Cornwall marginalised by SW Councils

Earlier this week, I attended a briefing about the work of the organisation known as South West Councils. It’s website claims that it seeks to, amongst other things, “support authorities in having a voice, built on consensus, of issues on national policy and funding working with national Local Government Group, when this is deemed appropriate by Members.

Members of the group include the leaders or deputy leaders of all council’s in the Government’s “south west region,” representatives of certain fire authorities, and ten additional nominees in an (unsuccessful) attempt to secure some form of political balance.

In total, there are over fifty people on South West Councils.

But because of the way that the organisation is set up, Cornwall only has a single principal authority and therefore there is only one representative from west of the Tamar. There is not even a Cornish representative on the top-up list.

By contrast, the Isles of Scilly – with a population which is significantly less than my local parish – also has a single representative, while Devon has representatives from Devon County Council, two unitary authorities and eight district councils!

Once again, the democratically-elected representatives of the Celtic nation of Cornwall is managing no more recognition than a host of district councils.

WHAT A DISGRACE,