. In 2011, there was no tick-box for Cornish on the census but 13.8% of the population of Cornwall “wrote-in” Cornish. As shown in Wales, a tick-box is needed to achieve a full count of Cornish people across Cornwall, England and Wales.

• The failure to properly collect data about the Cornish would make it difficult for the UK Government, plus other public bodies such as Cornwall Council and the National Health Service, to meet their obligations under the Framework Convention, and to devise appropriate policy solutions for this national minority.

• The White Paper states that the ONS considers the need for a Cornish tick-box to be “very localised and not strong enough to justify its inclusion in the nationwide census” (para 3.120). But how can the ONS consider the Cornish to represent a localised scenario, and yet do not take a similar view in relation to other groups principally associated with a specific historic territory, such as the Welsh. In the 2011 census, 16.9% of people who identified as Welsh were resident outside of Wales, while 12.3% of people who identified as Cornish were resident outside of Cornwall. However, Cornish people living outside of Cornwall in 2011 would have been less likely to have seen the publicity materials promoting the “write-in” option and remain significantly under-recorded.

• The tick-box issue is one of great significance to Cornish people and their public representatives. There was near-unanimous support for a cross-party motion, seeking a tick-box, which was tabled at a meeting of Cornwall Council in January 2019. Only one member voted against the motion and there was just a single abstention.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

An update on census meeting with the ONS

On Friday 12th April, I attended a meeting with two representatives of the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which included the Director of Population and Public Policy Operations. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the need for a Cornish tick-box in the national identity section of the 2021 census.

The meeting itself took place in St Austell and was organised by Steve Double MP. He was present along with a representative from the office of Scott Mann MP. Also there from Cornwall Council were an officer, the Deputy Leader Cllr Julian German (Independent), Cllr Jesse Foot (Liberal Democrat) and Cllr Jordan Rowse (Conservative).

It would be a massive understatement on our part to describe the meeting as very frustrating as we challenged the ONS on a range of points.

We set out our great disappointment that the ONS had not supported a Cornish tick-box, even though the resultant Government White Paper stated that they fully recognised the “need of the Cornish community for data on the socio-economic, educational, health and housing conditions of those who identify as Cornish.”

We reminded the ONS that the Cornish had been recognised as a “national minority,” the UK Government has promised that the Cornish would be afforded the “same status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish,” and that it was therefore illogical that the Cornish would be the only UK national minority to be denied a tick-box.

Of course, it was noted that Cornish people could “write-in” their national identity, but we countered with the obvious retort that data collected in such manner would result in a massive undercount in the number of Cornish people across the UK, and there would rightly be significant doubts about the veracity of the data that was collected.

However, whatever we said, it was clear from the meeting that the ONS will not be revisiting their position and a statutory order will be laid before both Houses of Parliament towards the end of this year.

Very importantly, this represents an opportunity for the UK Government and MPs to modify what will be included within the census.

I have already written to the interim Minister for the Constitution Kevin Foster, who has taken the place of Chloe Smith who is on maternity leave, and requested that he take the lead in bringing forward a proposal for a Cornish tick-box on the next census.

It would be great if others could also write to him and their local MPs on this matter. Mr Foster’s address is c/o Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS.

[This is my article in this week's Cornish Guardian].

My annual report to Parish Assembly

I will be presenting my annual report to the St Enoder Parish Assembly tonight. It is as follows:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has assisted me with my work over the last twelve months.

Through my role as the Cornwall Councillor for St Enoder Parish, I produce regular reports, which are presented to the (monthly) Full Council meetings of St Enoder Parish Council. Normally, I do ten reports each year as the Council does not have Full Council meetings in August and December.

These reports can still be viewed on the Parish Council website or on my blog. See:
[www.saintenoderparishcouncil.org.uk]
[http://mebyonkernow.blogspot.co.uk].

Listed below are a few examples of my activities during this period, though I must add that the list is not exhaustive.

1. Roles at Cornwall Council

I have served as vice-chairman of the Electoral Review Panel for the 2018-2019 council year. I have also been a member of the Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the working group on national minority status and, in addition, I have been present at a wide range of other committees as a non-voting member.

I have attended about 130 formal meetings and briefings at Cornwall Council and St Enoder Parish Council (including the work of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group), as well as a significant number of informal meetings with council officers, local parishioners and groups.

As well, I represented Cornwall Council at the County Council Networks Conference and, through my work with the Electoral Review Panel, I helped front consultations at the three-day Royal Cornwall Show and attended the most recent Conference of the Cornwall Association of Local Councils.

