The next General Election is not due for another two years, though many commentators are predicting that the recent “mini-budget” was the moment that the Conservatives lost this future contest. Not a surprising perspective, when you consider the political upheavals of the last couple of weeks. The much-vaunted “economic competence” of the Tories has collapsed, with their “fiscal event” causing the pound to fall to its lowest-ever level against the US dollar and forcing a £65 billion intervention from the Bank…

Read more

Politicians in Cornwall are presently debating the merits of a “devolution deal” for Cornwall but, in my view, what is on offer from central government cannot be deemed devolution at all. It is simply about tweaks to local government with an unwanted municipal mayor thrown in. Speaking for myself, after campaigning on this issue for so long, it continues to extremely saddening that the likely accommodation is so insubstantial. It is also unsatisfactory that Cornwall is not being treated in the…

Read more

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited onto Radio Cornwall to discuss Channel 4’s new three-part series titled “Finding the Cornish Dream.” It had yet to be broadcast. Not a documentary as such, the programme had been described as a “branded entertainment partnership,” which aimed to “build awareness” of a UK residential property portal provider known as “On The Market.” It was all about estate agents showing “prospective buyers around dream homes in Cornwall” and helping them to “navigate its…

Read more

As predicted by numerous commentators, Ofgem (the energy regulator) last week increased its cap on annual energy bills to an average of £3,549 from October. Further increases are expected and it is disturbing that the frontrunner to be the UK’s next Prime Minister, Liz Truss, appears unwilling to consider radical measures to address the present crisis being promoted by a host of organisations. The Resolution Foundation thinktank, for example, has called for price freezes, solidarity taxes or lower social tariffs to…

Read more

Only a few days ago, it was projected that average energy bills would soon reach £3,600 a year. The figure presently being quoted is £5,000. That is simply untenable and will do immeasurable harm to ordinary households across the whole of the UK. Martin Lewis, from the Money Saving Expert website, has described the situation as a “national crisis on the scale of the pandemic,” adding that unless “Britain’s zombie government” acts it will leave “millions destitute and in danger this…

Read more

It is my sincere belief that politics should be about making society more equal and tackling the inequities experienced by individuals and families, as well as by communities in the different parts of the United Kingdom. But the last few days have shown that Westminster politics is failing to rise to this important challenge. The cost of living crisis is getting worse and worse. But as so many ordinary households struggle to pay their basic bills, and millions and millions worry…

Read more