Jude Robinson - Queen of Empathy

It has to be acknowledged that Jude Robinson, senior Labour impresario, works damned hard. She attends masses of meetings and public gatherings, both in the course of her public duty as a councillor and in her capacity as a person who cares about people.

Now some people (who are much more cynical than I) say to me that a lot of this verve is down to the fact that Cllr Robinson wants to be the next MP for Camborne/Redruth/Hayle (or whatever constituency has been gerrymandered by the LibCons by the next election). These misanthropic n'er-do-wells point to the Labour leaflets in the recent Camborne South by-election and ask why was so much space devoted to Ms Robinson rather than the actual Labour candidate.

My reply is swift and sure "Jude is a good lady. She is very sincere and is great at listening to people"

"Yes, indeed," they reply, "she will agree and empathise with any voter who will talk to her - but she is a bit short on real substance and just a bit too long on hollow rhetoric."

Well, of course, I have always told these non-believers that they need to be more trusting - until now that is.

This afternoon Cllr Robinson and I had the following exchange on Twitter:

@JudeRobinson: "Rapid expansion of our population is a concern, especially when it causes unease, homelessness and other problems. We have to make provision to deal with those problems and cooperation is a big part of that. I don't think the figs shld be extrapolated for 90 years to stir up resentment. Smacks of 'rivers of blood' to me. PP from Cornwall have settled across the world, this has always been a trading nation and a meeting place of settlers but that does cause stresses and safeguarding this unique culture and heritage should be a bigger priority."

Hmmm, I thought, that sounds like Jude understands the situation and is conscious of a need to do something about the unsustainable growth in poulation that Cornwall is currently experiencing. Perhaps she could answer a couple of questions?

@CllrSRichardson: "Jude how much of a problem do you think in-migration is? What would you do to reduce it? Also why did previous Labour government actively plan for it rather than do anything to reduce it?"

Fair enough questions, you might think, for the top dog in Cornish Labour, given the empathetic and sympathetic statements that she had just made? Let's see what Ms Robinson intends to actually do to prevent unease, homelessness and other problems. What plans or policies do labour have to make provision to deal with the problems and to safeguard this unique culture and heritage?

@JudeRobinson: "well I wonder Stephen. Any suggestions? You're a recent incomer. How could we have put you off?"

(how rude!)

@CllrSRichardson: "Typical! You can't answer the questions so you avoid them."

@JudeRobinson: "Er, am I mistaken or are you a cllr for a political party? You don't have answers but have a go at me instead. Would you prefer chaos, lack of planning, North Cornwall all over again? Suggest a plan. Better than sniping. This why I don't want to get involved in these debates. Attack all you like but let me get on with some work."

This tirade, over several tweets, was a little tetchy I thought - considering that I had only asked her a couple of questions. Unfortunately this what you can expect from Labour in Cornwall.

Cllr Robinson is an expert at empathising with voters and demonstrating how much she cares for the people of Camborne and Cornwall, but it seems she has little to offer in the way of ideas to actually make a difference.

If she is criticised she quite often resorts to claiming that her critic is 'having a go at her' or 'sniping'. Well perhaps criticism comes with the territory of being a politician? Jude Robinson also frequently bemoans the fact that people insult her, but she often confuses criticism with insult. If it all gets too much for her then she takes a final refuge in claiming that she is tired of men patronising her just because she is a woman. Sorry Jude - if you ask me, this is all just a bit of a front to divert attention away from criticism to which you have no answer - make it look like the poor little girl, who is just trying to be nice, is being bullied by the big nasty men.

The fact is that Labour have shown themselves to be disastrous for Cornwall.

A decade ago New Labour promised any region a referendum on devolution if it could show that 10% of the population wanted it. Mebyon Kernow collected over 50,000 signatures (all verified and checked against the electoral register) on a petition which was presented to and, immediately ignored by the Labour government, thus blatantly breaking a pledge in a way that was echoed 10 years later by Nick Clegg and his promise on tuition fees.

Labour, with their big regionalisation schemes, refused to recognise Cornwall as its own region and consistently forced Cornwall to be joined with a more affluent Devon (or even a wider South West) when applying for funding from the EU. Only after much campaigning, from the likes of Mebyon Kernow, was Cornwall eventually allowed to apply for funding in its own right. Finally, Cornwall received convergence funding from Europe. Labour immediately gave this money to its quango, SWRDA and a lot of the much needed cash for Cornwall disappeared into the South West Region black hole and was never seen again.

The Second Cornish National Minority Report has just been published. Labour steadfastly refused to honour the commitment they made when the UK government signed the Framework Convention for National Minorities and yet Jude Robinson now blithely signs the call "to include the Cornish" contained in the Foreward of the new report.

Labour, just like each of the other Westminster parties, is not good for Cornwall. London is remote from us in this part of the world and doesn't understand what is needed to allow Cornwall and all the people of Cornwall to get going economically and socially. We are quite capable of managing Cornish affairs we just need to be allowed to get on with rebuilding communities and addressing socio-economic needs in a Cornish way. We need an Assembly for Cornwall and politicians who will put Cornwall first in everything they say and everything they do.

(.... and a little less empathy!)

Thank heavens Cornwall has Alex Folkes

Cllr Alex Folkes, Cornwall Council Lib Dem group Deputy Leader, has single handedly saved the day yet again!

He tells us, through his blog, that:

"I wrote that Cornwall was set to be under-represented on the the new Police Boards which will monitor the work of elected police commissioners.

