Another Twitter spat between South East Cornwall Conservative MP Sheryll Murray and one of her Cornish Lib Dem coalition partners over first class train tickets. Sheryll makes a prolier-than-thou virtue of her standard class rail journeys (which is now all the taxpayer needs to meet.)
She had previously had a pop at St Ives's Andrew George for travelling first class. This time it's Newquay & St Austell's Stephen Gilbert she identifies as a custodian of the posh seats. MPs who travel first class now have to pay the difference themselves.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Sorry, sorry, sorry...
Several Cornwall councillors have teased me over my ejection from the council chamber yesterday during the Cabinet cuts meeting. Contrary to perception, I do not spend my waking hours simply thinking up new ways to annoy the council's press officers and it was all entirely innocent. This is what happened.
I was trying to organise a troop of councillors to take part in a live BBC Radio Cornwall broadcast about the proposed council budget. During meetings, officials and councillors come and go the whole time and as long as they don't make too much noise or distract whoever is speaking no-one minds.
One councillor, who was sitting close to the periphery of the meeting, was within easy reach. So I tiptoed up and whispered in his ear that if he wanted, a grateful Cornwall could hear his thoughts at about 1pm.
No sooner had the invitation been extended than I was (very politely and charmingly) escorted from the chamber. Apparently it is absolutely forbidden for reporters to speak to councillors during meetings. I have to say this is a new one on me - I had never before been aware that there's a law against talking to councillors (can anyone tell me which Act of Parliament provides such a law?) - but I don't think any harm was done.
The funny thing is that I could have communicated with the councillor by phone, text, email or Twitter and that would not have been against the rules. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and the councillor was one of five who were able to get their views on the budget on the wireless yesterday.
I was trying to organise a troop of councillors to take part in a live BBC Radio Cornwall broadcast about the proposed council budget. During meetings, officials and councillors come and go the whole time and as long as they don't make too much noise or distract whoever is speaking no-one minds.
One councillor, who was sitting close to the periphery of the meeting, was within easy reach. So I tiptoed up and whispered in his ear that if he wanted, a grateful Cornwall could hear his thoughts at about 1pm.
No sooner had the invitation been extended than I was (very politely and charmingly) escorted from the chamber. Apparently it is absolutely forbidden for reporters to speak to councillors during meetings. I have to say this is a new one on me - I had never before been aware that there's a law against talking to councillors (can anyone tell me which Act of Parliament provides such a law?) - but I don't think any harm was done.
The funny thing is that I could have communicated with the councillor by phone, text, email or Twitter and that would not have been against the rules. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and the councillor was one of five who were able to get their views on the budget on the wireless yesterday.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Was there a Cornish Brigade?
This is an appeal for information.
Nearly 30 years ago I heard a story about a group of socialists from Cornwall who in the 1930s packed themselves off to Spain to fight for the Republican cause in the civil war. I tried to get details but my informant was vague; he had heard the information himself only second-hand etc etc.
About 15 years ago I heard a very similar story from another source, but again failed to get enough concrete facts to persuade any commissioning editor that there was a great documentary to be made - if the story stood up.
But now we have the internet, I have this blog, the blog has a few readers and who knows...
This is the story: round about 1936 about a dozen young men, from either Padstow or Port Isaac, were sufficiently concerned about Franco's assault on democracy in Spain to volunteer themselves as soldiers in a foreign war. With no training or preparation, they kissed their wives and girlfriends goodbye and set sail. Within days of their arrival they were killed - and neither of my informants was clear about which side had shot them.
The story is instantly gripping. Were they all so passionate about humanity and justice that they really believed this was the right way to make the world a better place? Had they any idea what they were getting into - including the fractured nature of the anti-Franco forces? Or were they just so drunk that they didn't realise they'd got on the wrong boat?
I did manage to find out that in the 1930s Padstow was (believe it or don't!) something of a hot-bed of Marxism - at least, there seems to have been about a dozen card-carrying Communist Party members there (In truth, in the 1930s, there were probably card-carrying Communist Party members in most towns in Cornwall, just like everywhere else.) But the International Brigade Association - whose membership, by the 1980s and 90s, was dwindling fast - had no knowledge of any contingent from Cornwall making it to Spain.
The working title of this project, in so far as there was a project at all 30 years ago, was "Innocence of Youth" and was about the declining interest in political activity among young people in the late 20th century; and the vanishing concepts of social class solidarity and internationalism.
