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The Food Strategy

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister was at a farm outside Hayle to announce the government’s first-ever food strategy.  SEF is one of a number of major agri-businesses in this part of Cornwall. They are farming thousands of acres in West Cornwall producing courgettes and cauliflowers.  Of the five largest producers of brassica vegetables in the country, two are right here in the Hayle area with Riviera Produce being the other major local producer.  Whereas farming is often quite fragmented in some parts of the country, these businesses are highly organised and created hundreds of jobs in Cornwall.

Recent events and the impact of the Covid pandemic are a reminder that domestic food production matters.  During the first lockdown, the food supply chain responded to an unprecedented 50% surge in demand during an episode of panic buying, and they did not let us down. At every stage of the food system, from farming to manufacturing, distribution, and retail, key workers in the food industry showed extraordinary commitment and ingenuity, delivering an incredible logistical feat.

International food security comes from a combination of dispersed food production around the globe and open markets. In the UK, international trade has always been an important dimension of our food security. However, successful domestic production is what gives us national resilience in an uncertain world. Unlike other developed countries, The UK is largely self-sufficient in wheat, most meats, eggs, and some sectors of fruit and vegetable production. Overall, we produce around 75% of what we consume, and we are committed to maintaining this in the future.

The food strategy also seeks to address concerns about the cost of food. With agricultural commodities such as fertilizer fundamentally linked to global gas prices, we have committed to long-term measures to support a food system that offers access to healthy and sustainable food for all. This will build on and complement the measures we have already taken to support those struggling to afford food and help them eat healthily – through the Healthy Start Scheme, breakfast clubs, and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

The food industry also has a central role to play in the government’s leveling-up agenda. Successful and profitable agricultural production is crucial to the continued success of our food manufacturing industry. The food industry is bigger than the automotive and aerospace industries combined, and we have some brilliant examples right here in Camborne, Redruth, and Hayle – from Rodda’s clotted cream to many pasty manufacturers and companies like Furniss biscuits.  None of our food manufacturers could succeed without the farmers who supply them with high-quality produce. The food industry in Cornwall drives growth, creates jobs, and helps to promote regeneration.

There are also new challenges to address that will require the characteristic ingenuity of our food industry.  Poor diet has led to a growing problem of obesity, particularly among children. The human appetite evolved before the era of calorie-dense processed foods, and excess calorie intake is one of the drivers of obesity. Good progress has been made on reformulation in some categories such as soft drinks, crisps, and some breakfast cereals, however, there is still much more to do with government and industry working in partnership of promoting healthier diets.

The Return of the Royal Cornwall Show

This week, after a two-year break, the Royal Cornwall Show returns. Sadly, for the last two years, it has been cancelled due to Covid, but it is positive to see it returning now as in previous years and I am very much looking forward to it.

I have many childhood memories of the Royal Cornwall show. When I was growing up my father was one of the many volunteer stewards who gave up his time each year to make the event possible, so it is great to be able to attend again in person. We’ve learnt a lot from Zoom, but I’m glad to be rid of it. Farming is real, it happens outdoors, and demonstration projects that you can see in action on the ground are so important. For many years we used to show our South Devon Cattle there and my brother will be there again this year with the family's prize-winning Lop-Eared Pigs, which is a rare breed native to Cornwall.
 
The sharp rise in gas prices internationally is affecting input costs for farmers.  Fertiliser and diesel prices have risen severalfold over the past year, and this is causing anxiety for some farmers.  However, since the 2016 referendum result, we have also seen the prices farmers receive for their products rise in most cases.  The price of beef, lamb and milk have all gone up considerably over the past few years and, as a result, farm incomes have been in a stronger position than they have for many years.  
 
We are developing our future agricultural policy now that we are free from the EU and in doing so, we want to support the choices that individual farm enterprises make.  This year we have announced a package of measures to help farmers reduce their reliance on expensively manufactured fertilisers by using more nitrogen-fixing legumes or other green cover crops that can reduce the amount of fertiliser a farmer needs to use on their land.  We have also increased the budget for new grants to support farmers who want to invest in their business, reduce their costs and improve their profitability.
 
 We have also recently introduced our new Genetic Technology Bill, which will enable the UK to take forward its lead in precision breeding techniques.  These new techniques enable plant breeders to accurately identify a trait in a particular variety of crops, such as natural resistance to a pest or disease and then transfer it to a different commercial variety of the same crop.  A rogue court judgement by the European Court of Justice in 2018 hampered the use of these technologies but we can now improve the law so that approaches to reduce the need for chemical pesticides can be progressed.
 
Of course, it has been a week of drama in Westminster with the Conservative Party having a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson as party leader.  Now that the vote is concluded and a decision made, it is important to press ahead dealing with the many issues our country faces as we emerge from the pandemic.  But I will be glad to get back to the Royal Cornwall Showground this week.

The Platinum Jubilee

 This week we are not only celebrating the Queen’s official 96th Birthday with the Trooping of the Colour, but also the 70th year of her reign and her Platinum Jubilee. This is the first-ever Platinum Jubilee in British history and an important chance to give thanks to the remarkable monarch who has been head of state for seven decades, longer than Queen Victoria.  Her reign has covered a period of extraordinary change in post-war Britain with great technological, scientific, and social changes in the late 20th century.

I can just about remember the Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977, or at least people talking about it and being given a commemorative mug as a gift.

