The "Pasty Tax" vote - the facts!

Last night, an amendment was tabled to the Finance Bill, by Stephen Gilbert, to prevent the introduction of the Pasty Tax. It was lost by 295 to 260.

I understand that of the 295 MPs who voted against the amendment, all were members of the Coalition Government – namely 261 Conservatives and 34 Liberal Democrats.

The 260 MPs who supported the amendment included members from the Labour Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru, DUP, SDLP as well as the single MPs from the Alliance Party, Green Party, and Respect.

Only five Lib Dem MPs (three from Cornwall) and 10 Conservative MPs (three from Cornwall) supported the amendment.

I find the failure of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs to rethink their proposal for a “Pasty Tax” to be truly shocking. It is disturbing that only 15 Coalition MPs could be bothered to vote against the Government and it shows that they do not understand or wish to represent the best interests of Cornish communities.

Is it any wonder that the people of St Dennis feel so let down?

My column in this week's Cornish Guardian unsurpisingly focuses on the latest in the incinerator battle. It is as follows:

The Appeal Court has reinstated planning permission for a massive waste incinerator at St Dennis. This comes as a massive blow to St Dennis.

I remain extremely angry at how this whole matter has been handled over the last decade and it is clear to me that the people of the China Clay Area have been failed by the main political parties, the planning system and now the legal process.

The following ten points summarise some, but not all, of the failings of the whole debacle.

1. In 2002, Cornwall County Council agreed a Waste Local Plan, which specifically included plans to construct an unpopular incinerator in the China Clay Area.

2. In 2006, the Lib Dem controlled County Council agreed the “Integrated Waste Management Contract” with SITA. The decision was opposed by the Conservatives.

3. The Contract specified the incinerator should be built near St Dennis, but the councillors gave no consideration to the merits or otherwise of the proposed site for the plant. Subsequent evidence confirms that the Council had secured an interest in the site some two years previously and was not interested in other locations.

4. The proposal for the incinerator was turned down at a Planning Committee meeting in March 2009 and SITA registered an appeal in September 2009.

5. Throughout this period, both before and after the refusal of the planning application, leading politicians from the main parties came to St Dennis to offer support to campaigners (and get their pictures in the paper). This included Cllr Alec Robertson, the leader of Conservative-led Cornwall Council, who promised local people that the Council would robustly defend the appeal.

6. By early 2010, lack of progress meant that Cornwall Council had the right to terminate the Contract. And even though, the Conservative-led administration had given the go-ahead to spend over one million pounds to defend their decision at a Public Inquiry, they refused to end the Contract or to work up a Plan B to a single centralised incinerator.

7. The planners from Cornwall Council did well at the Public Inquiry which took place between 16th March and 7th October 2010. But this proved to be a sham, with other staff from Cornwall Council preparing information to undermine the Council’s own case and Cllr Robertson writing to Eric Pickles to ask him to find in favour of SITA.

8. The Inspector, who oversaw the Public Inquiry, produced a scandalously biased report for the Secretary of State and it ignored numerous objections lodged by local people.

9. Eric Pickles granted permission for the incinerator but, in an interview with the Western Morning News, admitted he knew nothing about the case and had not even read the report.

10. Last year, local campaigners challenged the decision. It was quashed by the High Court, after a judge ruled that proper processes had not been followed. But this has now been over-ruled by the Appeal Court.

Is it any wonder that the people of St Dennis feel so let down?

The Pasty Tax: Lib Dems cannot have it both ways!

Since the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition introduced plans for a Pasty Tax, local MPs have spoken out against the proposal. They have queued up to be photographed eating Cornwall’s national dish, and have made numerous statements lambasting this nonsensical proposal from their own Government.

But the Lib Dems have even had the nerve to blame the Conservatives for the proposal, which was also signed off by Lib Dems such as Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander. In the recent Truro City Council by-election, they even distributed literature stating: “Stop the Tories Taxing our Pasties” (see photograph to right).

However in Westminster, senior Liberal Democrats are standing firm with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in support of the Pasty Tax.

On last week’s Question Time, Liberal Democrat minister Sarah Teather contradicted the likes of Andrew George, Stephen Gilbert and Dan Rogerson. She said:

“You can have a situation where a large business is able to sell hot food without paying VAT and yet the family-run chippy down the road is having to pay VAT and that’s not fair. So what we are trying to do here is to just make a level playing field … it is just a straightforward, simple matter of a level playing field."

She then went on to claim that the Pasty Tax was geared to hit large businesses on the High Street, such as TESCO and Greggs, who were undercutting smaller family businesses.

It was a clueless response. Here in Cornwall, we know the realit. The Pasty Tax will adversely affect numerous pasty producers and retailers, from larger firms such as Rowes and Barnecuts, to smaller firms such as Berryman’s, the Chough Bakery, Philp’s Bakery, Ann Muller's Pasties, and well as local butchers.

Incinerator latest

Further information about the decision of the Appeal Court on the proposed incinerator has been released.

The people of St Dennis have been refused an automatic leave to further challenge the decision to the Supreme Court. I understand that the objectors will have until 27th April to make an independent approach to the Supreme Court.

The final decision also rules out the possibility of an injuction to stop the planning consent from being implemented.

Cornwall Council rules out development at Ruthvoes and Quoit

I have welcomed the announcement from Cornwall Council that it has ruled out the development of stand-alone “eco-standard communities,” including one at Ruthvoes and Quoit Farms - part of which falls in my division.

The Ruthvoes and Quoit Farms proposal was one of a number of proposed“eco-standard communities” that had been added into the recent Core Strategy consultation by planning officers.

There was uproar within communities across Cornwall at such imappropriate and unsustainable growth. Elected councillors were also extremely angry that the proposed sites had been added into the consultation paperwork after the councillors had commented and they were not informed of this fact. They were allowed no option to object to their inclusion within the consultation.

At the last Full Meeting of Cornwall Council (27th March) Mark Kaczmarek (the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning) included the following statement within his report to councillors concerning the Core Strategy.

“These papers also included, in error, sites that had been submitted to the Council as potential ‘eco settlements’ which had not been considered by the authority. I understand these caused concern and as such I do not intend to take these forward further as part of the Core Strategy.”

I have also written to Mr Kaczmarek requesting him to send letters to all residents within the affected areas confirming that no stand-alone ‘eco-communities’ will ever be considered in such areas.