Activists meet at Fraddon 

Mebyon Kernow held a successful Conference at Fraddon on the 22nd September which will form a springboard to a revitalised campaign for a Cornish Assembly.

There was a wide-ranging and considered debate on the need for greater Cornish self-government. It was noted that following recent political events in Cornwall, the National Executive of Mebyon Kernow has started work on a new policy document which will set out, in considerable detail, MK’s call for a Cornish Assembly.

The Conference reaffirmed MK’s long-term aim of a Cornish Assembly with powers broadly similar to those of the Scottish Parliament but also agreed that campaigners need to be both realistic and pragmatic and build campaigns which can unite Cornish communities in the short-term and work towards greater Cornish self-government.

It was agreed that the policy document should to set out a clear ‘road-map’ of the first phase of our campaign towards an Assembly, as follows:

(i) MK will continue to focus campaigns on the recognition of Cornwall as a distinct national community for all forms of governance and administration.

(ii) MK will use the publication of the MK policy document to challenge one and all to support the creation of a Cornish Assembly, which shall exercise those strategic powers currently exercised by the South West Regional Assembly, the Regional Development Agency and other unelected quangos.

(iii) MK will call on central government to work with Cornish communities to deliver bespoke legisation for the creation of a Cornish Assembly.

It was also noted at Conference that MK has traditionally campaigned for a range of Cornish institutions to work alongside the Assembly such as a Cornish Development Agency and a Cornish Housing Board. An alternative approach was agreed. It was felt that such ‘arms-length bodies’ are not necessary and their functions should be embedded in an appropriate department of the democratically-elected Assembly.

The document will also cover the need for a Civil Service to support the new democracy in Cornwall and to develop a clear vision of the type of local government we would like to see operating beneath the umbrella of a Cornish Assembly.

When the policy document has been completed, it will be presented to a meeting of MK members for debate and adoption. The date for this meeting is likely to be in early 2008.

The following motions were also passed at the Conference:

Condemnation of unitary council decision

This Conference condemns the announcement by Government that it is “minded to approve” Cornwall County Council’s proposal for a unitary authority “if and when the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill is enacted” and writes to Cornish MPs calling on them to meet with the Secretary of State of the Department of Communities and Local Government and demand that the Government does not allow the unitary proposal to proceed due to its failure to win the support of the people of Cornwall.

Judicial Review

This Conference congratulates Penwith District Council for launching proceedings for a Judicial Review which will highlight the Government’s shameful and undemocratic ‘decision’ to support Cornwall County Council’s proposal for a unitary authority.

Elections in 2008

This Conference responds to the Government Discussion Paper “Councils’ proposals for unitary local government: an approach to implementation” broadly based on the following statements:

• We call for elections to the new transitional council to be held in May 2008 and not delayed to 2009.

• We also note that the originally proposed number of 82 councillors is inadequate to serve the whole of Cornwall and demand that the number of elected councillors be doubled to 164.

Town and Parish Council elections

This Conference responds to the Government Discussion Paper “Councils’ proposals for unitary local government: an approach to implementation” with the following comments:

• We do not agree with the proposal that Town and Parish Council elections should be synchronised with the unitary elections from 2013.

• And that the future cost of town and parish council elections be met by the principal authority.

Cornish Constitutional Convention

This Conference notes that the direction of the Cornish Constitutional Convention is presently at odds with the political direction of Mebyon Kernow and takes the decision not to renew its corporate membership of the organisation.

MK will always put the interests of Cornwall ahead of any narrow party political advantage

It has been announced that the leader of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall, Cllr Dick Cole, will be standing in the new constituency of St Austell and Newquay at the next General Election.

Forty-year-old Dick is a local Cornishman, whose family have lived in the Indian Queens / Fraddon area for many generations. Schooled at Indian Queens and in Newquay, he worked in agriculture during the 1980s before going to university in Wales. He now works as an archaeologist and lives in Fraddon with his wife Ann.

Active in local politics for nearly twenty years, Dick is a campaigner on the issues that matter to one and all – fair funding for our public services, affordable housing for local people and an end to the council tax. He has played a prominent role in campaigns for greater local control and wrote the ‘Declaration for a Cornish Assembly’ which was signed by over 50,000 people in 2001.

Dick has served his local community (St Enoder Ward) on Restormel Borough Council for the last eight years. He has a proud track record as a hardworking and effective local councillor and has been heavily involved in housing, planning and economic regeneration issues. Dick is the Chairman of Restormel’s ‘Policy and Scrutiny 4’ Committee which is working to develop new planning policies to help build much-needed affordable homes for local families. He has also been involved with a number of initiatives in the China Clay Area and sits on the multi-agency Clay Area Taskforce set up following the announcement of job losses at Imerys.

Dick has also used his position as a councillor to campaign against a single waste incinerator in Mid Cornwall and he put forward the successful motion at Restormel Borough Council to call for a Public Inquiry on this issue.

He has also opposed Liberal Democrat plans for a single unitary authority, because he believes that centralising local decision-making onto a single site in Truro will seriously hit democracy and weaken Cornwall’s ability to deliver quality local services.

Dick is a member of St Enoder Parish Council and the Chairman of a steering group of volunteers which is producing a Parish Plan for St Enoder Parish. He is also involved with a large number of local groups in his area and has been personally responsible for a number of successful grant applications for community buildings and play equipment.

Speaking after his selection as a candidate for the forthcoming election, Dick Cole said:

“I am pleased to be standing in the coming General Election as an MK candidate because I believe it is important that local people have the opportunity to vote for a political party that is 100% committed to Cornwall. MK will always put the interests of Cornwall and its communities ahead of any narrow party political advantage.

“The best way to demand a better deal for Cornwall is by sending a strong message to central government by voting for Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall.”

MK says it is obvious that unitary bid does not have popular support

Leading MK members have given their support to Penwith District Council’s call for a Judicial Review into the Government’s decision to allow Cornwall County Council’s bid for a unitary authority to proceed.

The Party for Cornwall claims that there was not a broad cross section for the proposal as demanded by Government.

However, the Secretary of State came to the conclusion that there was support for the bid even though it was opposed by all six district councils, a majority of town and parish councils, over 80% of local people in a series of district polls and a large number of community and political groups?

Even at the last County Council meeting to discuss the plan, it did not win the support of a majority of county councillors. It was supported by less than 40% of county councillors Recent reports in the Western Morning News have claimed that 78% of Cornish responses were opposed to a single unitary authority.

MK’s Deputy Leader (Services) Cllr Conan Jenkin, who serves on Truro City Council, said:

“The decision to impose a unitary authority on Cornwall makes a mockery of our democracy. How can the Government demand that there be popular support and then, when it is it clear that there is widespread opposition, just ignore that fact?

“It is important that we challenge the basis on which the Government made its decision. Democracy matters and that is why a Judicial Review is a must.”

MK’s Deputy Leader (Campaigns) Cllr Phil Rendle, who serves on Penzance Town Council, added:

“Penwith District Council should be commended for sticking to their guns while others are already taking a defeatist attitude.

“A culture of defeatism is being fanned by Cornwall Council's Chief Executive, Sheila Healy, writing to Parish and District councillors to try to convince them that the decision has already been made before the Local Government Act has become law!

“Communities Secretary Hazel Blear has announced that: “If and when the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill is enacted [she] will take final decisions as to which unitary proposals are to be implemented.” That Bill is still in the Lords.

“Well done Penwith for still trying to influence these “final decisions.” If Government does not listen to the people, voters, councillors and councils, maybe they will listen to the Courts.”