When she came to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth was only 25 years old following the premature death of her father, King George VI.  In the early part of her reign, Britain was in the process of breaking up the empire and the Queen was instrumental in creating the Commonwealth of nations during that process, creating a looser alliance based on friendship and cooperation that has endured.

During her reign, the Queen has granted Royal Assent to over 4000 individual pieces of legislation, as well as undertaken 21,000 official engagements in over 100 countries. There have been 14 British Prime Ministers since she came to the throne and countless other Heads of State across the 54 countries that make up the Commonwealth.

The monarchy forms a special and unique part of the British constitution. I think our system is much better than the presidential systems we see elsewhere.  We separate our politics from the Royal Family.  Incumbent Prime Ministers act with power that is on loan from the Crown.  It means that our elected politics is more fluid and meritocratic than presidential systems where candidates tend to need financial means or fame to make it.  In the UK, while politicians come and go, the Crown provides consistency and predictability over the long term.  The monarch, as Head of State, symbolises Britain’s staying power and its ability to unite the nation in a common endeavour.

Cornwall also has a special relationship with the monarchy and a unique constitutional place in the United Kingdom as a Duchy. Many of us consider ourselves Cornish before English, but we are also proud to be British.

There will be events across the Camborne and Redruth area over the next few days to mark the occasion, including a street party in Redruth, a Jubilee picnic on Camborne Recreation Ground and other similar festivities in many of the local towns and villages. On Thursday 2nd of June, Camborne Town Council will be holding a Beacon Lighting Ceremony at 9:30pm in Commercial Square with a performance by the Holman’s Climax Male Voice Choir and a Bugler playing the Jubilee song. Nationally there will also be many events.  I hope that Her Majesty enjoys her Platinum Jubilee.

Cornwall: The UK’s Gateway to Space

Last week, there was an event at Goonhilly Earth Station near Helston that marked the formal launch of the Cornwall Space Cluster. Cornwall is a natural fit for a space cluster; we will host a horizontal launch site of the Spaceport near Newquay, a satellite ground station at Goonhilly, UAV testing sites, and wider collaboration with industry.

Here in the Camborne and Redruth area, we bring a unique contribution toward this wider goal of developing a Cornwall Space Cluster. This begins with our fantastic further education organisations like Cornwall College leading the way in developing future skills such as their £2.4 million Skills Accelerator project. This is being run in partnership with Truro and Penwith College and will focus on curriculum and skills development in the electric vehicle and emerging green technology industries for Cornwall’s businesses and a workforce of the future.
 
Our contribution also extends to the industry-leading businesses we have in our area. These include R&D and tech companies such as Bluefruit Software, Headforwards, or n-Coders all of which are undertaking pioneering work. We also have excellent businesses working to restart Cornwall’s production and export of raw materials including Tin and Lithium at South Crofty and United Downs. Historically, Cornwall has an important place in this country’s industrial development, with Redruth playing a particularly important role as one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution and as the centre of the Cornish diaspora across the world.
 
The first, deep geothermal power project in the UK is also here in Cornwall at United Downs. Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) is a small Cornish company that has successfully proved the concept by drilling two deep wells, one to bring the naturally hot water to the surface and the other to deposit the used fluid back underground. Geothermal electricity is known as baseload, because it is generated 24/7 regardless of the weather at the surface, balancing out the peaks and troughs of other renewable energy sources.
 
Furthermore, there are now also around 15 offshore wind project developers now active in our region, all of which are seeking to set up in the Celtic Sea. What is particularly encouraging is the turn round of the Wave Hub project in Hayle, now called TwinHub.  There have been some challenges trying to deploy wave power in recent years, but it is now set to become one of the Celtic Sea’s first floating offshore wind (FLOW) arrays after the project diversified in recent years utilising its existing infrastructure for the deployment of FLOW.
 
While regular, consumer space travel may be some way off, it is clear that Cornwall is in a unique and historic position. With the right support from the government and some innovative thinking, we are developing into the Green Energy capital of the UK and could well play an important role in this space over the course of the next decade.

Digital Skills and Connectivity

One of the ways we can raise wages and incomes in the area is by promoting more apprenticeships and locally Cornwall College which I attended have always been an important part of the community.  Earlier this month, the new ‘Skills and Post-16 Education Act’ became law. This aims to change the post-16 education and training landscape, opening new avenues for people both young and old to learn new skills and to help drive growth across the county.

In the past, many people in Cornwall who wanted to pursue a higher income found they had to leave the county but that is starting to change with new industries in computer software and precision engineering offering better-paid jobs locally.  The changes the government have introduced place employers at the heart of the skills system, by requiring colleges and other education providers to work with local employers to develop skill plans and ensure local skills meet local needs.

A few years ago, Cornwall College hit a difficult patch and was losing out to some other colleges like Truro College on some of their courses, but they have bounced back stronger than ever.  In March, this year they received a glowing Ofsted report, and they are now rated good across the board and the leadership and passion of the staff were singled out for praise.  It is great to see my former college performing so well and this is such an important local asset for our community and for young people in the area.

From the end of May, colleges are participating in a new ‘Basic Digital Skills Course’ that will be a five day, fully funded connectivity and digital skills course. This course uses hybrid learning and covers topics such as digital basics, online safety, communicating online, completing online application forms, and using the best job search tools available. Participants will receive their own free tablet at the end of the course and will gain a free Microsoft Office skills qualification, which can then be put on their CV.
The first course will be delivered in Pool in June, and further sessions will be throughout the Duchy over the summer in other locations across Cornwall. To book your free place or for more details call 0333 015 0699, email hello@peoplehub.info or visit https://peoplehub.info/getconnected/.

