Cornwall - Opposition to 'Devonwall' mounts

News from Kernow Matters To Us:

Kernow Matters To Us' writes to all 213 City, Town & Parish Councils and Meetings in Cornwall as anger grows!

The 'Kernow Matters To Us' (KMTU)  campaign group has now written to the Clerks of all 213 City, Town & Parish Councils and Meetings in Cornwall with an appeal to join the growing campaign against what has been called 'Devonwall' - the proposed cross-border Westminster Parliamentary Constituency to be known as the Bideford, Bude and Launceston Constituency.

Accompanying the letter reproduced below, are a number of documents which outline the many reasons why 'Devonwall' is a farce.

Despite having every opportunity to vote against the proposals, five of six of Cornwall's MPs notably Steve Double, Scott Mann, Sheryll Murray, Sarah Newton and Derek Thomas voted against a motion to abandon the parliamentary boundary review during a Parliamentary debate held on 19th October, 2016, where a motion by motion was tabled by Pete Wishart MP calling for a reduction in the number of unelected peers in the House of Lords and also for plans to reduce the MPs to be abandoned. This was defeated by 245 votes to 278.

KMTU immediately reported these MPs actions on its many social media sites resulting in tens of thousands expressing disgust at these politicians. KMTU has joined many others in labelling Steve Double, Scott Mann, Sheryll Murray, Sarah Newton and Derek Thomas 'disloyal' to Cornwall and the very people who elected them, placing party and personal ambition above loyalty to Cornwall.

So far we have seen these MPs and their Government fail to secure paltry funding for the Cornish language in the sum of £150,000, this sum being due to Cornwall from our own taxes. Compare this to £18.7 million spent on 230 'Brimstone' missiles fired off by the RAF in Syria and Iraq between November 2014 and 16 September 2016 in order to place the £150,000 into context. KMTU has even been informed that at least one of these MPs rushed to meet the then Minister as past of a successful attempt to stymy funding for the language and in doing so, causing the government to renege on an agreement made to support it in 2002. 

We now hear that the supremely malicious Westminster Government is deliberately withholding European money intended for Cornwall. ( Packet newspapers http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14808622.Cornish_MEP_concerned_county_could_lose_almost___400m_in_EU_funding_even_before_Brexit/ )

We join the thousands of our followers in demanding that Cornwall's MPs remember who they represent before heading off to Westminster in pursuit of their careers,  £74,962 a year salaries plus eye watering expense claims. ( Details of MPs expense claims here: http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/ )

Letter sent to 213 Councils follows:

Redruth, Cornwall

21st October, 2016

Dear Clerk

Our campaigning organisation is attempting to write to every Town and Parish Council in Cornwall in order to invite as many as feel able to oppose the proposed cross-border Westminster Parliamentary Constituency to be known as the Bideford, Bude and Launceston Constituency.

Under the boundary commission’s proposals, the new constituency would include the Cornish towns of Launceston and Bude – plus the north Devon port of Bideford – and myriad villages and hamlets in between.

Our hundreds of members from across Britain have been writing to their MPs and to the relevant Minister, Chris Skidmore MP, Minister for the Constitution.

We have also written to the Boundaries Commission and to members of the House of Lords.

All six MPs from Cornwall have stated they are disappointed at the prospect of a cross-border constituency but for their own reasons are not prepared to fight it. The letters received indicate that they do not understand the argument against this scheme.

It has taken MPs from elsewhere to table an Early Day Motion number 487 in the House of Commons to draw attention to 'Devonwall'.

We have considerable support for the campaign to stop this tinkering with our border with Devon as well as stopping the ill thought out boundary changes within Cornwall itself. Many people including Lord Paul Tyler, the actress Susan Penhaligon and others have now written to condemn the Boundary Commission quango's silly proposals.

Four of our members are joining the many booked to speak at the public consultation to occur at Cornwall Council in Truro on 10th and 11th November, 2016. In truth, we and many others are angry at the constant interference by unelected quangos and then disinterested MPs in our affairs.

Already several local councils have written in objection to the Boundaries Commission and we invite your Council to do so as well. 

Attached to this communication are three documents which are highly relevant and which may be of use to you. Information contained within them has come from a variety of sources including academic input and quite honestly, we feel that our 24 reasons knock the Boundary Commission's proposals flying. 

The Boundaries Commission are contactable at: Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BQ and / or information@boundarycommissionengland.gov.uk.

The Boundary Commission has also set up a new website through which people can comment on the proposed new constituencies. This can be found at:www.bce2018.org.uk

We very respectfully invite you to read the attached documents, to place it before your Council and to join the many organisations, Councils, including Cornwall Council itself, and others including our widespread membership which includes Councillors, in resisting this thoughtless imposition by quangos and politicians far away from us.

Thank you most sincerely for your support.

John, Teresa, Craig, Tony, Matt, Mike, Clive, Ronan & Samuel

Elected Members of the KMTU Steering Group

Our bio: Our Steering Group members are a mirror of our wider membership. Of all ages, skin colours, ethnic backgrounds, countries of residence, occupations, vocations and professions, religious beliefs, political persuasions, sexual orientations and gender identification, we are drawn together by a common cause. We believe that Cornwall matters.

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http://www.transceltic.com/blog/devonwall-guidance-battle-save-cornwall

http://www.transceltic.com/blog/message-cornwall-our-overseas-friends-an...