Newspaper column 9 November 2016 - Remembrance Day

This coming weekend we step back and reflect on Remembrance Day.

This year is particularly moving as we commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

The Battle of the Somme took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. The battle was intended to hasten a victory for the Allies and was the largest battle of the First World War on the Western Front. More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

On top of this, the futility of the trench warfare tactics was readily apparent here. Although it was initial cast as an allied victory, in fact the British and French had advanced about 6 miles and the war would drag on for another two years.

As I wrote last year, Captain Agar-Robartes, the sitting MP for mid-Cornwall when he died on 30^th September 1915 as a result of injuries sustained in battle.  Born 20 years after the end of the Second World War, I can only imagine what it must have been like to live through conflict, either as a combatant or at home, waiting for loved ones to return.

Of course it isn’t just about the Great War. Like many people my grandfather served in the Second World War and experienced the horrors of war in the Navy. My thoughts are always drawn to him on Remembrance Day as I recall the few occasions he told us about his experiences.

The men and women of our armed forces also continue to serve and protect to this very day. With extremists such as ISIS in the Middle-East, it is a shame that global peace still remains distant.

I am very aware of the responsibility being an MP brings, to make the right and at times difficult decisions when it comes to the defence of our nation and protection of others in an ever more dangerous world. The decision as to when and how to deploy troops is brought home on Remembrance Day.   This is a responsibility I intend to take extremely seriously.

As usual many communities will be marking Remembrance Sunday this weekend with parades and services.  My team and I will be honoured to join the parades and then to lay wreaths across Mid-Cornwall.

This weekend is about remembrance.  Let us remember the men and women who gave their lives for us in the past and honour those who continue to risk their lives today.

As always, my team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events

Updated Statement from Steve Double MP regarding The Boundary Commissions proposals

When I issued my initial statement regarding the proposed Parliamentary boundary changes in Cornwall on 28^th September, I made clear that I shared the strong feeling that many people in Cornwall felt about these changes.

I also stated that I would consider how best to work to change these plans.

Over the past few weeks I have had several discussions both with people locally in Cornwall and in Westminster, including Government Ministers, to seek the best way forward.

The reality is that the legislation for these new boundaries was passed by the previous coalition government. The way the legislation is set leaves very little room for any flexibility in the size and therefore the number and make up of the constituencies in Cornwall.

We need to remember that these are legal arguments and we have to be realistic about the reasons they can be effectively opposed. I have considered the various arguments put forward seeking to oppose the new boundaries. Unfortunately, none of them contain valid legal reasons to prevent them.

Like many people, I had hoped that the Minority Status the Cornish people now enjoy would provide a legal argument to oppose the cross border seat with Devon. Sadly, legal advice obtained by Cornwall Council has stated that this is not the case.

However, despite there being no clear legal reasons to oppose these plans, in my heart, as a Cornishman, I know they feel wrong. And I know this feeling is shared by many people in Cornwall.

This is an emotional response that comes from the deep pride and passion we feel about our identity.

There are only two places where we can express our views on this issue that will make any difference – in Parliament and to the Boundary Commission.

It is my privilege and honour to be the voice of the constituency of St Austell and Newquay in Parliament. Be assured that I have been making your views known and will continue to do so. Much of the work in Parliament is carried out in individual meetings. However, there will be opportunities for these views to be expressed in public debate in the coming months and I will take these opportunities as they occur, whenever I can.

If you have views on these boundaries please contacted me and make me aware of them so that I can represent you – office@stevedouble.org.uk

The first opportunity for me to express the views that I and many local people have on these proposals will be today at the South West Boundary Commission Consultation in Exeter. I am pleased to confirm that I will be attending this consultation. A copy of the oral presentation I will be making there is below.

  

Oral Submission to the South West Boundary Commission by Steve Double MP

My name is Steve Double and I am the sitting MP for the constituency of St Austell and Newquay in mid-Cornwall.

I understand the legal restrictions that the Boundary Commission has had to work within in drawing up these proposals. The legislation passed by the previous coalition government is highly restrictive and leaves little room for manoeuvre in Cornwall.