If it did indeed happen, my guess is that the men who ended up dead in Spain were too young to have had children or other responsibilities at home. So I'm looking for nephews and neices, distant cousins etc; anyone who might be able to tell me if any of this is true.
I do hope it is true. In the far reaches of my imagination I actually hope that a Cornish Brigade not only made it to Spain but actually survived, and settled there, and their descendents now thrive in a democratic Europe unrecognisable to those who fought a war about it 80 years ago.
But I've been around long enough to know that people sometimes tell stories which they fervently wish to have been true. Whatever the answers, I won't be disappointed.
Nearly 30 years ago I heard a story about a group of socialists from Cornwall who in the 1930s packed themselves off to Spain to fight for the Republican cause in the civil war. I tried to get details but my informant was vague; he had heard the information himself only second-hand etc etc.
About 15 years ago I heard a very similar story from another source, but again failed to get enough concrete facts to persuade any commissioning editor that there was a great documentary to be made - if the story stood up.
But now we have the internet, I have this blog, the blog has a few readers and who knows...
This is the story: round about 1936 about a dozen young men, from either Padstow or Port Isaac, were sufficiently concerned about Franco's assault on democracy in Spain to volunteer themselves as soldiers in a foreign war. With no training or preparation, they kissed their wives and girlfriends goodbye and set sail. Within days of their arrival they were killed - and neither of my informants was clear about which side had shot them.
The story is instantly gripping. Were they all so passionate about humanity and justice that they really believed this was the right way to make the world a better place? Had they any idea what they were getting into - including the fractured nature of the anti-Franco forces? Or were they just so drunk that they didn't realise they'd got on the wrong boat?
I did manage to find out that in the 1930s Padstow was (believe it or don't!) something of a hot-bed of Marxism - at least, there seems to have been about a dozen card-carrying Communist Party members there (In truth, in the 1930s, there were probably card-carrying Communist Party members in most towns in Cornwall, just like everywhere else.) But the International Brigade Association - whose membership, by the 1980s and 90s, was dwindling fast - had no knowledge of any contingent from Cornwall making it to Spain.
The working title of this project, in so far as there was a project at all 30 years ago, was "Innocence of Youth" and was about the declining interest in political activity among young people in the late 20th century; and the vanishing concepts of social class solidarity and internationalism.
If it did indeed happen, my guess is that the men who ended up dead in Spain were too young to have had children or other responsibilities at home. So I'm looking for nephews and neices, distant cousins etc; anyone who might be able to tell me if any of this is true.
I do hope it is true. In the far reaches of my imagination I actually hope that a Cornish Brigade not only made it to Spain but actually survived, and settled there, and their descendents now thrive in a democratic Europe unrecognisable to those who fought a war about it 80 years ago.
But I've been around long enough to know that people sometimes tell stories which they fervently wish to have been true. Whatever the answers, I won't be disappointed.
Above reproach?
Cornwall Council tells me the shopping vouchers which allow councillors (and all council staff) to get a discount at Asda and Sainsbury's are no different to any loyalty card scheme, and that is why officials advise there is no need to regard them as declarable interests.
Sorry, but I still don't understand. These discount vouchers are being made available through the council and are therefore not available to ordinary citizens, who are either not employed by the council or who are not elected members. I don't have a problem with council staff getting the chance to use discount vouchers, as long as those staff are not in a position to influence planning permissions for supermarkets.
But what I can't get my head round is the idea that people will not perceive a conflict of interest. Councillor X enjoys a benefit ("5% off weekly shopping bills") which is not available to citizen Y. Isn't that the point?
Sorry, but I still don't understand. These discount vouchers are being made available through the council and are therefore not available to ordinary citizens, who are either not employed by the council or who are not elected members. I don't have a problem with council staff getting the chance to use discount vouchers, as long as those staff are not in a position to influence planning permissions for supermarkets.
But what I can't get my head round is the idea that people will not perceive a conflict of interest. Councillor X enjoys a benefit ("5% off weekly shopping bills") which is not available to citizen Y. Isn't that the point?
The Newquay Airport gamble
An interesting snippet from yesterday's media briefing on Cornwall Council's cuts - if the council stopped paying the £5m/year Newquay Airport subsidy, the European Union would "claw back" £28 million in grants. This was one of the main reasons the council has decided to continue funding the project. But the arithmetic is pretty straightforward. I look forward to asking the question again in 2016.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Time running out for anti-Devonwall MPs
David Cameron today told Cornwall's six MPs he would discuss their concerns over the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill with ministerial colleagues. No doubt the MPs see this as an historic victory.
