Newspaper Column – The Cornishman – 14/07/25

• Government Ministers could have avoided controversy and the fight with their own MPs over their Welfare Bill last week. If they’d viewed the government’s purpose as ‘investment’ in people rather than ‘welfare’ for dependents, they’d help more people, help more people into employment and cut the cost to the Exchequer. Labour Government policy – just like the Conservatives – seems to be to based on bullying and threatening people rather than helping them into work. The policy will fail and impoverish and cause early death to those affected by the policy.   

The government has got this all wrong. Sometimes you must invest to save. Helping the sick and disabled is an investment challenge not one that can be successfully delivered through sanctions. 

• I wrote to the Chief Executive of South West Water (SWW) to urge her and its Board to resign, following a damning report from regulator OFWAT last Thursday. The following day she announced her ‘retirement’. However, I’ll press on with my demand that the whole Board must go too. My letter was signed by other MPs, and they like me are determined to see wholesale changes. 

OFWAT’s found the leadership of SWW failed to meet its legal obligations in respect of the sewage spills and hadn’t itself monitored what was happening. The public have been dismayed by the level of pollution to our coastal waters and rivers in recent years. The company has perpetually put profit and exec bonuses above responsibility to provide a public service. How can we have confidence in SWW until the whole company (Pennon) Board has stood down. 

• The greatest highlight of my job is visiting and meeting local schools. I was delighted to visit Heamoor School last week and to see for myself the progress made and to be energised by the creativity and enthusiasm of the children there. 

Heamoor has managed to withstand the pressure to become part of an Academy, and has a strong reputation for supporting pupils with additional needs, autism, ADHD etc. 

I’ll be taking up concerns on behalf of local schools with the Education Minister regarding fair funding and support for the exceptional pressures faced by schools across Cornwall. 

• I’m looking forward to holding the latest in my regular public meetings – Parliament for the People – tomorrow evening in Helston. But please book a free place before you come – we were oversubscribed last time, last month. It starts at 7pm at the Old Cattle Market 

With so much going on, I will focus on: 

Meeting local housing need  

Restoring our NHS – and the 10 year PLan 

Nature recovery – and the Planning & Infrastructure Bill  

Striving for peace in the Middle East – 3 months after my visit  

Book tickets here: 

https://andrew-george-events.eventcube.io/…/parliament…/ 

And email or phone in advance any questions you’d like to raise. 

andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk  –  01736 339526