April 2026

Thoughts on the latest devolution “debate”

26 April 2026 – Posted by News, Opinion
Comment from Cllr Dick Cole – Leader of Mebyon Kernow

MPs started their deliberation on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in July 2025 and, over the last nine months, Cornwall’s representatives in the House of Commons have consistently argued for a meaningful devolution settlement for Cornwall. They have had repeated meetings with Ministers and, I understand, they have received positive feedback from them. At a meeting of the Public Bill Committee in October, Perran Moon MP reported that: “I have had several conversations with Ministers and am satisfied with…

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Cornwall ignored in latest devo “debate”

22 April 2026 – Posted by News, Press Release

On Tuesday, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill returned to the House of Commons, when Lords amendments to the proposed legislation were considered.   North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire was in attendance. He told the chamber that, in November last year, the Secretary of State had agreed to “explore a bespoke deal for Cornwall,” but that “five months later, the Bill has progressed through both Houses and still we have nothing in writing about that bespoke Cornwall-only deal, or even…

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Deprivation in Cornwall must not be ignored

21 April 2026 – Posted by News, Press Release
New County Hall in Truro

At today’s meeting at Cornwall Council, Cllr Dick Cole seconded a motion, which challenged the failure of the UK Government to allocate funding to Cornwall through their “Pride in Place” programme. The motion was proposed by Lib Dem councillor Ruth Gripper and received near-unanimous support across the Council. Cllr Cole’s speech was as follows: “I am pleased to be able to second this motion. It is important that we challenge Westminster and Whitehall on why no communities in Cornwall received funding…

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Cornwall’s planning system is broken

26 April 2026 – Posted by News, Opinion
Comment from Cllr Dick Cole – Leader of Mebyon Kernow

I remain exasperated at the top-down diktats from central government, which have fundamentally undermined the planning process in Cornwall and England. The housing target for Cornwall was 2,625 new residential units per annum but, at the end of 2024, the UK Government imposed a new annual target of 4,421. This means that the unitary authority is unable to “demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites” and Ministers have decreed that key “local” housing policies should no longer carry weight. As…

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