2. Other organisations

I have served on a number of other organisations, both Cornwall-wide and locally. These include: South and East Cornwall Local Action Group (for LEADER funding), South and East Cornwall Local Action Group (for Community-led Local Development funding), St Austell Bay Economic Forum, China Clay Area Training and Work Centre at St Dennis (Chairman), Fraddon Millennium Green (Secretary), the Indian Queens Pit Association (Trustee) and the St Piran Trust (Trustee).

3. World War 1 project

One of the highlights of the past 12 months for me has been completion of the community project, carried out through the Parish Council, to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. I am very pleased with the book that has been produced, which remembers the 73 men from Fraddon, Indian Queens, St Columb Road and Summercourt who lost their lives in the conflict. We also produced memorial boards for each of the three village halls, as well as pull-up banners for the Indian Queens Methodist Church and St Enoder Parish Church. A replica of the roll of honour in Indian Queens Methodist Church was produced and was rededicated in the Chapel. Funding for the project included £7,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

4. Neighbourhood Plan for St Enoder

Along with other members of St Enoder Parish Council, a key priority in recent months has been the work towards a Neighbourhood Plan for St Enoder Parish. A “pre-submission” draft of a Neighbourhood Plan was completed at the end of 2018, which was based on feedback that we have received from local residents from the villages of Fraddon, Indian Queens, St Columb Road and Summercourt, as well as surrounding rural areas.

A six-week consultation was held between Monday 7th January and Monday 18th February; and we then allowed an extension until 11th March. The Parish Council’s working group is now reviewing the feedback and a final version of the document is being prepared. 

5. Other planning matters

Planning continue to dominate much of civic life in St Enoder Parish, and I have made representations on a range of applications. Some applications have been refused by local planners, but developers have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol.

To show the variety of what we are dealing with, I have listed a number of examples of significant and/or controversial applications:

- Mobile homes on the Kelliers

An unauthorised caravan site on the Kelliers failed to secure planning permission and a subsequent application for six traveller pitches on the site was refused by Cornwall Council, but the landowner appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol. I prepared an 8,000 word statement and represented the Parish Council at an informal hearing, but the inspector nonetheless allowed permission for the development.

- Traveller site on Highgate Hill

The proposal to allow the dayroom on the traveller site near Highgate Hill, Indian Queens, to be turned into a dwelling was referred to the Central Planning Committee. The meeting took place on 6th August 2018 and, in spite of strong objections raised by the Parish Council, it was given permission by the Committee.

- Carvynick Holiday Park

At the Central Planning Committee on 18th March 2019, planning permission was granted for 38 holiday units and an office/leisure building at Carvynick. Access, layout and scale with appearance and landscaping remain reserved. The applicants did not wish a holiday condition to be imposed on the 38 units, seeking them to be unfettered residential properties, but this was not supported at the meeting.

- Higher Fraddon

An application was submitted last year to modify the consent for the planning permission at the pig farm, so that the operators would not need to retrofit biofilters in two of the livestock buildings. Discussions are ongoing. Two pre-application submissions for housing alongside Higher Fraddon lane have just been submitted and are already causing considerable concern in the area.

6. Highway works

Over the last twelve months, I have made representations on a wide range of traffic issues, ranging from pot-holes to flooding, issues around Indian Queens School, to speeding and road safety issues.

- Patching and surfacing

Key works that have been done include the patching and resurfacing of a number of roads. In recent weeks, this has included Trevarren, the main road to Newquay near Atlantic Reach, and the road from the A3058 (St Austell Street) to Goonabarn, to the south of Summercourt. More patching is planned for a number of areas around the Parish (which were listed in my most recent monthly report.

- Community Network Funding

I can also report that for each of the next four years (starting 2018-19), the five parishes of the China Clay Area will receive a total of £50,000 to share on localised highway improvements. This amount of money is extremely limited and local Cornwall Councillors and representatives of local parish councils will be involved in selecting which schemes go forward.

Schemes under consideration include the purchase of a mobile speed camera for St Enoder Parish and calming works outside Summercourt School but, at the moment, there are issues with the costs of the running and maintenance of the camera, and officers at the Council have suggested there is a need for a £7,000 “feasibility study” for any calming works outside the School. I am in the process of making further representations on these issues.

- Road improvements on A3058 (Summercourt to Quintrell Downs)

Last year, I reported that Cornwall Council had been allocated a total of £1.1 million to carry out safety works to the road between the crossroads at Summercourt and Quintrell Downs. The funding will not be made available until 2020/2021 but work has commenced on scoping what works will be funded. I have requested that works need to be carried out within the actual village of Summercourt and a meeting to discuss the nature of the interventions was held last week.

