Andrew George Calls for Cornwall’s Identity to Be Protected in Devolution Talks
Cornwall must send a strong message to PM Andy Burnham. The only region for Cornwall is Cornwall, and we should be invited to take on the same offer of devolved powers as he says he’ll offer to mayors.
He says he’ll hand more power to “Mayoral authorities”; including a share of nationally collected taxes and a promise to strengthen policy control over transport, home building, youth employment initiatives amongst other powers and principles of devolution.
That sounds fine to (I guess) the majority, but what does this mean for Cornwall and for Scilly? At present we’re not included. Nor are large swathes of the country, because they have not adopted a (directly elected) Mayoral devolved structure. Though Cornwall, rightly of course, should not cede the miniscule power it currently has to a Mayor and to places outside Cornwall, we have a strong case to be offered the same powers as he wants to hand to places like his favoured Manchester.
To combat this devolution apartheid, I’m urging my MP colleagues and the Council to again work together and make sure we send a very strong, clear message to the PM. Cornwall deserves the same offer of powers as combined Mayoral authorities, but we should not be forced to effectively destroy our greatest political asset – our unifying identity – to gain such powers and opportunities, especially where the seat of that power will sit somewhere else. Cornwall is a unique and special place.
The placeless government zone of the Southwest would be a Soviet-style construct. Effectively punishing Cornwall for properly refusing to accept this dreadful prospect is contrary to how devolution should work; ie on the principle of central government letting go of control, not imposing a central government fabrication and ignoring the will of the people.