As we recover from the considerable impacts of the Pandemic, it is vital to recognise that while many things will return to normal, many things will not. The way we work has been fundamentally changed with many more people working from home or using technology much more often in their day-to-day lives. It is important that we offer the right training to ensure people can take advantage of these changes and no one is left behind in our recovery.

The Queen’s Speech

On Tuesday, it was the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster. This marks the formal start of the parliamentary year and the Queen’s Speech sets out the government’s agenda for the coming period. This was the first full State Opening since 2019 due to the constraints of the Pandemic so it was positive to be back as in previous years.  However, it was also the first in over sixty years that the Queen was unable to attend herself, with Prince Charles delivering the speech on her behalf.

This year, the Queen’s Speech focused on some 38 different Bills but at its heart was an agenda to get the country back on track after the pressures of the pandemic and to continue to implement the agenda we were elected on in 2019.  We want to see a country where conditions are perfect for a high-wage, high-skill economy that reaches all parts of the United Kingdom, including Cornwall.

There were several bills aimed at delivering for the Cornish economy and improving life chances including the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, the Schools Bill, the Transport Bill, and the Renters Reform Bill. Economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle is my number one priority so it is very positive to see that the Government is developing a vision for how we can improve all areas not just focusing on the large cities such as Manchester or London.

I particularly welcome the new powers that will be given to Cornwall Council through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which will allow them to levy a high rate of Council tax on 2ndhomes in Cornwall if they are furnished but not occupied as a sole or main residence. This will serve two purposes: allow for more investment and income for Cornwall Council and reduce the burden of second homes on the overall housing stock in Cornwall.

Given there are currently around 72,000 homes that have been empty for more than two years in England, the revamped system goes much further than existing rules, where homes can lay dormant for up to two years before Cornwall Council can act.

In addition to having the power to apply greater premiums at a level of their choice, Local Authorities will enjoy flexibility on how to spend the funds raised and can decide to prioritise keeping council tax bills low for local households. This will also help deliver the infrastructure that communities really need, including genuinely affordable housing, social care, and children’s services.

In many villages across Cornwall, especially in coastal areas, we have seen much of the housing stock being bought up by 2nd homeowners or turned into holiday homes. This takes much of the community out of these areas leaving few options for local people to live in the areas they often grew up in. This policy is an important step in the right direction by giving Cornwall Council the powers they need to address the problem.

Trevithick Day 2022

Last Saturday, there was the traditional parade and celebrations in Camborne to mark Trevithick Day. There was a large turnout this year to celebrate the achievements of one of Camborne’s favourite sons, which is welcome particularly given the more muted celebrations we saw last year for the 250^th anniversary.

 

Back in 2010, when I was first elected to Parliament, I made Richard Trevithick the focus of my maiden speech.  I found a wonderful statement from him saying that, although he had been criticised for trying new principles and was left in severe financial hardship as a result of his pioneering endeavours, he knew in his own heart that he had brought forward new ideas that would be of boundless value to his country.  For many years, Trevithick's achievements were not really recognised which makes it all the more important we celebrate them now even if we can’t do so in person.

 

As a pioneer Richard Trevithick invented the steam locomotive and epitomised the contribution made by Cornwall to the Industrial Revolution. It was the efforts of pioneers like Trevithick that put Cornwall on the map as a leading centre for industry and innovation. Whilst towns like Camborne and Redruth experienced some decline after the closure of the tin mines and Holman’s, new industries and technologies are beginning to establish themselves in our communities which offers the prospect of higher-paid employment in the future.

 

In the past, people had to choose between leaving Cornwall and taking a well-paid career upcountry or taking the lifestyle choice to live in the most beautiful part of the country but accepting a lower salary. That is starting to change.

 

Since I was first elected twelve years ago, I have made clear that economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle was my number one priority so it is very positive to see that the Government is developing a vision for how we can improve all areas not just focusing on the large cities such as Manchester or London. The recently published Levelling-Up White Paper, for example, set out a new vision for Cornwall within the United Kingdom by inviting us to be one of the nine counties invited to negotiate a new ‘county deal’. This will give local leaders more control over areas such as transport, skills, and infrastructure and is part of the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times. This is further boosted by the £23.7 million ‘Town-Deal’ package for Camborne, which is supporting projects such as the ‘Fibre Park’ tech hub and other projects regenerating areas in the town centre which will make a genuine difference and are a welcome boost for the town.

 

This is being further built on by the confirmation last week that the Government will match the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will match the previous complex, rigid, and bureaucratic EU Structural Funds, pound-for-pound. My hope is that we can start to see the funding really deliver on projects that substantially improve both quality of life and maximise the potential for growth and prosperity in our communities.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Being a peninsula like Cornwall creates unique economic challenges. Our industries have to transport their goods further to market, which adds costs. Recruiting staff can be even more of a challenge for business. A lack of profitability means that average wages can be lower. When it comes to further transport infrastructure, the further west you go the fewer MPs there are left making the case for investment, and government departments like the Treasury often fail to understand the dynamics of local economies. For all of these reasons, the case for Cornwall and economic investment in Cornwall has to be made repeatedly and consistently.

