Since the Scottish referendum on independence, devolution
and constitutional change has been a ‘hot topic’. The Tory party seems to
believe that devolution means passing responsibility for public spending to
politically appointed quangos. Meanwhile Labour would have us subsumed within a
giant ‘South West’ region. However, the real betrayal is the Lib Dems –
cheering on a supersized Cornwall Council from the side-lines, they would have
us believe that local government can do the job that Cornwall desperately needs
a National Assembly for. Now Cornwall Council have produced ‘A Case for
Cornwall’ and are floating the red herring that Cornwall Council could
eventually become a Cornish National Assembly. Here are 6 reasons why a ‘beefed
up’ Cornwall Council can never be a National Assembly.
1. Local
government accounts for around just 30% of total public spending in Cornwall –
and with the decimation of local democracy, led by the Conservatives and
Liberal Democrats this is set to fall. It would take one hell of amount of
supersizing to turn Cornwall Council into a national devolved government.
2. While
all this supersizing is going on (while water is turned into wine) – what is
happening to democratically accountable local government for Cornwall? We would
lose real, locally driven government.
3. Cornwall
Council is a single unitary authority. Even now people complain that it is too
Truro-centric. What we need is local government that is more responsive to
local needs not further centralisation that increased powers will inevitably
bring. Yes – local government in Cornwall needs to be supported and enhanced,
but it needs to be brought closer to the people - not made more remote.
4. Following
the centralisation of local government in Cornwall to one unitary authority,
Cornwall suffers from a massive democratic deficit. We have proportionally less
top tier local councillors per capita than Devon, South West England, England,
Wales or Scotland. This means that more and more tasks are taken by unelected
council officers or politically appointed quangos. The last thing that we want
is to move decision-making about such things as housing and development and
health services even further away from OUR representatives and into the
welcoming arms of greedy developers and corporate privatisation.
5. The
only ambitious element contained within ‘A Case for Cornwall’ is the ambition
for the people who run Cornwall Council to enhance their CVs. Cornwall deserves
better and can do better – we need law-making powers - and control over a vastly
greater range of public spending that is currently made on our behalf by people
who ‘know what is best’ for us up in London.
6. Cornwall’s
GVA is currently around 60% of the UK average. This means our economy is
performing worse than some Eastern European countries. Time after time we
qualify for EU funding yet we never seem to make any progress. Local government
does not have the economic levers that are required to drive our economy
forward and beefing up Cornwall Council will not address this need. If we are
serious about improving our economy then we need to take charge, roll up our
sleeves and get stuck in – not go running to Westminster every time we have an
idea for permission and pocket money to give it a try.