At today’s meeting of the unitary authority, there was a fractious debate about whether there should be a referendum on the “county deal” presently being finalised between central government and the Conservative administration in Truro.

In the debate, MK leader Cllr Dick Cole challenged all in the chamber to be more ambitious for Cornwall. His speech was as follows:

This original motion seeks agreement that there should be a vote on calling a referendum, should this Council be minded to back the so-called “county” or “devolution deal.”

This is something I could support. But this cannot just be about the “mayor” and we need to talk about the Council’s approach to the deal.

It is of great frustration to me that we keep hearing that the “devolution deal” is ambitious. I have seen no evidence that a deal, produced in-line with the Levelling Up White Paper, can be deemed ambitious in a Cornish context.

I know there will be elements of the deal that we will welcome. But it is not devolution.

It is not the far-reaching shift of powers away from Westminster, that led to reconvening of the Scottish Parliament and the creation of a Welsh Parliament.

I understand, it will essentially be limited accommodations with Cornwall Council, linked to the imposition of a “local government mayor.”

Last week, George Eustice MP put forward an amendment to the Levelling Up Bill, through which he sought to disentangle Cornwall’s “county deal” from the need for a mayor. He spoke about “Cornish particularism” and Cornwall being a “special case” based on its “unique constitutional settlement within the UK.” He also noted that the Cornish are a national minority through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minority.

It is good to see George Eustice speaking about Cornwall’s distinctiveness, but it is disappointing that he fails to come to a more far-reaching conclusion.

Cornwall’s nationhood should lead politicians to argue for democratic parity with the other Celtic nations of Scotland and Wales.

But George Eustice and this administration seems content to push for a deal similar to that for English counties such as Norfolk and Suffolk – albeit without a mayor.

Colleagues – instead of arguing about a “local government mayor,” should we not unite and demand proper devolution for Cornwall?

We would suggest that means a Parliament for Cornwall – just as in Wales and Scotland. MK has even written a booklet about this great idea.

This would be a meaningful democratic settlement.

Here are a few examples relating to housing and planning.

This would allow Cornwall to produce its own National Planning Policy Framework, with all such decisions about Cornwall taken in Cornwall.

This would allow Cornwall to impose planning restrictions on second homes.

This would allow Cornwall to abolish the “right to buy.”

This would allow Cornwall to introduce something like the Scottish Parliament’s Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act, which recently introduced a rent freeze and a moratorium on evictions.

Cornwall needs better than “devolution” being a local government issue.

Please, one and all, stop this bickering and have the confidence to demand proper national government for Cornwall.

Let’s have a referendum – but on something worth voting for!