Back in 2019, the Government gave a clear commitment to replace the cumbersome and overly restrictive EU structural funds once Brexit was complete with our own UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). This was intended to support industry in poorer parts of the country and to ensure that we see new industries and better-paid jobs in places like Cornwall, rather than just seeing prosperity collect around the Home Counties. I campaigned to leave the EU and I want us to decide our own regional policy and have the freedom to design our own grant schemes that really work for places like Cornwall. However, with the power to set our own policies of economic regeneration comes the responsibility to get it right.

Last week, the Minister for Levelling-Up confirmed the promise made in 2019: the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will match the previous complex, rigid, and bureaucratic EU Structural Funds, pound-for-pound. This will begin with a £132 million share for Cornwall of the full £2.6bn packages for 2022/23 and increase by 2024/25 once the final EU funds have been wound down, at which point the UKSPF will match the average of previous EU funding each year.

This new funding will be tailored to fit Cornwall’s needs and bring additional powers and more investment that is needed to help regenerate our communities. Cornwall Council has recently announced their ambitious plan for sustainable growth and regeneration called Prosperous Cornwall 2050. This plan sets out the Council’s plan to tackle the housing shortages in Cornwall, as well as expand our transport infrastructure, and make Cornwall a prime environment to start and grow a business.

In addition to the UKSPF, the recently published Levelling-Up White Paper set out a new vision for Cornwall within the United Kingdom by inviting us to be one of the nine counties invited to negotiate a new ‘county deal’. This will give local leaders more control over areas such as transport, skills, and infrastructure and is part of the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times. This is further boosted by the £23.7 million ‘Town-Deal’ package for Camborne, which is supporting projects such as the ‘Fibre Park’ tech hub and other projects regenerating areas in the town centre which will make a genuine difference and are a welcome boost for the town.

Since I was first elected twelve years ago, I have made clear that economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle was my number one priority so it is very positive to see that the Government is developing a vision for how we can improve all areas not just focusing on the large cities such as Manchester or London.

Cornwall’s Bid for the New HQ for Great British Rail

Making public transport work effectively in Cornwall has always had its challenges due to the fact that we are a peninsula and there are rural areas that make maintaining the right frequency of buses difficult to achieve.  However, some positive changes have been made in recent years.  We have seen the introduction of the new fleet of Tinner buses which has marked a major step forward in the quality of our bus network, the introduction of more frequent train services every thirty minutes and a renewed attempt to get better integration between the bus and train timetables so that people can take the train for part of the journey and then connect to a bus. Costs of fares are also an issue and a barrier to people using buses more so this week there was a new pilot announced which makes bus travel more affordable. 

The government has also decided to make some quite fundamental changes to the way that our railways operate.  Over twenty-five years ago the railways were privatised with a system of competitive franchises introduced and a body to manage the railway infrastructure.  Private investment has led to some important improvements with the number of passengers travelling by rail increasing by about a third, but the model of privatisation introduced all those years ago by John Major also had many drawbacks.  Railtrack, which was supposed to operate the network, was not a success and had to be replaced by Network Rail.  Some of the franchises ran into financial difficulties and were returned.  In order to maintain the quality of services, the government often had to be quite prescriptive which then stifled innovation. 

So last year the government announced that it would bring the railways back together to end fragmentation and bring to an end John Major’s franchise model.  There will be a new organisation called Great British Railways which will plan timetables and services and ensure that tickets can be used on any route.  Rather than long term franchises, where a single company had the concession to run services on a particular section of the railway, in future, Great British Railways will commission private organisations to run services on its behalf on shorter term “passenger contracts”.  This will enable them to plan a holistic service but make use of private companies who can bring innovation and efficiency to aspects of running the national railway network.  It’s a model that has some similarities with the way that Transport for London operate services in the London area currently.  It enables you to have the benefits of private investment while regaining the coherence of a fully integrated national railway network.

As part of the Levelling Up agenda, the Government has also launched a competitive process to decide the location for Head Quarters of Great British Railways and, last week, Cornwall formally submitted a bid to the Department for Transport for Cornwall to be the new home of Great British Railway’s new HQ. This bid is being led by Camborne given its important role in the industrial revolution and the development of the steam engine and, most notably, the ground-breaking work of Richard Trevithick, the inventor of the first steam locomotive.  The proposal includes several potential sites near Treswithian or near Tuckingmill, with a potential for a visitors’ centre inside the town centre. There are 42 applicants across the country with a shortlist produced in May and the winner being announced in the summer after a public vote.  

Bus Back Better

In a peninsula like Cornwall, there will always be challenges to building resilient public transport infrastructure. However, some good progress has been made in the last few years. We have invested to improve our railways and there is now a regular half hourly service running through Cornwall which has led to a significant increase in passenger numbers

In the past, I have written about the plans to introduce Britain’s first SuperBus network here in Cornwall. The network was part of the government’s plans to reverse the impacts of dwindling services in local towns and drive forward a bus revolution that will improve access for everyone.

The pioneering investment will direct support towards more frequent public transport in the countryside, introducing new apps that will improve the information available to commuters whilst also ensuring that the bus fleets will be cleaner, more environmentally friendly, and better integrated with our train network.

In March of 2021, the Government published the new Bus Back Better plan. This was a post-pandemic National bus strategy that set out how we would fundamentally overall our transport system with a view to making it more accessible. As part of this announcement, Cornwall was awarded £23.5 million to develop and launch a Bus Service Improvement Plan for the county.

