The weekend

On those Saturdays when Redruth RFC are playing at home Ann and I always go to shout for the boys in red. As there was no game this Saturday, and we had been away in London the previous weekend, I spent most of the day catching up with correspondence relating to MK and my council work, while working on some MK press statements. I did however treat myself to watching the Wales-Ireland game on the television.

On Sunday morning, I visited a number of parishioners to give help and advice on a range of local issues and concerns. In the afternoon, I took a break and Ann and I joined several hundred people to process across the dunes near Perranporth to celebrate St Piran and mark Cornwall’s wonderful and distinctive heritage.

After a visit to my parents, I spent the evening doing some detailed preparation for a meeting of Restormel’s planning policy committee which I chair and would be meeting on Wednesday night to consider the latest draft of economic strategies for the China Clay Area and St Austell.

Two strategies and an eco-town meeting

The new week began with a briefing for the local media at Restormel offices on Monday morning in advance of Wednesday’s meeting. A full and uncomplicated day’s work followed with an evening once again spent staring at a computer screen.

On Tuesday it was an early start (7.30) as I set off for a seminar on housing growth and eco-towns at Exeter. Individuals addressing the seminar included Richard Omerod of Government Office South West and I could not help but have my say.

I questioned him on a number of points. One was about the recent suggested increase in housing numbers which equated to an increase of 23% on the figures contained in the 2006 Regional Spatial Strategy – but would be an increase of 53% in Cornwall and 83% in my district of Restormel. I asked him about whether the suggested plan for an eco-town of 5,000 properties in and around St Austell would be included within the Restormel allocation of 15,700 properties or would mean even more housing on top of that figure. I also moaned about the fact that the government is putting together a shortlist for eco-town proposals at the present time, but has not even asked the democratically-elected local council for its views.

It will surprise no-one that the questions were not really answered. What did surprise me though was the number of people who sought me out in the break to agree with me. This even including the Chair of the Board of the SW Regional Development Agency!

Back in Cornwall for the evening, I attended a meeting of the Trustees of Indian Queens Pit (a non-conformist preaching pit). It is a wonderful asset for my local area, but much of the meeting sadly had to focus on the consequences of recent vandalism in and around the monument.

My priority for Wednesday was obviously the meeting to consider the regeneration strategies for the China Clay Area and St Austell. I was quite pleased to get through a very positive meeting in around two and a half hours, as it followed a rather busy day’s work.

So there it is – an average week in my life. I hope this latest blog entry gives a balance of what it is like to be a local councillor whilst holding down a full-time job and also leading a political party!

E-petition launched on St Piran's Day

To mark this year’s St Piran’s Day, Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has launched an online version of its petition against proposals to massively increase house-building in Cornwall.

The petition has been placed on the Downing Street website and reads as follows:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reject the plan from unelected South West quangos to construct 68,700 new properties in Cornwall over the next twenty years and agree that Cornwall's housing strategy should be determined exclusively by democratically elected Cornish politicians, responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people whom they are elected to serve.”

It can be accessed at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/cornwallhousing/

Do join us in opposing this ridiculously unsustainable proposal and also the undemocratic way in which it is being promoted.

Sign the petition today.

The original paper petition is also available from MK at Lanhainsworth, Fraddon Hill, Fraddon, St Columb TR9 6PQ and can be downloaded from the Mebyon Kernow website at: http://www.mebyonkernow.org/.

Lib Dem MPs fail Cornwall

The Draft Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008 to set up a single unitary authority was debated in the House of Commons (Delegated Legislation Committee) on 7th February.

All five of Cornwall’s MPs were present and four spoke in favour of the Order – even after the Government’s Local Government Minister John Healey MP clarified that “no specific additional powers are attached to this restructuring to establish a single unitary council.”

Andrew George meanwhile used the debate to describe the Order as “technically, legally and politically defective” and a botched job. He also accused the Minister of producing a ‘minimalist’ regulation which “failed to meet the ambitions of the people of Cornwall.” However, the two MPs representing Cornish constituencies on the Delegated Legislation Committee (Julia Goldsworthy and Dan Rogerson) both voted for the proposal following the debate.

The Order actually passed through the House of Commons on 18th February by 287 votes to 116. Andrew George voted against the order but the other MPs did not vote.

Throughout the debate around Cornwall County Council's bid for a unitary authority, the Liberal Democrat leadership of the Council and Cornwall’s five MPs made claim after claim that a single unitary authority would lead to the devolution.

They even continued with this misinformation after a leading government civil servant visited Cornwall and rubbished their statements that a unitary authority for Cornwall would be given greater powers.

And now we have ridiculous situation of four Cornish MPs continuing to speak in favour of the proposals during a House of Commons debate - even after the Local Government Minister confirmed that the creation of a single unitary authority for Cornwall was about local government reform and nothing more – while Andrew George tries desperately to distance himself from his colleagues.

It is about time that Cornwall’s Liberal Democrats came clean and admitted that they have let Cornwall down by abandoning their commitment to a Cornish Assembly and that their half-baked proposals for a unitary authority will not lead to the devolution of greater powers.

I think that supporters of the campaign for a Cornish Assembly will be greatly interested in the following time-line of promises and pledges.

Fiftieth birthday for CND

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

As a CND member and the leader of a political party that has supported complete nuclear disarmament for over 25 years, I believe it is vital we continue to push campaigns to outlaw nuclear weapons further and further up the political agenda.

CND is as relevant now as it was back in 1958. And it remains total madness that the British Government wishes to replace their Trident missile system at a cost of £75 billion-plus over the next 20 years or so.

Just think how we could better spend £75 billion on piblic services - on hospitals, schools, education and so much more.