I do have a number of concerns with regards to the current proposals and the way they impact on the constituency I represent. However, due to the way the rules have to be applied I cannot see any other way of dividing up the boundaries that would produce a better outcome local residents would prefer.

I do still wish to place on record the concerns I have, both for my own sake, and on behalf of the people of St Austell and Newquay that I represent and the wider people of Cornwall.

Of particular concern to people locally is the splitting up of what are locally known as the ‘Clay Villages’. These are the villages of St Stephen, St Dennis, Foxhole, Nanpean, Whitemoor, Roche, Bugle, Indian Queens and Fraddon.

These villages form a tight knit community bound together by their shared history as being the centre of the china clay mining industry for over 150 years. They have a great deal in common both historically and also today.

It is very disappointing that the current rules mean that there appears to be no way of making up the constituencies in mid-Cornwall that enable these villages to remain in the same constituency.

But I wanted to place on record my concern on this and also specifically the views of St Austell Town Council, whom I know have written to the commission directly, on this point.

But of far greater concern to the people of Cornwall is the matter of the proposed cross border constituency between North East Cornwall and North West Devon.

As I am sure the commission is aware by now this issue provokes strong feelings for many, myself included.

Now I will admit that having looked at the case being put forward against the cross-border seat, many of the arguments are not valid reasons within the current legislative framework.

I do not believe that Cornwall’s democratic representation will somehow be weakened by sharing an MP with part of Devon as some claim. Cornwall has had a cross border seat since MPs existed – with the Isles of Scilly. I married a Scillonian and no one has ever suggested to me that the islands lack political representation as a result of sharing an MP with west Cornwall. Nor that somehow Cornwall’s border is compromised by sharing an MP to the west.

Many MPs across the country represent areas that are diverse and have communities from very different ethnic and cultural backgrounds in a single constituency.

I have no doubt that an MP would be completely capable of representing people from east Cornwall and west Devon effectively.

The Cornish border is not moving and part of Cornwall is not joining Devon as some would say. This is about a line on a map that only shows the area an MP will represent – nothing more.

Like many, I had hoped that the protected Minority Status afforded to the Cornish people would provide a basis for a legal challenge. Sadly, legal advice obtained by Cornwall Council has stated that our Cornish Minority Status is not something that can be used to argue against a cross border seat.

So, despite all of the rhetoric, in my view, there are very weak reasoned legal arguments against this proposal.

I have grappled with this matter for the past few weeks. I have had to ask myself the question, if there are not reasonable arguments against this why do I, like so many other proud Cornishmen, feel so strongly about this matter?

I think I have to be honest and admit it is a deep emotional response. 

The objection to this proposal for a cross border seat with Devon is something we Cornish people feel. There may be no way of articulating it in words that have any weight with the boundary commission, but that does not mean we feel it any less.

The trouble is that when these maps are drawn they are done so following strict legal guidelines. They are drawn using population statistics, percentages and maps. Those guidelines do not capture the pride and passion we, the people of Cornwall, feel.

And so I am simply here today to try to express to you a clear message that I hope you can take away and feed back to the Government. I will be doing the same within Parliament, but I wanted the commission to hear it as well.

In the strongest possible terms the people of Cornwall object to any proposals for a constituency that crosses the Cornwall-Devon border.

It is no real surprise that people who do not share the way we feel find it difficult to comprehend how strongly we feel about this issue. Cornwall is unique so how can we expect others to understand.

We accept others will not understand. We accept others will not agree with us. But what we cannot accept is our views not being respected.

Do not under estimate how deeply many Cornish people about this issue.

It somehow stabs at the very core of the way we feel about our county as Cornish men and women. We feel it is challenging our identity.

That in-built deep sense of Cornish independence is provoked by the thought of our border being crossed. Even though it is only a line on a map – it symbolises something far deeper in the Cornish psyche.

Sadly, under the current restrictions contained in the legislation, I reluctantly admit I cannot find any valid reasons to oppose the current proposals. If they are to go ahead I cannot offer a better alternative under the current rules.