From next Monday, 11th April, Cornwall Council will be launching a new pilot under the Bus Service Improvement Plan called ‘Make Big Savings by Bus’. This new scheme will fundamentally change the fare structure of buses in Cornwall, saving the average consumer up to 1/3 on the cost of their journey. For instance, a journey between Camborne and Redruth, or a ‘short-hop fare’ will be reduced by up to 20%, while a longer journey, such as Camborne to Truro will see a reduction of around 40% in some cases.

Furthermore, the Transport Portfolio holder, Cllr Phillip Desmond, and his team have been working hard with all the bus companies across Cornwall over the last 6 months to create a new day pass for unlimited travel across Cornwall that works on any bus service. This new pass will cost just £5 a day or £20 a week and allow for limitless travel on the bus network across the Duchy.

In addition to this new bus pilot, this week the Secretary of State for Transport has announced a further £13.3 million for Cornwall to expand services, which is part of a wider £7 billion package to help improve public transport outside of London. It aims to make buses more reliable and greener. 

Since being elected, I have prioritised economic regeneration and green recovery. Investing in and improving the public transport system for Cornwall is a significant step forward in ensuring that our local communities are supported and connected. These announcements should encourage more people to use our growing bus network, supporting both businesses and residents alike, and driving regeneration across the whole Camborne and Redruth area.

See here for more information: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/xojf2whr/tfc-bus-service-improvement-plan-web.pdf 

Opportunity for All

Now that Covid restrictions have gone, I have the chance to resume visits and meetings with our local schools. I will never cease to be impressed by the commitment and dedication of all our schools and the work they do to give the next generation the best possible start in life.  

Last Friday, I visited the Nexus Campus of Camborne Science and International Academy. The ‘Gifted Programme’ is unique in Cornwall and provides state-funded specialist education to young people with a particular talent for science and maths. During my visit, I met a number of students, some who had recently come into the school as well as others in the sixth form who were contemplating their next step to university.  We discussed a wide range of issues including how the Covid lockdown had affected study, sport and friendships.  Schools worked hard during the lockdown to try to offer online study and, while all schools will find there is some catching up to do, the remarkable thing is how resilient young people are and how quickly they have bounced back. 

On Monday this week, Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the ‘Opportunity for All’ Schools White Paper that is setting out how the Government intends to level up education. Literacy and numeracy are the building blocks of world-class education, and the White Paper sets out key targets and pledges that the Government is seeking to achieve. These include having 90% of primary school children being expected to achieve Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths by 2030 and see the national average grade for GCSE English and Maths rise to 5 by 2030, from 4.5 in 2019.

These targets will be achieved through the introduction of several measures including requiring schools to offer a minimum of a 32.5-hour school week by September 2023 and increasing Ofsted inspections. These ambitious proposals are further expanded by the additional announcement that the Department for Health and the Department for Education will launch a new consultation with a view to developing a stronger national system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), supporting teachers, parents and most importantly children. This will ensure that no child is left behind in our recovery from the Pandemic and we build back an education system stronger and more resilient than before.

The Opportunity for All White Paper and the new consultation for a stronger national system for children requiring SEND or alternate provision is further building on the announcement from February that Cornwall was one of the 55 areas in England selected as an Education Investment Area. These policies will make a real difference to children across the country.

Since I was first elected, I have made clear that regeneration and job creation have been my top priorities and that includes ensuring that we are opening new routes for people of all ages to learn new skills and enhance their productivity. As such, I look forward to seeing how these new policies will make a tangible difference for all our children in Cornwall, ensuring they have the best start in life.

Spring Conference in Blackpool

Last weekend I was in Blackpool at the Conservative Spring Conference where I gave a speech about the work we are doing to keep international supply chains open, to support the people of Ukraine and secure our food supply. 

In recent weeks, we have all been moved by the incredible courage of Ukraine’s president; by the extraordinary bravery of the Ukrainian army; and by the fortitude and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Ukrainian farmers are showing tenacity in another way. Despite everything, they remain determined to get this year’s crops in the ground, particularly in Western Ukraine. Spring is the season of new life and new beginnings. For farmers, the world over it is a time of hope as they sow their crop for the year ahead, with optimism for what it might bring in the future. 

The determination to get this year’s crop on the ground shows that Ukraine is a country that believes in its future and refuses to give up. Of course, Ukraine is a significant global producer of many agricultural commodities such as wheat and sunflower oil. The invasion of Ukraine has obviously caused some turbulence in international commodity markets. Agricultural commodity prices have always been strongly correlated to the price of energy. The turbulence on the market has brought into focus, once again, the importance of a resilient global supply chain. 

The UK is largely self-sufficient in wheat production and imports a small amount predominantly from Canada. But we are working with like-minded countries around the globe to ensure that trade flows continue, and we are working through organisations like the World Food Programme to identify vulnerabilities in other countries and to play our part ensuring that we get food to those nations in need, including those besieged cities in Ukraine.

Recent events and the impact of the Covid pandemic are also a reminder that domestic food production matters. Domestic food production gives us national resilience. Our new farming schemes in England are supporting our farmers to improve their profitability and output. We’ve just increased the Farming Investment Fund for small technology grants from £17 million to more than £48 million supporting thousands of farmers with their investment plans this year.