- Double yellow lines

I continue to attend meetings with council officers and the Cabinet member for Transport following the “Positive Parking Review.” Following a revised approach to car parks in towns (ie. more mechanised control in key car parks), enforcement officers will more regularly be out in rural areas. I am therefore continuing to make representations about the need to repaint double yellow lines in many parts of St Enoder Parish.

7. Positive initiatives

It has been very rewarding to be involved with a host of projects with parish councillors, the Parish Clerk Amanda Kendall and local people.

- New play equipment in the Thomas Playing Field

I spent many weeks helping Mark Kessell and the Parish Clerk liaise with the installers of the new play equipment in the playing field, which took much longer than anticipated because of various supply and logistical issues. However, now that it is open, I hope local people are pleased with what has been delivered. It was largely funded from payments associated with planning consents (ie. a modified consent at Carvynick Holiday Park, the wind turbines at Goonabarn and solar farm at Glebe Farm, Summercourt). In order to save money, the turfing around the equipment was laid by parish councillors and volunteers.

- Cemetery extension at Indian Queens

I have also been liaising with the Parish Clerk about the extension of the cemetery at Indian Queens. It is great to see that the new Cornish hedge has been completed and I have now been tasked to pull together the change-of-use planning application for the enclosure.

- Tidy-up of the Kelliers

It has also been good to start “tidy-up” work on the Kelliers, which the Parish Council now owns and is looking to enhance as a countryside area. Two sessions were held last year and significant amounts of rubbish collected. This included over 150 tyres, which were disposed of by Cornwall Council. Hopefully more sessions will be arranged in the coming weeks.

8. PCSOs

For over two years, I have been making representations against changes to policing across Cornwall and the planned reduction in Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). It now well known that one of the PCSOs who served our area has moved to a different station and will not be replaced. I am continuing to make representations on this matter.

9. Economic Strategy for the China Clay Area

Cornwall Councillors from the China Clay Area have been pushing, for a significant time, for the unitary authority to work with us to produce an economic strategy for the Clay Area. There has been quite a focus on “place-shaping” for certain towns, such as St Austell, but we have had to take the initiative for our area. Cornwall Council has agreed that we can pilot an approach to bring forward such a strategy for our Network Area which could be replicated elsewhere. A document should soon be ready for consultation.

10. Electoral Review Panel

As the vice-chairman of the above panel, I have spent a significant amount of time focused on the Review of council divisions. Though I was an active opponent of the reduction in the number of Cornwall Councillors from 123 to 87, we had to do our best to help devise new seats that made as much sense as possible. I can confirm that the local seat at the 2021 elections will cover the parishes of St Enoder and St Dennis.

The committee has now been tasked with carrying out a review of parish boundaries (where there are requests for change), which will be quite onerous.

11. Dealing with concerns of local people

As the Cornwall Councillor for St Enoder Parish, I have had numerous issues brought to my attention and I have done my best to help peoples’ concerns get addressed at the unitary authority. Examples of issues include the unauthorised clay pigeon shooting near Goonabarn, anti-social behaviour in the Fraddon and Indian Queens area, plus issues with the pig farm and biogas plant in Higher Fraddon.

12. At “County Hall”

Likewise, I have been involved with a number of campaigns. This has included opposition to the merger of the “Devon and Cornwall” Police Force with that of Dorset, opposition to the imposition of a cross-Tamar “Devonwall” parliamentary constituency, and support for the campaign for a Cornish tickbox on the 2021 census.

13. Helping local community groups

I have also worked with a number of local groups, offering what advice and support I can, and recently welcomed two classes of children from Indian Queens Primary School to New County Hall and answered a lot of questions, ranging from local concerns to climate change and Brexit.

14. My Community Fund 

Each year, Cornwall Councillors are allocated £2,000 which we, in turn, can grant to local organisations. I can confirm that for 2018/2019, I have given supported Summercourt Garden Club, for their work with Summercourt Primary School, and the Indian Queens and district carnival. In addition, I purchased a handicart through St Enoder Parish Council, that local volunteers will be able to use when carrying out litter picks.

I will soon receive my allocation for 2019/2020 and I am keen to hear from local groups who may need some financial assistance.

15. Gorsedh Kernow

Gorsedh Kernow held its 2018 ceremony on the Barrowfields in Newquay on 1st September. I was made a bard in recognition of the work I have done campaigning to protect the geographical and cultural integrity of Cornwall. My bardic name is Gwythyas an Tir, meaning Guardian of the Land. I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who has sent me their best wishes and congratulations.

16. Cornish Guardian column

Throughout the year, I have produced a weekly column which has been published in the Cornish Guardian newspaper and covered a host of local and international issues.

