Do Lib-Cons have time for local democracy?

Well here we go! I don't know if anyone will be interested in anything I have to say - but who knows?

This blog will be about things that concern Illogan and Cornwall and I'm hoping that putting my thoughts into words might help me examine and question my own views on local and Duchy issues.

I moved to Cornwall in 2008 and have been given a very warm welcome by the local community. With this in mind I have decided to stand as the Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall – candidate in the Illogan Parish Council by-election to be held on 24^th June. I would like to try to give something back to the community by serving as a Parish Councillor.

Parish councils are statutory bodies and have a large range of powers. The activities that parish and town councils are involved in are wide and varied. Many parish and town councils are involved in planning, promoting tourism, licensing, community halls, representation, management of town and village centres and providing community halls.

Unfortunately Parish councils are sometimes overlooked by the public (especially when an election falls just after a general election). This is a great pity because there is so much good work that can be done on this basic grass-roots level.

Indeed, even some of the ‘big’ London based parties seem to be dismissive of local grass-roots community involvement. For example, in the forthcoming Illogan by-election there are only two candidates. Besides me there is a Labour party candidate standing and that is it. It would seem that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are now too busy with national government to be concerned with working for the good of local communities through this fundamental and critical tier of local government.

If you live in the Illogan ward, please use your vote on 24^th June. It is important that local democracy has a strong mandate from the community that it serves.