Of course, food production and environmental protection must go hand in hand. I’ve always maintained that they are two sides of the same coin. Many of the steps we will take to encourage a more sustainable model of agriculture will also help improve the resilience and profitability of farm businesses. Last year, our world-leading Environment Act became law – creating a new domestic framework outside of the EU. Last week, I set out ambitious environmental targets in priority areas from biodiversity to air and water quality. I want us to use our newfound freedom to do better for our environment – where there is more room for science and less obsession with the legal processes.

As the Prime Minister said at COP, we have a chance to end humanity’s long history as nature’s conqueror, and instead, become its custodian – a mantra that has long been at the core of conservatism. Now is the moment and it is a Conservative Government that is leading the agenda.

Tightening Sanctions on Russia

On Monday this week, the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill received Royal Assent and became UK law. This has given the government new powers to act in the public interest and immediately designate individuals and entities under an urgent procedure, while evidence is gathered to sanction them under our own standard procedure.

Denying Russia access to Most Favoured Nation tariff treatment for key imports and applying additional tariffs will restrict Russian exports to the UK. The UK is working with our international partners and is supporting the World Trade Organization to prevent those who fail to respect the rules-based international order from reaping its benefits.

The new law enables the Government to levy an additional 370 more sanctions on Russian and Belarussian assets. This means over 1,000 individuals and entities, including many Russian oligarchs, will now be subject to sanctions since Russia launched the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The Government is clear: we will continue to tighten the screw on the Russian economy in the coming days, as the government makes full use of powers necessary to tackle the biggest security crisis in Europe since World War II.

These sanctions build upon the previous ‘lethal aid’ that the UK has provided to Ukraine with over 3,615 new light anti-tank weapons (NLAWs) along with a range of other defensive weapons and non-lethal aid such as body armour. The Defence Secretary recently informed the House of Commons that the UK will shortly start delivering anti-tank Javelin missiles and that the Government has now confirmed the authorisation of the donation of Starstreak high-velocity, man-portable anti-air missiles, which would allow Ukraine to better defend its skies.

The UK has led the international effort to support Ukraine, cutting off whole sectors of the Russian economy by targeting its defence companies, its trade and transport sector, and working with allies to exclude Russia from the SWIFT financial system. This is having a considerable impact on the Russian economy and the lack of support among many of the Russian people for their government is clear. Just this week, we have seen a Russian News executive bravely risk her own well-being to hold up a sign on Russian-State TV to highlight the frequent lies and falsehoods that a repeated every day by the presenters.

While our actions abroad and on the international stage are vital to ending the horrific conflict, we must also look at what we are doing nationally. I am extremely proud that over 100,000 people have signed up to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing from their country. 

We have seen exceptional bravery by the Ukrainian people and military in standing up to the bully that is Vladimir Putin and I have no doubt that this will not cease until the country is free once again. 

St Piran's Day 2022

Last Saturday, towns up and down Cornwall celebrated St Piran’s Day. It was great to be able to celebrate it properly again after two years of Covid restrictions.  St Piran’s day in 2020 came just before we went into the first lockdown. I attended the event in Redruth again last weekend.  Although it wasn’t possible to do the usual parade this year, we still had a good turnout.  person in Redruth this year, particularly after last year’s more muted celebration. It was a beautiful, albeit cool day on Saturday and the choir gave a great rendition of Trelawny.  As we celebrated our own Cornish identity and pride, we all also took a moment to pause and reflect as we prayed for the people of Ukraine at this appalling time for their country as their identity, and existence as a nation is under attack.

Over the past few years, we have seen a growing interest in Cornwall’s history and culture. Camborne, Redruth, and Hayle are at the very heart of this revival, and it’s great to see these industrial towns leading the way in promoting our rich and wonderful history. Cornwall has a distinct culture and an industrial heritage to be proud of, with Redruth playing a particularly important role as one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution and as the centre of the Cornish diaspora across the world. In its prime, Redruth was at the heart of the tin mining industry and there were many feats of engineering developed in Cornwall at that time. We exported mining expertise around the globe from Australia and South Africa to California, South America, and Mexico.

Redruth has seen considerable regeneration over the past few years. The Highstreet Heritage Action Zone, centred around Fore Street and the Buttermarket, was awarded £1.68 million by Heritage England last year. This has allowed work on projects like the Buttermarket to proceed swiftly. The current proposals are very exciting, and I am looking forward to seeing how they can play an important role in regenerating the town centre. Furthermore, the Kresen Kernow Cornish Archive, based in Redruth, is an excellent facility to record our history and store important artefacts.  It was a major breakthrough for the town to be designated as the chosen location and has regenerated the old brewery site. Redruth Town Council has shown tremendous enthusiasm for the new archive project and credit should also go to both existing and former local councillors for their support in getting this great project completed.

Cornwall has a unique place within our United Kingdom. It was constitutionally recognised as having its own distinctive character early in our history.  The Stannary Parliament gave Cornwall a veto over certain tax laws recognising that Cornwall contributed so much to the wealth of the nation.  Through the Crown, Cornwall was always recognised as distinct with the Duke of Cornwall going on to become the Monarch.  Cornwall is very committed to the UK union, but we are very proud of our own distinctiveness, and we should find better ways of recognising that within our Constitution.

