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MK say "Hands off Cornish Democracy"

“Hands off Cornish Democracy!� is the latest message to Westminster from Mebyon Kernow..

The call comes as reports have appeared in the London papers that Labour is planning a full scale attack on local government after the General Election.
The Times reported plans for “fewer and bigger councils led by smaller numbers who would wield greater influence and receive bigger pay and allowances� and a leading Guardian journalist wrote: “Driven by Whitehall demands for efficiency savings, the government plans to address the politically explosive issue of cutting the number of district councils after the election, as a prelude to [their] abolition.�

Speaking at the weekend, MK Leader Cllr Dick Cole said:

“This Labour government, just like its Tory predecessors, has been undermining local democracy in Cornwall. More and more political decisions are being taken outside of Cornwall and local councils emasculated as a result.

“Democracy in Cornwall needs to be enhanced, not obliterated. We need a powerful Cornish Assembly, able to make a real difference to Cornwall, and an appropriate tier of local councils that can best serve our local communities.

“Local government reform in Cornwall should only happen, once it has been agreed that a Cornish Assembly should be set up, with local people as the major players in these discussions.�

Phil Rendle, MK Deputy Leader and their Constitutional Affairs Spokesman, pointed out that recently Labour parliamentary candidates in Cornwall have been publicly supporting breaking Cornwall up into so-called unitary authorities. He continued:

“We have seen the spirit of the people in Cornwall during 2004 – the year that celebrated two centenaries – the publication of Henry Jenner’s Handbook of the Cornish Language and the acceptance of Cornwall as a full member of the Celtic Congress by the five other Celtic Nations.

"In that year we also saw a strong response from our people to attacks on the national flag - the cross of St Piran - and an attempt by a junior minister to pretend that we need planning permission to fly the national flag of our country.

"Mebyon Kernow will continue to fight for a Cornish Assembly with local government arrangements appropriate to Cornwall – the two go hand in hand. Any attacks on Cornish democracy after the General Election will by cynical in the extreme given the likelihood that Labour will have no parliamentary representation at all in Cornwall."