Article by Cllr Dick Cole first published in Cornish Guardian newspaper (23rd August 2023)

The Conservative member of parliament for North Wiltshire, James Gray, recently enjoyed his “annual pilgrimage” to North Cornwall for his summer holiday. He wrote about this visit in an article on his website, which sought to point out the economic benefits of tourism.

Sadly, his piece showed a disturbing lack of empathy with the full-time population of Cornwall. He did state that he sympathised “to some degree” with the “nostalgic longing for houses in charming villages once again being occupied by locals contributing to the local community rather than by prosperous holidaymakers and second home owners.”

But he then noted that he had “real reservations” about such a longing and questioned whether it was realistic. Unbelievably, he added “and anyhow, do we really want it?” This assertion was presumably linked to his statement that “it is the visitors and second home owners who bring such huge benefit to the local economy,” as if Cornwall is a holiday playground and little else.

There was also the shocking comment that “if some mad merchant banker wants to pay £500,000 for a two-bed bungalow in Rock,” it is the “local seller who benefits” and “is that not their right – even if it does have the effect of ‘hollowing out’ the local community?”

So there you have it. This Conservative MP thinks that the ability of individuals to make a lot of money from a truly dysfunctional housing market is more important than the safeguarding of local communities. Surprised? No, not really!

Somewhat predictably, Mr Gray went on to criticize proposals to charge increased council tax on second homes. He called it a “kind of socialist punitive tax against rich people,” adding “do we want to drive away tourists from these hotspots by taxing them out of existence, and making Majorca or Disneyland attractive by comparison?” He contradicted himself by adding that people “ready to pay millions for a clifftop house in Cornwall” are unlikely to be “deterred by a thousand or two extra on the council tax.”

He wrote he could see the “attraction” of “increasing Cornwall County Council’s tax-take at the expense of the second home owner,” but questioned whether it would “actually change the pattern of home ownership in beautiful places like North Cornwall …” He actually stated: “I think not; and anyhow would we really want it to?”

To this “question,” I would respond “Yes.” We need change and we need politicians working for housing justice, prioritising families and individuals who live in Cornwall all-year-round ahead of Mr Gray’s “mad merchant banker” friends and their “second homes.”