17. Inquiries

I continue to help local people with advice and assistance on a daily basis. This covers a diverse range of issues from traffic to housing and various environmental concerns.

I can be contacted on 07791 876607 or dickcole@btinternet.com.

An update on policing in St Enoder area

My article in this week’s Cornish Guardian considers police staffing in our local area. It is as follows:

It is to be welcomed that the Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer and Police Commissioner Alison Hernandez are making representations to the Policing Minster Nick Hurd about the “unsustainable impact” of dealing with the “extra 11 million tourists to Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly eachyear.”

They are right to challenge the dreadful under-funding of the police by the UK Government – and it is not just pressures during the tourist season.

I agree with Mr Sawyer that it is unacceptable that our local force “receives an average of 49p per person per day funding, well below the national average of 57p.” And it is a scandal, that in spite of “greater complexity and demand,” we have “1,000 fewer officers and staff than in 2010.”

Conservative activist Alison Hernandez, in particular, needs to get her own party to live up to their failed election promises.

I cannot forgive them for claiming – before they came to power in 2010 – that they would put “more police on the street” and even lambasted “dishonest” opponents who suggested the Tories would “cut police officer numbers.”

After years of damaging funding cuts, such mock outrage does look pretty threadbare.

It is now two years on from the launch of the Police and Crime Plan (2017-2020), which agreed to recruit “100 new uniformed officers, 50 civilian investigators and 30 record-takers,” though the downsize was that more than half of the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) would be “phased out.”

Along with many others, I objected to the proposed reduction in PCSOs and I was very concerned at newspaper reports which stated that, though “no decision” had been taken on which communities would lose a PCSO, “large towns and cities are expected to see little change.” Obviously, I challenged the Police Commissioner on this and the negative impact on more rural communities.

I received assurances that the statement was not correct, and yet it seems to be coming true in my local area.

The full-time PCSO serving the St Columb and St Enoder part of the Newquay policing area has moved to a different patch, and Inspector Dave Meredith has confirmed that the officer will not be replaced because of the cuts. Dave kindly attended a recent meeting of our Parish Council to explain his decision. He outlined the pressures that the local police were under, and when challenged on whether any of the PCSOs in Newquay would spend time in St Enoder Parish, he said this would not be happening because of greater pressures in the town.

It may be a logical decision for the Inspector, but I am very angry that my local area will receive less cover because of government cuts. This all needs to change.

Post-Brexit regional funding?

My article in last week’s Cornish Guardian considers what the UK Government’s post-Brexit approach to regional funding could mean for Cornwall. It was as follows:

The political chaos around Brexit continues and it really does emphasise the dysfunctional nature of the Westminster Parliament. It is little wonder that so many people consider our politics to be broken.

I am getting particularly irritated by the many MPs and political activists who are repeatedly calling for a General Election, as if that would somehow end the present impasse between divided political parties. What nonsense.

It would be fair to say that I often write about regional policy, but again I find it so frustrating that, at this time of great discord, the Prime Minister and the UK Government are failing to properly address what Brexit will mean for Cornwall and other deprived areas, which just happen to be located many, many miles from the corridors of power in London.

In one of the numerous parliamentary debates which took place last week, the Prime Minister was challenged about post-EU regional funding. In her response, she acknowledged that funds had been “available from the European Union for different parts of the country” and went on to add that a future “Shared Prosperity Fund” will be “available” to different parts of the country!

Such a deliberately vague answer – which did not pledge actual funding to the poorest parts of the UK – does a great disservice to campaigners seeking economic fairness.

But just days before, Mebyon Kernow’s sister party in Wales, Plaid Cymru, had launched a hard-hitting report on this matter titled “Not a Penny Less.”

The report opens with a simple statement that said: “The Vote Leave campaign promised that Wales wouldn’t lose a penny if we left the European Union. In fact they said there would be a Brexit dividend.” We all know that similar promises were made about Cornwall around the time of the referendum.

“Not a Penny Less” notes that there has been no consultation on the proposed Shared Prosperity Fund, through which funds will be allocated post-Brexit, and rightly condemns the alarming “lack of information and forward planning on this essential funding stream.”

It notes how EU structural funds have been an “important investment in skills and infrastructure” but that “on their own they are not sufficient to transform the Welsh economy, as shown in the past twenty years.”

It concludes that the “replacement of the European Structural Funds with the Shared Prosperity Fund is an opportunity for much more substantial investment that could be genuinely transformational and reduce inequality between communities. This would involve a far greater sum of funding from the UK Government than that currently provided by the European Union and match funding.”

But the question is: will Westminster do the right thing for places like Cornwall and Wales?