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
Heartbreaking, but important.
This incredible photograph by Federico Veronesi (Italy): "The Aftermath", a black-and-white image of a female elephant carrying her deceased calf in Namibia's Huab River Valley, won the Natural History Museum, London's Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.
#wildlifephotography #wildlifeconservation #nature
Many thanks to those who reflect the strong public concern about the impact of ethnic cleansing and conflict around the world, and who campaign for peace and justice.
I demonstrated my support for this group who I met in central Penzance recently. They were pressing for justice for Palestinians who have been incarcerated and allegedly tortured in Israeli detention. This is on top of the nearly 80,000 Palestinians killed, including over 24,000 children.
Israel rightly condemns Hamas for the appalling killing of over 1,200 people on 7th October 2023 and the abduction of 251 hostages. Defenders of the far-right Netanyahu Israeli government's killing and abduction of Palestinians claim this should not be portrayed as equivalent to the actions of Hamas. I disagree, and believe that all decent people would disagree as well.
These campaigners highlight an example: amongst the many who are being incarcerated is Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Northern Gaza. He kept the facility going, even through 85 days of intense siege. He refused to abandon his patients when the IDF brutally stormed the place. So they killed his younger son, Ibrahim, in front of him and arrested 57 of the hospital's medics including Dr Hussam, and all patients.
Thank you for campaigning and alerting the world to what is going on.
Palestine Solidarity Cornwall Penzance Palestine Solidarity Campaign
The campaign to stop sewage spills makes progress.
I was pleased to join Andy Pettifer, South West Water (SWW) Operations Manager, and some of his team on a recent visit to St Erth Sewage Treatment Plant, along with members of St Erth Parish Council. This follows a recent meeting between the new Chief Executive, Keith Haslett and me.
St Erth is the largest of SWW's Cornwall works. It needs further investment to accommodate projected population increase, developments and a still healthy doubling of our summer population.
When water was privatised 37 years ago the then Conservative government created risk-free monopoly companies which then charged customers through the nose but diverted £85 billion into the pockets of their shareholders and top Execs, instead of adequately investing in infrastructure to protect our rivers, coastal waters and to stop the sewage spills.
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 introduced a ban on bonuses, and criminal liability on Water Company bosses if they cover-up sewage leaks. It also increased regulation and enforcement powers and protected funds for investment instead of seeing them top-sliced for shareholders and Exec bonuses.
That still isn't enough. So I'm pleased the government has also announced plans to introduce a Clean Water Bill to improve public control and to scale-up infrastructure investment. Let's make sure this is effective enough.
Thanks to St Erth Parish Council who also raised a range of local concerns, following a recent sewer collapse and the consequent lorry movements through the village and increasing problems of odour from the site. And many thanks to Andy and his SWW team who were helpful and keen to maintain regular communication and site meetings with us while I hope we'll see the benefit of an improved emphasis on investment in essential infrastructure. They told us they've learned lessons from the crisis caused by the serious collapse near the site , and have investment plans this winter for the filter beds which should resolve the odour problem.
Cornwall Live Cornwall Reports BBC Cornwall ITV News West Country Packet Newspapers St Erth News Surfers Against Sewage
A big thank you to migrant workers.
Here on a recent visit to the impressive Riviera Produce LTD with founder/Director David Simmons and this great team of workers, in this photo they're mostly from Tajikistan; harvesting courgettes in a field in west Cornwall.
Our NHS, care services and many agricultural businesses would collapse without migrants, coming here to supplement and support our great workforce.
Unseen and unnoticed by many, these people toil away in our fields, visiting the most vulnerable, working in care homes, hospitals, on our fishing vessels and in so many places; perhaps they're just taken for granted. But not by me; nor by many others who appreciate their work and the contribution they make to our society and economy.
Thank you.
Riviera Produce is a major supplier of healthy fresh vegetables to major supermarkets and other retail outlets. Farming 8,000 acres and working with 4 local growers who farm an additional 1,500 acres across west and mid Cornwall, and employing 170 (Full Time Equivalent - FTE), with 430 (FTE) summer and 125 (FTE) winter seasonal staff.
I'm astonished how this sector has changed over the years. I was brought up on a small (3 acre) market garden in Mullion (south of the constituency) in the 60s & 70s. All of the 47 different varieties of vegetables, fruit, salad items were sold/supplied within a couple of miles of home (except for the Pittosporum which went by train to Covent Garden during the winter), and, where sold by us, it was sold in paper bags. It was a largely organic system before organic was invented, and was sufficient to support my parents and my 7 brothers and sisters. This was the world of local produce and food miles many like me would prefer we got back to. But we're now a long way from this, and Riviera Produce has done well to keep Cornish farming in the market place.
They are always looking for staff and have a page on their website answering questions from prospective job applicants - whether locals or from overseas.
The bulk of seasonal migrant workers at Riviera come from fascinating countries like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakstan. Places most of us will never visit, nor learn about. Perhaps we should take the opportunity to learn more about the rich diversity of a wider world through them and to invite them to our community events to tell us about their homes, cultures and lives... ?
POSTSCRIPT (after posting this): Regrettably it doesn't seem possible to make a positive statement such as this, without also attracting a small but vociferous minority who are determined to use any reference to migrants to trigger their politics of vilification and hatred towards others. It was perhaps naive of me to believe it is possible these days to say anything positive about those who, in this case, come here under the SAWS (Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme), especially in today's toxic social media environment.
This is not a post relevant to those who wish to advance the kind of politics which results in black-shirted, balaclava-clad mobs threatening RNLI volunteers. I have addressed those issues elsewhere, and it seems, need to do so again to combat the misinformation and bigotry being promoted. But that's for another day. This post is a celebration of matters I would hope good people can congratulate, and that we can ignore the naysayers. 😊
BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live ITV News West Country Packet Newspapers Cornwall Reports
Stopping the Council Homes sell-off;
Ensuring public money goes towards those in housing need rather than to second home owners; and
Making sure water companies invest our money on cleaning up their act rather than filling their boots.
These were the topics for debate on this week's BBC South West Politics Show..
BBC Cornwall
Cornwall Live