Click here if you would like to help Ukraine: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukraine-what-you-can-do-to-help 

War in Ukraine

 Last Thursday, the Russian Federation began a horrific, unprovoked attack on Ukraine. This was a premeditated attack against a sovereign, democratic state and the UK government is committed to supporting Ukraine through this dark hour.

We have seen incredible bravery and fortitude from the people of Ukraine.  President Zelensky and the Ukrainian army have shown extraordinary courage in fighting for their country and the invasion has not gone as President Putin planned.  However, we have also seen some harrowing scenes of civilians under attack.

The UK has, for a number of years now, worked to support Ukraine's security and defence. We have trained over 22,000 members of the Ukrainian army through Operation ORBITAL and, since 2019, assisted Ukraine to build up and sustaining a naval capability. In the months prior to the invasion, the UK provided extra support in the form of 2000 anti-armour missiles to help defensive operations.

Over the course of the past few days, the world has worked together in establishing a package of sanctions in response to the illegal actions of President Putin. These sanctions include freezing the assets of all Russian banks with immediate effect, including VTB, Russia’s largest bank, sanctioning over 100 companies and oligarchs at the heart of Putin’s regime, including much of the Russian defence sector, preventing Russian companies from borrowing on the UK markets, effectively ending the ability of those companies closest to Putin to raise finance in the UK. This is in addition to banning the Russian state itself from raising funds in the UK, as previously announced. The UK has also banned Russia's national airline (Aeroflot) from UK airspace, and indeed any aircraft which is registered in Russia or owned, chartered, or operated by a person connected with Russia from UK airspace.

It is clear that Putin has totally miscalculated the nature of this conflict and the nature of the people of Ukraine. With every hour, the passionate desire of the people of Ukraine to defend their country has become more apparent and millions of people around the world have been stirred and moved by their courage.   The UK and allies have been clear all along that there would be a severe cost for any further Russian military incursion into Ukraine. This invasion of a free and sovereign country is not only a tragedy, but it is a colossal mistake, and it is essential that Putin ultimately fails.

Living with Covid and an Escalation of Ukraine-Russia Crisis

Earlier this week we made another important step towards the return to normal life after the Covid pandemic with the announcement by the Prime Minister that all remaining restrictions would now be removed.  The huge success of our vaccination programme and the roll out of booster jabs means that the impacts of the Omicron wave were greatly reduced with hospitalisations held low and with both infection rates and hospitalisations now falling quickly we can make this further step.

From Thursday the 24th of February the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for Covid-19 no longer applies but it is still advised to limit contact with others as far as possible if you test positive until April, if you can.  The guidance that encouraged teachers and students in school settings to routinely test twice a week has also been removed.  The emergency powers that were given to councils to impose restrictions on venues locally have been taken away, and from April new, more general public health guidance will be issued. 

During the pandemic we had to take some extraordinary and draconian powers to control the spread of the virus, but these were only ever temporary.  The freedom of society and individual liberties really matter, and it is essential that government actively take down the emergency powers and rules that were put in place and allow people to return to life as normal and make their own judgements about risk and their personal safety.   Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing, and the life chances of our children. As such, we must use other measures such as the further expansion of our world beating vaccine program.
 
Since the beginning of last year, the UK has consistently been ahead of the rest of the world in protecting out population and we were the first European country to give booster doses to at least half of our population. It is because of this success that we have now been able to withdraw almost all guidance around Covid-19 and are now able to end mandatory self-isolation from today.
 
However, we also want to help the rest of the world emerge from the pandemic.  The UK developed one of the first vaccines to be used.  We have now distributed 2.5 billion doses of the UK-developed AstraZeneca vaccine, just 1 year after the first dose was administered here in the UK. This has undoubtedly saved countless lives and will have made a substantial difference to end the pandemic but there is further to go in other countries and we are supporting programmes like Covax which is operated by the World Health Organisation.
 
There is a broad consensus now among much of the medical community that we are approaching the Endemic stage of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and that we will need to live alongside it much as we already live alongside seasonal flu or colds.  While we will almost certainly see further variants emerge and will need to maintain some surveillance, we are on a definitive route back to normality.
 

Escalation in Ukraine: 
This week has also seen a considerable escalation in the situation in Ukraine, which has been building for some time. On Tuesday, the Russian Parliament authorised the use of Russian troops abroad and the Government formally recognised the states of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent from Ukraine. The safety and security of British nationals in Ukraine remains a top priority. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Ukraine.
 
In response to the actions of the Russian state towards Ukraine and Russia’s breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by sending troops into eastern Ukraine, the government announced in Parliament new sanctions on five Russian banks and a group of oligarchs.  It is important that we take steps to place sanctions on Russia for the actions it has taken.

National Apprenticeship Week 2022

 Last week was the 15^th National Apprentice Week which brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to raise awareness of the positive impact that apprenticeships make on individuals, businesses, and the wider economy.  In recent years we have started to see emphasis switch back from university degrees towards apprenticeships as a choice for many young people.  It means that they earn while they learn and do not have to take out student loans.  There has also been a growing realisation that an apprenticeship can offer a better career path than a degree for many and that there are no longer any glass ceilings that prevent people from progressing to the top because they embarked on a vocational learning path.

I have always been a strong advocate for apprenticeships. When I was a student, I studied at Cornwall College between 1987 and 1990 for a BTEC National Certificate in Business Studies and then after that a City and Guilds in Agricultural Management. I have always looked back fondly on my time at Cornwall College and valued the skills that I learned there.

