Andrew George
Promoting the
Politics of Courage
I’m running a positive campaign to restore decency and honesty to our politics. To build a brighter future. To combat those who want us to become more inward-looking, backward-looking, more self-absorbed. I’ll build a campaign for an outward-looking, forward-looking and compassionate country.
We’ve been misled by a privileged clique who’ve irresponsibly played on fears to stoke prejudice. We must get beyond the Brexit chaos they’ve dragged our country into. We must restore the things that matter for the sake of our children’s future – our NHS, our schools and the very sustainability of our planet.
Come and join a growing campaign team. We’re determined to win this seat back this time, to make the difference, to build a brighter future.
Many people say “you politicians are all the same”. That statement has never been more untrue. The choice here is stark:
Andrew George - Standing up for Cornwall
National campaigner, local campaigner, MP.
Andrew describes his role - "Seeking out the silent voices. Standing up to bullies. Fighting for justice”
Liberal Democrats - Building a brighter future
Should MPs come down from Westminster to represent the Party in the constituency? Or represent their constituency in Westminster?
Some may prefer the first option, but I've always been clear that I represent west Cornwall and Scilly in Westminster.
Another reason why I value opportunities to get out and meet people as often as I can when I don't need to be in London. Holding public meetings, like this one in Helston at the weekend, or meeting these brilliant students at Penwith College recently.
The world of politics is never boring, but always challenging. Events like these draw people into the difficult decisions politicians often face, including the many occasions when opinion can be sharply divided.
I'm pleased to report that at all recent events questions and opinions were aired openly, differences of view were respected. Everyone listened and engaged in a manner rarely seen on social media!
Thank you to the many people who attended. Look out for my next public meetings and surgeries..
Truro and Penwith College BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live ITV News West Country Cornwall Reports Packet Newspapers
Pleased my office will be represented at Helston Town Council's community advice drop in tomorrow.
If you're in the Helston area and have any queries, please pop over and say hello.Need some help but not sure where to start? We are bringing together more than a dozen local and national organisations for a free Community Advice Drop-in at the Guildhall.
Tuesday 27th October, 11am to 3pm
Corn Exchange, Guildhall, Helston
Free, no booking required
Get face to face advice on household bills, energy, housing, debt, benefits, wellbeing and community safety. Come along at any time and speak to as many organisations as you need.
Find out more: www.helston-tc.gov.uk/council_events/community-advice-drop-in/
Age UK Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly
Andrew George
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
Cornwall Community Flood Forum
disAbility Cornwall & IoS
Environment Agency - South and South West
South West Water
Inclusion Cornwall Business Page
Young People Cornwall
Community Energy Plus
This must change.
The recent fines against SWW is just another cost on Water Bill payers, unless Government ministers agree to reinvesting that money to ensure the company meets its obligations.
It's scandalous a risk-free privatised monopoly, which has spent more than three decades doing more to enrich its top execs and shareholders than in properly halting the sewage spills and mending the leaks, can handout another quarter of a million in rewards to the last failed CEO, as she 'retired' from the company, at the same time as it was about to be fined for failure.
My parliamentary colleagues and i are pressing for answers. And for assurances that:
🚰 Water bill payers won't be stung again to bale out the company as they pay fines.
🚰 Senior execs will be held criminally liable for failure.
🚰 Water companies are publicly accountable, can be forced to switch governance to a community interest company with independent community champion on each board, and to nationalise those that fail.
BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live ITV News West Country
Packet Newspapers Surfers Against Sewage
The chancellor should combat widening inequality across the UK at this week's Budget.
The top 50 richest families now hold more wealth than the poorest half of the population. I'm not interested in the politics of envy and have no problem with clever, enterprising, exceptionally hard-working, genuinely risk-taking and talented people becoming fabulously wealthy. But it's shocking when top bankers can boast they "pay less tax than their cleaners".
I've tabled motions in Parliament calling on the Chancellor to use the tools available to him to do much more to lift the quality of life of those who are struggling and to make sure, as successive PMs have said, "those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden".
The key elements of my parliamentary motions are set out below:
⚠️ The government should acknowledge the extent of widening inequality in the UK;
⚠️ That there has been nearly 1000% increase in the wealth of UK billionaires since 1990;
✍️ Notes the UK's tax-to-GDP ratio is around 35% according to OECD data (2024), lower than comparable G7 economies France (44%), Italy (43%), Nordic countries (41-43%);
⚖️ UK spends 7.31% of GDP, costing £217.5 billion per annum, on tax reliefs, equivalent to about 23% of Government tax revenue, and that the Treasury Select Committee identified in 2023 that 815 of 1,180 tax reliefs have never been publicly costed.
👩💼 The Institute for Government found that the Government introduced 14 major tax policies targeted at and for the benefit of high wealth or high income individuals in 2015-2023, that just three had been substantiated on a significant evidential basis, and that a 2024 National Audit Office report observed a concerning absence of evaluation of tax reliefs;
⛱️ One example of these tax loopholes is small business rate relief (SBRR) when available for holiday lets, and which has seen industrial-level flipping of second homes from Council Tax to the business rate systems where the majority pay no tax at all. This has resulted in granting over £500 million of taxpayers’ money to support holiday home owners in Cornwall alone (though the majority have their primary residence outside Cornwall) in the last 10 years, while thousands of local families have been evicted to make way for more holiday and second home investors and the local authority now needs to cut essential services to balance its books;
🔴 £160 billion could have been raised for the UK's public finances over the past 35 years if those on the Rich List were annually taxed 2% on their net wealth, whilst their share of the wealth would still have increased from 1.7% to 2.7%;
🟥 There is considerable evidence that low taxes on wealth can be counterproductive for growth and productivity and that research by tax policy experts at CenTax and the IFS shows that equalising capital gains and income tax rates alongside introducing an investment allowance supports productivity and growth and would raise £19.7bn a year.
