Conservative Promise for a Minister in Cornwall

Business Cornwall stated today that

the Conservative Party has made a promise to appoint a minister for Cornwall if

they win the general election.

There is currently no dedicated

Minister just for Cornwall though for the past three years Hertford MP Mark

Prisk has held the title of ‘Shadow Minister for Cornwall’.

The Labour government does have

at present a Minister for the South West, which is held by MP Kim Knight. But the

Conservative proposal will be to scrap this and have a Minister dedicated to

Cornwall alone to try and win votes in a county rarely painted blue.

The Liberal Democrats are

however unimpressed by the Conservative proposals and have renewed their talk

for a Cornish Assembly.

North Cornwall’s MP, Dan Rogerson, presented a

Bill to Parliament last year, with detailed proposals to develop a Cornwall

Council with similar powers to those of the National Assembly for Wales. “The Conservatives

still don’t understand Cornwall. Only a strong Assembly, taking real money and

power into Cornish hands will really allow us to protect local services and

community life here in Cornwall.”