Conservative £1 billion bribe met with condemnation in Cornwall

Kernow

27 VI 2017

Within minutes of the announcement that the Conservative Government had secured a £1 billion deal with the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party so gaining the support of ten of its MPs in order to prop up a minority government desperate to hang on to power, condemnation started to appear on social media sites maintained in Cornwall.

A few moments later, the news emerged that the Queen is to receive an 8% increase in income, in excess of £6 million from public funds, after the Crown Estate's profits rose by £24m and yet more anger emerged.

In a Cornwall struck down by massive cutbacks imposed by central government which has heavily and adversely impacted on public services, and with the Duchy’s main hospital in permanent crisis, such news could not have been worse timed.

More and more taxes raised in Cornwall are being retained by central government, very much underlining the extractive nature of Cornwall’s economy.

It could not have been more ironic that this news broke during the time when many Cornish remember and commemorate the events of 1497 when open civil war broke out when the King of the time attempted to impose extra taxes on the Cornish in order to pay for a war against Scotland

So now, on the commitment to provide that extra billion pounds of taxpayers’ money, the Northern Irish party's 10 MPs will support the Conservatives in key Commons votes in areas such as the Queen's Speech, Budget and Brexit.

A short posting on Face Book by Cornish comedian and personality ‘Kernow King’, Ed Rowe, was soon flooded with outraged replies.

Ed noted: ‘£1 billion to the DUP to cling on to power. Frightening. Is anyone else concerned about the direction the British Isles are heading?’ and within hours, nearly 200 others posted annoyed responses.

One such, from a Cornish woman pointed out: ‘£6 billion for 2 warships, £1 billion for the DUP, £25 billion Hinckley C, £31 billion Trident, £30 billion for HS2. Am I missing something here? Surely we should be spending this money (tax payers money - our money) on important things that benefit our country - and not using our money to line the pockets of foreign investors. Our NHS is on its knees, our schools are struggling, we can't house people in homes where they feel safe, millions of children are living in poverty, nurses are using food banks. How can it have come to this?’

Meanwhile, in the very busy ‘virtual office’ used by ‘Kernow Matters To Us’ (KMTU), members asked: ‘If the DUP can get £1billion for Northern Ireland in exchange for their 10 MPs supporting the government, why aren't Cornwall's six Tory MPs working on a deal to get £600million of funding for Kernow in exchange for their support?!’

A very fair point indeed and one which KMTU will be openly putting to Cornwall’s six Conservative MPs on behalf of its members spread across Cornwall and further afield!

Perhaps it is again time to remind the Westminster elite of the events of 1497 and that the Cornish people have very long memories!

Kernow bys Vyken!