In a nutshell, Cornwall was set to get just one of twelve local authority representatives with each of the Devon councils and the Council of the Isles of Scilly also getting a single rep. I brought this up with Lib Dem Local Government Minister Andrew Stunell at the LGA conference and he promised to look into it.

Good news that the Government has relented and there will now be up to 20 councillors on the new boards which will allow a more balanced representation, proportionate to population."

Well blow me down Alex - many thanks for that. I don't suppose anything would have ever been done about such a moronic and clearly unworkable proposal in the Westminster corridors of power without your input.

So let's see what the situation is now.

Oh dear, it's not actually much better really is it? For 'ballanced representation' read 'a minority interest' with not much more chance of getting anything in Cornwall's favour than before really. Cornish councillors will still be outvoted.

Perhaps what we really needed you to ask for, Alex, was an end to this one-way-ticket Devonwall set up. A set up where Cornish police are moved to Plymouth on Bank Holidays so that 'resources can be placed where they are needed'.

But then this is the Lib Dems after all. A party that has MPs at the 'heart of government'. MPs that all showboat for the press about how important Cornwall's historic border is - and then promptly vote in favour of trashing it as soon as the cameras have gone.

Incinerator - Idiomatic of Westminster Government

Eric Pickles has spoken. With a stroke of his pen he has consigned a democratic process, by which Cornwall had said no to the incinerator (now to be built in St Dennis) to the bin. So much for commitment to local people from Cornish Conservatives and so much for commitment to localism from national Conservatives.

Before the election David Cameron promised a ‘Minister for Cornwall’. As soon as the deal with the Liberal Democrats was done, Mr Cameron reneged on that promise - claiming that Cornwall had 6 MPs at the heart of government. All six Tory and Lib Dem Cornish MPs campaigned against the incinerator and yet Mr Pickles seems to have ignored their opinion as much as he has ignored the people of Cornwall – so much for a strong Cornish voice at the heart of Westminster!

In fact Mr Pickles appears to have given more importance to the perfidy shown by the Conservative Leader of Cornwall Council, Alec Robertson. Mr Robertson has previously voted against the incinerator project but then wrote a secret letter to his boss in Westminster, pleading for the findings of the Cornwall Council Planning Committee to be over-ruled. This is surely a betrayal on the same scale as that shown by the Liberal Democrats when they jettisoned their pre-election pledges for a taste of Westminster power.

Indeed this betrayal has led to Stephen Gilbert MP popping up on Radio Cornwall feigning indignation and anger at what has happened. The problem is, Mr Gilbert, it was your party that created the problem in the first place by creating the contract with SITA. I also find it extremely hard to believe anything you say given the way you go back on your pledges. Who can forget Mr Gilbert holding his pledge on tuition fees which was so dramatically discarded as soon as he took his seat in Westminster. In fact Mr Gilbert’s feigned anger on behalf of the people of St Dennis was very reminiscent of his speech back in October when he promised that his job was to vote against the government over Devonwall – just before he meekly went through the lobby and cast his vote to discard Cornwall’s ancient border in favour of joining Cornwall and Devon. Sorry Mr Gilbert, I can’t trust a word you say.

Perhaps the Labour Party can give us some strong leadership. Unfortunately not. Just as they were totally divided over the recent AV vote, the Labour party in Cornwall seem to be split on the incinerator issue. While Jude Robinson has come out firmly in favour of the incinerator other notable members of Labour in Cornwall have made it clear that they believe that the incinerator is bad for Cornwall.

The only party that has consistently argued against the incinerator project is Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall. Dick Cole has a wealth of experience and knowledge of this case and has acted in a statesmanlike manner throughout the whole process. It is clear that the only party that can always be trusted to put Cornwall first is Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall. Cllr Cole will continue to do all that he can to help the residents of St Dennis in their continued fight – just as MK will continue its fight to put Cornwall’s interests before those of Westminster.

Perfidy!

Before the general election David Cameron made a great show of appointing Mark Prisk, born in Redruth, as the Shadow Minister for Cornwall. This was trumpeted as recognition of the importance that Cornwall was to be given by the Conservatives if they became the next government.

No sooner than the ink was dry on the ballot papers in May it became clear that there was to be no minister for Cornwall. The reason [sic] given was that as Cornwall had six MPs at the heart of the coalition government it would not be necessary to have a minister for Cornwall after all.

The “perfidious six” have so much influence at the heart of government that when they formed a delegation to meet with David Cameron - TO STOP THE CREATION OF ONE OR MORE CROSS-BORDER CONSTITUENCIES. However, he paid no attention to them whatsoever. They have all since voted in the way that David Cameron would want so perhaps their message wasn’t quite as they portrayed it to the media at the photo opportunity outside 10 Downing Street.

For example, after claiming that “It was his job to vote against the government” (at the Saltash Keep Cornwall Whole rally) Stephen Gilbert, along with all six of Cornwall’s MPs (the Cornish voice at the heart of government) failed to vote against the Bill. A Bill which will see Cornwall’s historic national border lose its thousand year old integrity.

Despite cries of betrayal from the Labour party their record is no better. Let’s not forget that it was the Labour party that wanted to merge Cornwall’s distinctiveness within the “South West” region. If anyone believes that Labour has had a sudden revelation and has become pro-Cornwall over-night then consider this - the only reason that Labour are opposing this Bill is because the gerrymandering of constituencies will see them lose their enormous electoral advantage over the other two Westminster parties.

What is absolutely clear is that the only party which consistently, wholeheartedly (and without reference to any London headquarters) puts Cornwall first is Mebyon Kernow, the Party for Cornwall.