🏦 The combined annual profits of the four largest UK banks have doubled to £48 billion in the five years to 2025, mostly due to a tax glitch which gifted an unanticipated windfall of £86 billion since 2022;
✅ A fair and pragmatic windfall tax on Banks would raise approximately £19 billion per annum, which equates to the estimated costs of the PM’s proposed National Care Service;
📱 Tech giants pay only 2% on their declared UK profits and that an increase to just 10% would raise a further £4 billion per annum.
So, it IS possible for a government to combat widening inequality, and to ensure "those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden". My motions call on the Chancellor to reflect on these factors and proposals before he completes his Budget. I just hope this Chancellor will do the right thing.
BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live ITV News West Country The Guardian The Mirror New Economics Foundation
STORM IMPACT UPDATE
There are still many homes without power. There are numerous causes for concern, especially for the most vulnerable (including those on the 'Priority Services Registerer (PSR)). Thousands of homes and businesses have been affected by power outages and storm damage, trees have blocked roads and businesses and homes losing whole freezers of food.
Many thanks to my wonderful team of staff for handling the numerous calls and emails from those worst affected by the recent storms. We'll be picking up anything missed over this weekend when the office reopens tomorrow morning.
We're a little short-staffed due to half-term, so please be patient. We're also trying to pick up emails over the weekend. I'm told some have tried issuing messages apparently aimed at me on multiple social media channels and posts.
However, please email me at andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk (I hope people appreciate it's not possible to scour the whole internet to seek these things out, and I'm sorry if you've sent social media messages and expected a reply. It's just not possible. Sorry)
The advice and info lines remain the same, as set out below:
What you can do:
⚡ If you experience a power cut: call National Grid on 105 or 0800 6783 105 (free to call: 24/7. Deaf or hard of hearing customers: dial 18001 before either number for text relay)
🧓 If you are vulnerable, or have a loved one who is, join or refer them to the Priority Service Register (PSR) online: The PSR is a free UK wide service and provides extra advice and support, especially when their a power/service interruption.
🚰 Call South West Water (SWW) to join their PSR on 0334 346 1010 (office hours), or visit their website: Apply | Priority Services Register | South West Water
🌊 In case of flooding, contact the Environment Agency's floodline: 0345 988 1188 (24/7, alternative textphone: 0345 602 6340)
⛈️ Keep an eye on weather forecasts, from the Met Office and elsewhere: UK weather warnings - Met Office
🛟 If you see someone on the coast in distress, call 999 and ask for the coastguard (don't go wave watching🤦♂️)
📻 BBC Radio Cornwall continues live updates (103.9 FM,11B on DAB, or online www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_cornwall)
📱 If your mobile network has gone down, you should still be able to contact 999 in emergency.
If calls don't connect; try SMS / personal messaging apps or WiFi calling. More advice from OFCOM: Stay connected in severe weather.
🚧 Report urgent problems or hazards on roads to Cornwall Council: 0300 1234 222
🌈Cornwall Council has produced a useful newsletter with lots of useful advice: Keeping Cornwall Updated (more available on their social media)
⏳Assistance for children 0300 1231 116 and for adult social care 01872 303700
🚆 Train and bus times may still change www.gwr.com/check / Track Vehicles - Transport for Cornwall
🍃 Secure any loose belongings in your garden or anywhere else outside
My staff and I continue to monitor the situation and will do our best to assist constituents where we can. If you have been seriously affected by any Storm and are struggling to access support, please contact my office.
01736 339526
andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk
Date for your diary - I'm arranging a "Storm Summit" at the Cornish Pirates Rugby Ground on Friday 27th November from 2.30pm. We have invited the Government's COBR COBRA Committee (national crisis management and emergency coordination committee), Cornwall Council Emergency response, National Grid, SWW, Telephone companies and others, and will review local resilience plans.
FURTHER UPDATE FROM NATIONAL GRID
"Engineers have been working around the clock, including throughout the nights this weekend, to restore supplies. The arrival of Storm Boelo so soon after Austen has meant winds of around 50mph or more have continued...and inevitably restricted when it is safe for colleagues to climb poles and undertake repairs at height. Where conditions have allowed, teams have continued working through the night.
"The faults that remain are increasingly complex, and restoration times can change once engineers reach a site and establish the extent of the damage. We will nevertheless continue until every customer is reconnected, as quickly as it is safe to do so.
"Alongside the engineering response, our welfare teams been contacting customers on the PSR who remain without power, with medically dependent customers receiving direct support where needed. We are working with the British Red Cross and Salvation Army, have offered alternative accommodation to vulnerable customers where appropriate, and have welfare support operating across Cornwall, including hubs providing food, warmth, charging facilities and other practical help."
BBC Cornwall ITV News West Country Cornwall Live Cornwall Reports #storm