But my message is, please do not go ahead with these changes as proposed. Please find a way to change them, in order to enable the boundaries to be drawn along the Cornish border.

Child refugees from Calais

 Last week on the 26^th October, the French authorities started to dismantle the camp known as the ‘Jungle’. I believe this was the right thing to do as it should never have occurred in the first place. The reasons for the Jungle are complex but are partly down weak internal boarders across the EU and French law enforcement turning a blind eye for too long.    

With regards to the children in the Jungle in Calais. UK authorities have been working with the French and charities in the camp to establish if any of the children have family connections or relatives in the UK. If they do then they will be allowed to come into the UK. Once in they will either be taken to their relatives or if a family placement is found to be unsuitable, the child will be placed into Local Authority care through the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children Transfer scheme.

Some people in the media and elsewhere have commentated about the age of those who are coming into the UK and have asked for dental checks.  Where credible and clear documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the interview process to assess age.  We do not use dental x-rays to confirm the ages of those seeking asylum in the UK as this process has been described as inaccurate by The British Dental Association. 

The remaining people in Calais will be offered places around France so they can be properly processed by the French asylum and immigration system. It is important to separate those who are fleeing violence as they are asylum seekers, and those who are economic migrants who do not have the right to be in France. The Government is committed to doing our fair share to accept responsibility for those with links to the UK, as expressed in the Dublin regulation.  If we take every refugee directly from Europe we encourage more migrants to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean that cost over 3,600 people their lives last year.

It should be noted, the UK is also taking thousands of the most disadvantaged people in the refugee camps around the Middle East, who have had to flee their homes due to the Syrian Civil war. We are also the second highest contributor to aid for the area, only the United States donates more money. Since 2012, we have spent over £2.3 billion on aid to help the Syrians and surrounding nations cope with the humanitarian disaster caused by President Assad’s forces, ISIS and Russia.

     

Grouse shooting

I recently led a debate in Westminster Hall, called by over one hundred thousand people signing a petition to ban grouse shooting.

You can read my contribution here: 

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-10-31/debates/06472E95-10EC-49A0-BF93-84CAD2BE4191/DrivenGrouseShooting

In summary I argued against the ban as there is evidence that grouse shooting, not only helps the environment by reducing flooding and increasing biodiversity, but also rural economies who depend on it as a source of income.   

Newspaper column 2 November 2016 - The Prime Minister's visit to Cornwall

Last week I was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to Mid-Cornwall.

As I have written previously, I was keen to get the Prime Minister to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity, so she could understand first hand some of the unique challenges we face at this end of the country and why it is essential for the Government to continue its unprecedented investment in the county and the south west region in general.

It is significant that the Prime Minister chose to come to Cornwall so early in her term and reaffirm the government’s commitment to our county. When I recently questioned her in Parliament, the Prime Minister specifically mentioned that her ‘economy that works for all’ includes Cornwall, and my time spent with her last week reinforced that commitment.

Last Tuesday the Prime Minister made the courageous, long-delayed decision to confirm that a third runway at Heathrow is the preferred option for airport capacity expansion in the South East.

This decision is not just about what is right for London but for the country as a whole. I have always believed that expanding Heathrow is the right move for the country and particularly for Cornwall. A route from Cornwall Airport Newquay to Heathrow would immeasurably improve Cornwall’s connections to not only London and the rest of the country, but also to the major international air hub that Heathrow is. Improving our connectivity for both people and goods is a key to future economic growth.

I was pleased to see the Prime Minister start her visit to the South West at Cornwall Airport Newquay. The Prime Minister said on Heathrow’s expansion that,  ‘Not only will it allow the South West's exporters to reach new markets around the world and encourage new tourism investment, it will also bring the prospect of cheaper and more convenient holiday trips to all corners of the globe.’

This is a win-win situation to me. Cornwall Airport Newquay continues to grow, with another route opening only last week, and I look forward to continuing to work with its management and the Government to encourage its own expansion, as well as working towards the other positive improvements outlined above, in the future.

