Standing up for Cornwall in a post-Brexit UK

Eleven o’clock on 31st January 2020 has passed. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has left the European Union and, whatever everyone’s individual views on Brexit, we are now entering a new political era under a majority Conservative government.

What happens now is especially important.

In a statement from the Prime Minister, he returned to themes regularly being espoused by the Conservatives at the moment. He argued that Brexit means the UK Government had “taken back the tools of self-government,” which could be used to improve the lives of “everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom.” Boris Johnson also spoke about spreading “hope and opportunity,” and repeated his oft-stated commitment to “level up” the United Kingdom.

If these pledges are to mean anything at all, the Conservatives must prioritise what is in the best interests of Cornwall – which is still the poorest nation within the UK – both in terms of the trade and other negotiations due to take place during the transition period and, most importantly, in future domestic policy and investment decisions.

In a separate intervention, Government Minister Michael Gove set out his view that Brexit equated to a complete “reset of the political system” and added that there “won't be a hiding place” for Westminster politicians like him. I sincerely hope he is correct about the heightened scrutiny that he and his colleagues will face in the weeks, months and years ahead.

It is my view that the people and communities of Cornwall need to take the representatives of the UK Government at their word, but we need to also put serious pressure on them to properly deliver for Cornwall.

In Wales, the leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price has already given a compelling speech in which he expressed the view that there was “little point” in revisiting recent battles over whether or not to exit the EU. He focussed on the need to find “new opportunities” for Wales “in the new landscape,” demanding a “positive post-Brexit plan for Wales” with more powers to the National Assembly of Wales to “tackle and solve Wales’ economic problems.”

Appropriating a Brexit campaign slogan, he demanded that Wales is able to “take back control” and make more decisions for itself through an enhanced devolution settlement

Here in Cornwall, it is vital that we approach the future in a similar fashion. We need to be ambitious and brave, and we need to speak up for Cornish communities at every opportunity.

[This article was recently published in the Cornish Guardian].