The College has a deep-rooted history in our area and has been at the heart of all further and higher education in Cornwall for the last 80 years or so. It is a vital local asset delivering work-based learning in our area, with students able to learn a variety of skills such as plumbing, carpentry, car maintenance, or engineering.

Colleges and higher education providers such as Cornwall College will be vital to people’s prospects and chances as a result of the changing economy and the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Work is changing, and it is important that people develop the skills they need to create new and better jobs.  The various Covid restrictions have interrupted the education of many including those taking degrees and apprentices and we need to help them pick up where they left off.

It is good to see businesses across Cornwall taking advantage of new government support which has recently been increased by £170 million to £2.7 billion in 2024-25. Local Companies such as Blue Flame work with Camborne college and have trained over 60 apprentices since the company’s inception. Similarly, Rodda’s has also supported many young people in learning new skills under their various apprentices’ schemes.

Since I was first elected, I have made clear that regeneration and job creation have been my top priorities and that includes ensuring that we are opening new routes for people of all ages to learn new skills and enhance their productivity. I look forward to continuing to support apprentices across the Camborne and Redruth area as we continue to build back better from the pandemic.

Levelling Up

Last week the Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities announced the much-anticipated Levelling Up White Paper that set up the Governments vision for redistributing much of the wealth in this country away from London toward places like Cornwall. Since I was first elected twelve years ago, I have made clear that economic regeneration in Camborne, Redruth and Hayle was my number one priority so it is very positive to see that the Government is developing the vision for how we can improve all areas not just focusing on the large cities such as Manchester or London.

The new White Paper has set out a new vision for Cornwall within the United Kingdom as we have been designated one of the nine counties invited to negotiate a new ‘county deal’. This will give local leaders more control over areas such as transport, skills, and infrastructure and is part of the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times. My hope is that as this develops, substantially more powers will be given to Cornwall Council and Cllr Linda Taylor to help address the housing situation in Cornwall and I am very supportive of the proposals for a revised planning policy on holiday homes and other potential solutions.

The Levelling-Up White paper also referenced and confirmed some funding that has previously been announced, including the £23.7 million packages for Camborne through the Town Deal. Projects such as the ‘Fibre Park’ tech hub, the new funding for the rugby club, and projects regenerating areas in the town centre will make a genuine difference and are a welcome boost for the town.

The traditional, 20th century model of retail taking over the town centre and residential being primarily on estates around the outskirts of town may have run its course.  We need to rethink the purpose of our town centres and more and more retail goes online and goods are delivered directly to the home.  We need to get better at making our town centres more of a mixed space for living and working and improving the public realm and streetscape. As more people opt to be self-employed and often make use of digital media to work from home, there is likely to be a change in what our towns are for in the decades ahead. This new funding for Camborne will give us the finance to promote some of the changes that can secure our future prosperity.

While much has been made of the slogan ‘Levelling-Up’ since the 2019 election, I am very pleased to see the government is continuing to deliver on that agenda and I look forward to meeting with my colleague Michael Gove in the coming months to ensure that this progress is only built on in the future.

Reducing Sewage in our Rivers

One of the things that we have valued more during this pandemic is the ability to have access to the natural world and outdoor spaces. With all the restrictions in place and three lockdowns, which have required us to stay at home, the ability to get out and exercise, and form a connection with the natural world has been important. Our beaches, in particular, have been a source of comfort to so many of us. 

However, Cornwall, like many parts of the country, has long suffered from the excessive use of storm overflows leading to raw sewage being released into our rivers and oceans and, as flash rainfall events have become more frequent, our Victorian sewerage infrastructure has struggled to cope. Local organisations such as Surfers against Sewage have done a great deal to raise awareness about this issue.

When I became Environment Secretary in February 2020, I made it a priority to clean up our rivers and seas.  One of the first things I did was to set out our expectation that water companies must take steps to significantly reduce storm overflows as a matter of urgency.

Through the Environment Act, we have put in place a package of measures to reduce the harms from storm overflows. This includes new duties on water companies and government and increased monitoring and transparency through the Storm Overflows Taskforce. Monitoring of the network has increased 14-fold in the last five years and the Environment Agency will monitor 100% of storm overflows by next year. We will be publishing a statutory plan by September to tackle storm overflows. We are also bringing the strongest enforcement action against water and sewerage companies that damage our environment, including a record £90 million fine against Southern Water.

This week, we are publishing that new statement and set out our priorities for the water regulator, Ofwat, to make sure that the water industry is delivering for the environment and for consumers. Ofwat, as the economic regulator, is responsible for setting out what water companies should focus their investment on during each spending cycle. The Government is responsible for setting the policy priorities for Ofwat, and we have never been clearer. Ofwat and water companies can and must prioritise action to improve the water environment and deliver a resilient and sustainable water supply.

This builds on other actions that we have taken to improve water quality and the health of our natural environment. We will continue moving forward, improving policies, and working with industry and regulators to clean up our rivers and seas. We will shortly be publishing a public consultation on targets for the priority areas in our Environment Act, including water, and this will be yet another mechanism to drive forward improvements for the water environment. 

Once this pandemic is over, we will have an opportunity through our new policies to do more both to increase and improve the number of people who access our beautiful countryside and to do more for nature’s recovery within these designated areas. With the measures we are putting in place, we will leave the environment in a better state for future generations - and turn the tide on the decline that we have seen in recent decades.