Of course a decision on airport expansion is not the only way in which we are looking to improve Cornwall’s connectivity. The Prime Minister has been vocal about putting the South West at the heart of the Government’s transport investment plans.

A major part of the Conservative 2015 manifesto was a commitment to transport improvements. In Cornwall this included improvements to the A30 and our railway network.  

Of the £15bn government investment in the national road network, the dualling of the A30 is part of the largest single project. By 2018 the Government will also have provided the funding to replace the old Intercity trains on the Penzance-Paddington route with new rolling stock that will be quicker, more reliable and more comfortable than the current trains that are now 40 years old.

With Brexit talk still dominating the headlines I was also pleased to be part of a meeting at Cornwall Airport Newquay with the Prime Minister along with Cornwall Council and business leaders. I felt this was really positive and we presented a clear positive view to the Prime Minister of the massive potential Cornwall has post Brexit.

Newspaper column 19 October 2016 - Questioning the PM on funding for Cornwall

The Brexit debate rumbles on. Last week I was pleased to be able to ask the Prime Minister, at the first PMQ’s after the conference recess, for an update on post-EU funding for Cornwall.

One of the key questions asked by people in Cornwall since the referendum has been whether the UK Government would be committed to support the Cornish economy following the ending of funding through the EU.

Despite several rounds of European Regional Development funding the Cornish economy still lags around 30% below the UK average. In my mind this points to the failure of the European funding that we have had in the past to really make any difference to the people and businesses that really need them.

The previous rounds of EU funding that we did get were meant to create 10,000 new jobs in Cornwall. In fact, in the past 10 years or so, it has helped created only around a third of that number. That Cornwall has now qualified for a third round of EU economic aid demonstrates that the funding is failing. It is not lifting the Cornish economy as it was supposed to do and has not raised wages or the standard of living in the way it was designed to.

There are some very practical reasons for that failure. We are not able to spend the funding on what we need to in Cornwall. How we should spend it has been dictated, Big Brother fashion, by the EU. The EU funding we had was designed for a Europe-wide programme that does not fit the Cornish economy and often applicants were forced to fit proverbial round pegs into square holes in order to try to access the money.

As an example, what Cornwall really needs in larger businesses moving into our Duchy that will bring significant investment and job creation. However the current round of funding through the EU excludes larger businesses – the very thing we actually need. 

Throughout the referendum campaign I argued that should we vote to leave the European Union, we would have the potential to replace European funding with our own regional economic programme that would be less bureaucratic, more effectively targeted and better value for money for the British taxpayer.

With this in mind I asked the Prime Minister whether she agreed with me that Brexit will allow the Government to bring in just such a programme, as well as whether she could provide an assurance that her government will continue to invest in the poorer parts of the country like Cornwall once we leave the EU.

In response the Prime Minister provided me with the reassurance that in line with her goal for an economy that works for everyone, for every part of our country including areas like Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, she would be open to further discussions with Cornwall on ways in which the Government can improve the Cornish economy for the future.

I am pleased that the Prime Minister has been clear she will continue to work with us to ensure we deliver what Cornwall needs. I believe we have an opportunity to develop an economic programme that will be more effective than what we have had in the past through the EU. There are many other aspects of our Brexit negotiations to consider with them in the last week seemingly encompassing everything from immigration to the price of marmite. I will do all I can to make sure Cornwall gets the best deal for our future.

The sale of kittens

I totally agree that kittens and other pets should be sold in good condition and well looked after. Currently under the law it is a criminal offence to keep any animal in a poor condition or cause any unnecessary stress to animals. This includes not treating any diseases, underfeeding or inappropriate housing/environment.

The Government has produced a guide for buying a cat or dog. It gives advice on what to look for when buying a pet to make sure the illegal trade in animals isn’t being fuelled. You can look at it here: 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buying-a-cat-or-dog

The next time I meet with the Minister responsible, George Eustice, I will raise the point about kittens not being included in the review of legislation.