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.
