I am sure I was not the only one to be surprised to discover
last week that Cornwall Council were advertising for a new ‘head of
communication and engagement’. The Council leadership stated that this new post
was necessary because they were aware they need to ‘reconnect with
communities’.
Laying aside for now that this post is being advertised at a
staggering £70,000 salary plus benefits and relocation package (which therefore
presumes the job will be given to someone out of Cornwall), the very fact that
the Council’s Cabinet are creating this job shows how out of touch they really
are with the genuine concerns and wishes of the people of Cornwall.
I can happily offer the Lib Dem and Independent Councillors
on the Cabinet some free advice – it isn’t better PR you need, it is better
decisions.
I regularly spend time out in our constituency knocking on
doors and meeting local residents. I can tell you that people are very much
aware what the council are doing and they are not happy. Whether it is the recent
fiasco surrounding the European City of Culture bid, (which I was disappointed
to see the Cabinet have confirmed their intention to go ahead with spending
£536,000 on the bid) or the pointless parking consultation that wasted £750,000
and was then ignored, the notorious Truro bus lane to nowhere or the use of
Cornwall Taxpayer money to build wind turbines on Council owned farms that
blight our landscape, local people are receiving the message from the Cabinet
loud and clear.
That message is that their priorities are not those shared
by the residents they are here to represent. Too often they seem set to pursue
their own pet projects that do not reflect the things that people actually want
from the Council.
What people tell me every week is that they want the council
to focus on repairing our roads, looking after our elderly and vulnerable
better, providing safe transport for our children to get to school and cleaning
up our streets.
Clearly, I was mistaken in believing that it was the job of
the 123 elected Cornwall Councillors to connect and engage with the local
communities they represent. Certainly, when I was a Cornwall Councillor I saw
this as the most important part of my role. The appointment of this new
position tends to suggest that the Cabinet want to by-pass the elected
councillors and not listen to them as they raise the concerns of the residents
they represent. Instead they simply want to pump out their PR and tell us what
a wonderful job they are doing.
We have a Cabinet at Cornwall Council who are constantly in
broadcast mode and are not willing to listen. It is not better PR from a
professional spin doctor they need, it is the ability to listen to the message
I hear every week – stop wasting our money on your own vanity projects and
start delivering the things we really need.
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
