Following the publication of the UK Government’s “English Devolution White Paper,” Mebyon Kernow has issued an initial statement. The statement is as follows:
“Mebyon Kernow is campaigning for a Cornish Devolution Bill, which reflects Cornwall’s nationhood and the national minority status of the Cornish. It is nonetheless extremely worrying that the Government’s ‘English Devolution’ White Paper is so dismissive of Cornwall’s aspirations.
“The document appears to have identified three tiers of devolution – (1) a Foundation Strategic Authority (without a mayor) with very, very limited powers, (2) a Mayoral Strategic Authorityand (3) an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority.
“It needs to be pointed out that none of this compares to the Celtic-style devolution, which has been achieved in Wales and Scotland, and is what Cornwall needs.
“And the ability to become a Mayoral Strategic Authority or anEstablished Mayoral Strategic Authority appears dependent on a mayor and covering more than one local authority area. The document also seeks areas for such authorities to have populations of over 1.5 million people. This is all prejudicial against Cornwall, which will be denied access to the Council of the Nations and Regions.
“This is a grim day for Cornwall and it is particularly frustrating that the Westminster Government has ignored the collective representations for a devolution settlement for Cornwall, which came from all groups on the unitary authority and all six Cornish MPs.
“Indeed, it is shameful and disturbing that the Ministry for Communities and Local Government has failed to acknowledge or address Cornwall’s unique historic, cultural and constitutional status within the UK.
“But now is not the time to defeatist. Now is not the time to be accepting of these top-down proposals, which are plain wrong for Cornwall and its communities.
“Now is the time to campaign energetically for what Cornwall needs. Now is the time for all politicians in Cornwall, and representatives of Cornish society, to come together to demand greater powers for Cornwall through a meaningful democratic settlement, similar to those secured in Wales and Scotland.”
An extract from the White Paper
We will create in law the concept of a Strategic Authority. All Strategic Authorities will belong to one of the following levels:
Foundation Strategic Authorities: these include non-mayoral Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities automatically, and any Local Authority designated as a Strategic Authority without a Mayor.
Mayoral Strategic Authorities: the Greater London Authority, all Mayoral Combined Authorities and all Mayoral Combined County Authorities will automatically begin as Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Those who meet specified eligibility criteria may be designated as Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. This unlocks further devolution, most notably an Integrated Settlement.
The government’s strong preference is for partnerships that bring more than one Local Authority together over a large geography. In exceptional circumstances the Secretary of State will have the power to designate an individual Local Authority as a Foundation Strategic Authority only.
Our ambition remains for all parts of England to ultimately have a Mayoral (and eventually Established Mayoral) Strategic Authority. We will legislate to ensure that Strategic Authorities can change structure should local government reorganisation take place, for example, changing from a Combined County Authority to a Combined Authority when a two-tier area becomes single-tier.
Further comment to come once Mebyon Kernow members have studied the document in more detail.