There is still time for the Government to stop the unitary bid progressing

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall is calling on Cornwall’s five Liberal Democrat MPs to do all in their power to stop a unitary authority being imposed upon Cornwall.

MK has already written to the MPs calling on them to seek an early meeting with the Secretary of State to demand that she does not allow the County Council bid for unitary status to proceed.

Phil Rendle Mebyon Kernow’s Deputy Leader (Campaigns) and Constitutional Affairs spokesman believes that it is not too late to stop progress towards a unitary authority. He said:

“The Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, told Cornwall County Council that she was ‘minded’ to implement their proposal. But she has also said that she would take the final decision as to which unitary proposals would be implemented ‘if and when’ the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill is enacted.

“The Bill had its third reading in the Commons on 22 May. Last Wednesday (24 October) the Common agreed all Lords amendments and passed it back to the Upper House for Royal Assent – scheduled for Tuesday 30 October.

“Now is the time for the MPs to take the initiative, before it is too late, and tell Hazel Blears that she has been wrongly briefed by her advisers and the proposed unitary county council will never command a broad cross-section of support in Cornwall and that it should be stopped in its tracks.”

Mr Rendle says that he has been very disappointed that the Liberal Democrat MPs have previously supported the County Council’s bid for unitary status, though Andrew George last week spoke about opposing the Bill which he said should go back to the drawing board.

Conan Jenkin, MK’s Deputy Leader (Services) and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Truro and Falmouth has also challenged the MPs to oppose the County Council’s bid and instead speak up for their constituents.

“Cornwall does not want a unitary authority to be imposed on its communities. The message that the MPs should take to Hazel Blears is a simple one – there is no public support for the proposal and it should not proceed.

“The unitary proposal was opposed by all six district councils, a majority of town and parish councils, over 80% of local people and a large number of other groups. Reports in the Western Morning News have shown that 78% of Cornish responses to the Government ‘consultation’ were opposed to a single unitary authority.

“It was only supported by a minority of councillors on Cornwall County Council. When it was last discussed it was supported by 32 votes to 28 – a majority of only four. That equates to the support of just 39% of county councillors while a massive 25% of members were not even present at the meeting to cast a vote.

“This cannot be allowed to stand as the basis of a new unitary authority.”

Mebyon Kernow is calling on all readers to bombard the Secretary of State with demands that this dreadful bid does not proceed and allow the people of Cornwall to consider what is best for Cornwall. The hastily cobbled-together One Cornwall proposal certainly isn’t. Her address is: DCLG 5/E8 Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU.