Brass band music continues to be an important and much-loved tradition in Cornwall, and hundreds of players will be descending on Clay Country on 20th June, when the 100th Bugle Band Contest will be taking place. My local band will be present and it is also celebrating an anniversary this year. Indian Queens Band was […]
Marking 170 years of Queens Band Read Post »
MPs started their deliberation on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in July 2025 and, over the last nine months, Cornwall’s representatives in the House of Commons have consistently argued for a meaningful devolution settlement for Cornwall. They have had repeated meetings with Ministers and, I understand, they have received positive feedback from them.
Cornwall is being ignored in “devo” debate Read Post »
On St Piran’s Day, the leader of Cornwall Council sent a letter to Darren Jones MP (Minister for Intergovernmental Relations) seeking tick-boxes for Cornish nationality and proficiency in the Cornish language on the 2031 Census. In my view, the letter was a powerful cross-party statement. In addition to Cllr Leigh Frost (Liberal Democrat), the letter
Are the Government and ONS listening? Read Post »
In recent months, I have written a couple of columns setting out my exasperation at top-down diktats from central government, which have fundamentally undermined the planning process in Cornwall and England. The housing target for Cornwall was 2,625 new residential units per annum but, at the end of 2024, the UK Government imposed a new
Planning system is still broken Read Post »
At the start of this year, I wrote about how 2026 is Mebyon Kernow’s 75th anniversary year and I am proud of the work put in by so many activists since 1951. I have been the leader of MK for nearly three decades and I must admit often feeling frustrated with the speed of progress,
Looking back at some MK campaigns Read Post »
On 26th November 2025, Steve Webb, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, ruled out the threat of a Devonwall Mayoral Strategic Authority being imposed on Cornwall. In a letter to the unitary authority, the Minister stated that the UK Government “is minded, on an exceptional basis, to work” with Cornwall Council
Devolution and Cornwall – an update Read Post »
This week, I wish to comment on the growing insecurity around the globe. There is a well-known phrase that states “violence begets violence.” I do not know from where the saying originates, but it seems to me to be a self-evident truth. I despair that so many powerful men do not seem to have learn
Some thoughts on global insecurity Read Post »
The celebration of Cornish culture and identity on St Piran’s Day, and the weekend which followed, was really heartening. I was pleased to assist with the events in St Austell and, as the chairman of the St Piran Trust, I would like to thank everyone who supported the procession to St Piran’s Oratory and the
St Piran’s Day and representations Read Post »
As a local councillor, I take planning matters seriously and, over the last 25 years, I have been participated in hundreds of planning committee meetings. I have also submitted evidence to a large number of planning appeals and spoken at numerous hearings and even the odd public inquiry. Last year, Cornwall Council refused planning permission
The planning system is broken Read Post »
The scandal of disgraced peer Peter Mandelson’s alleged misconduct in public office and his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein have highlighted, once again, how the super-rich can wield political influence through their wealth. One campaigning organisation, Transparency International UK has described Mandelson’s fall as the “most dramatic illustration yet of a political culture that has become
The influence of money on our politics Read Post »