The MPs' next chance to make their own mark on this legislation is the Report stage in the House of Commons next Monday, followed by the Third and final reading a week tomorrow.
So unless the government agrees to changes by next Monday, Tuesday 2nd November will be the day on which the MPs have to decide if they are for or against this Bill - whether a referendum on the Alternative Vote system matters more than Cornwall's political border with Devon.
Time to study the smallprint of their previous statements on this matter.....
The MPs' next chance to make their own mark on this legislation is the Report stage in the House of Commons next Monday, followed by the Third and final reading a week tomorrow.
So unless the government agrees to changes by next Monday, Tuesday 2nd November will be the day on which the MPs have to decide if they are for or against this Bill - whether a referendum on the Alternative Vote system matters more than Cornwall's political border with Devon.
Time to study the smallprint of their previous statements on this matter.....
Neil's burden
How many Cornwall councillors will it take to defeat the proposed cuts budget? Not as many as you might think, but be prepared for a number of assumptions.
Assuming the Liberal Democrat and Mebyon Kernow groups join together in opposing the budget, they have about 43 seats in the council chamber between them. A motion needs 62 to be sure of success.
So the Lib Dem/MK groups would be 19 votes short - but again, I have to make an assumption that every single member of the 123-strong council attends and votes (which on past form is highly unlikely.) I am also assuming that council chairman Pat Harvey does not normally vote.
Councillor Neil Burden's job, as a senior member of the Cabinet and leader of the Independent political group, is to persuade enough of his 31 members (at least 13) to vote with the Conservatives. Given that nearly all of Neil's group are now getting drafted into local campaigns to save libraries and leisure centres this might not be so easy. Indeed, without the carrots and sticks (career prospects and whips) that go with a conventional political party I'd say Neil has quite a task on his hands.
For the Liberal Democrats and Mebyon Kernow, the mission is to find a clever form of words for some sort of budget amendment which, by 30th November, will command the support of at least 19 dissident Independent councillors.
Incidentally I'm often asked how councillors who are elected as "independent" suddenly find themselves members of a political group called "Independents." The answer is to be found in the financial rewards councillors get in return for sitting on several committees, working parties and other official bodies where appointment is within the gift of a political group leader.
Councillors elected as "independent" who stay outside of a political group risk isolation, with possibly only one full council meeting to attend each month. So it pays, literally, for independent councillors to join a political group and appoint each other to various committees where they can earn attendance allowance for the approved duty.
This is why some members of Cornwall Council's Cabinet describe themselves as "independent" and really believe it when they say they are not politicians. It's a question worth asking next time an "independent" council candidate asks for your vote.
Assuming the Liberal Democrat and Mebyon Kernow groups join together in opposing the budget, they have about 43 seats in the council chamber between them. A motion needs 62 to be sure of success.
So the Lib Dem/MK groups would be 19 votes short - but again, I have to make an assumption that every single member of the 123-strong council attends and votes (which on past form is highly unlikely.) I am also assuming that council chairman Pat Harvey does not normally vote.
Councillor Neil Burden's job, as a senior member of the Cabinet and leader of the Independent political group, is to persuade enough of his 31 members (at least 13) to vote with the Conservatives. Given that nearly all of Neil's group are now getting drafted into local campaigns to save libraries and leisure centres this might not be so easy. Indeed, without the carrots and sticks (career prospects and whips) that go with a conventional political party I'd say Neil has quite a task on his hands.
For the Liberal Democrats and Mebyon Kernow, the mission is to find a clever form of words for some sort of budget amendment which, by 30th November, will command the support of at least 19 dissident Independent councillors.
Incidentally I'm often asked how councillors who are elected as "independent" suddenly find themselves members of a political group called "Independents." The answer is to be found in the financial rewards councillors get in return for sitting on several committees, working parties and other official bodies where appointment is within the gift of a political group leader.
Councillors elected as "independent" who stay outside of a political group risk isolation, with possibly only one full council meeting to attend each month. So it pays, literally, for independent councillors to join a political group and appoint each other to various committees where they can earn attendance allowance for the approved duty.
This is why some members of Cornwall Council's Cabinet describe themselves as "independent" and really believe it when they say they are not politicians. It's a question worth asking next time an "independent" council candidate asks for your vote.
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