Newspaper column 27 July 2016 - The new Prime Minister and Cabinet

Parliament has now risen for Summer Recess and I look forward to spending the next few weeks out and about across Mid-Cornwall. However before we settle into for what many of us is the busiest time of the year, I want to reflect back on events in the last two weeks, particularly my thoughts on our new Prime Minister and her Cabinet.

I think our new Prime Minister has gotten off to a flying start. She has gotten on with the job of getting a new Cabinet in place, given a formidable performance at her first Prime Minister’s Questions, and most importantly has not shied away from the important answers, giving a firm commitment to Brexit, as well as making an excellent case for the renewal of Trident, which was confirmed following last Monday’s vote.

The new Cabinet, made up of the Secretaries of State who run major Government departments is also proof of the Prime Minister’s commitment in her first speech following her appointment that she wants to govern ‘a Britain that works for everyone and real people that reflect Britain.’

Our new Prime Minister’s Cabinet is 70 per cent state educated. The new Education Secretary, Justine Greening is the first Education Secretary to have attended a comprehensive school and this government has the lowest proportion of privately educated ministers of any political party since 1945. The Prime Minister herself was state educated and as someone who also took this path, I feel this new Cabinet is much more representative of not only the Conservative Parliamentary Party but also the country as a whole.

On top of this, the Prime Minister’s new Cabinet has the most women of any previous Conservative administration, matching the previous record set by the Blair Government. This is another step forward and shows that we are the real progressive party – matching our words with actions and delivering not only the UK’s second female Prime Minister but also the joint highest female representation in the Cabinet.

Finally, I was particularly pleased to see the appointment of so many familiar faces from the Leave Campaign into positions where they will be able to work to affect positive change. It was great to see David Davis appointed as EU Exit Secretary and Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary where they will both be able to work towards our country leaving the EU in good order.

In summary I believe the new Prime Minister and her Cabinet will do well in getting on with business of running the country, taking us through Brexit and beyond. I have already invited members of the new Cabinet down to Cornwall to show them first-hand some of the issues we face and look forward to working with them all in the future for the good of Mid-Cornwall.

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

Newspaper column 20 July 2016 - Trident

Speaking at the Nato summit in Warsaw earlier this month, one of the last actions of David Cameron as Prime Minister was his announcement that MPs would vote on 18 July on renewing the UK's Trident nuclear weapons programme.

The Trident nuclear programme covers the development, procurement and operation of the current generation of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them for our country.

The former Prime Minister has said that he believes the vote will confirm support for replacing and upgrading the current systems, calling Trident an "essential deterrent" to both Britain's security and the overall security of NATO.

I believe it is absolutely vital that we maintain a continuous independent nuclear deterrent as the ultimate guarantee of our national security. The Government has consistently set out the case for maintaining our nuclear deterrent. Of course all of us would wish that we could live in a world without nuclear weapons. However, it is clear that the world today is becoming an ever more dangerous and in many ways unstable place to live. I believe firmly that we cannot dismiss the possibility that a major direct nuclear threat to the UK might re-emerge. This alone is a powerful reason for the retention and renewal of Trident.

There are various claims about the cost of renewing Trident. This current commitment represents a cost of £31billion over 35 years. This is 0.2% of our overall defence spending and the full cost of the Trident programme is only 6% of our defence budget. I believe this puts the cost of this piece of our military capability into perspective and represents value for money for the tax payer.

Despite successes over recent decades in limiting the number of states with nuclear capabilities, we still cannot rule out, particularly in these turbulent times, a major shift in the international security situation which would put us under grave threat. We should not abdicate our roll in the world and ‘outsource’ this part of our defence to other nations with nuclear capabilities. We need to stand together with our allies and demonstrated out commitment. That is why I do not believe, particularly under the current circumstances, that it would be right to give up this capability.

The Government's policy has been to retain the Trident continuous nuclear deterrent, where there is always one of our four nuclear submarines armed and at sea, to provide the ultimate deterrent to anyone threatening the UK. This will also secure thousands of highly-skilled engineering jobs in the UK.

I fully support the renewal of our nation’s own nuclear deterrent in the form of the Trident missile system and voted for this on Monday. This is the only sensible policy for ensuring our country’s future security. This I believe is the first priority of any government.

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

Statement on the vote on Trident - 18 July 2016

I believe it is absolutely vital that we maintain a continuous independent nuclear deterrent as the ultimate guarantee of our national security. The Government has consistently set out the case for maintaining our nuclear deterrent. Of course all of us would wish that we could live in a world without nuclear weapons. However, it is clear that the world today is becoming an ever more dangerous and in many ways unstable place to live. I believe firmly that we cannot dismiss the possibility that a major direct nuclear threat to the UK might re-emerge. This alone is a powerful reason for the retention and renewal of Trident.

There are various claims about the cost of renewing Trident. This current commitment represents a cost of £31 billion over 35 years. This is 0.2% of our overall defence spending and the full cost of the Trident programme is only 6% of our defence budget. I believe this puts the cost of this piece of our military capability into perspective and represents value for money for the tax payer.

Despite successes over recent decades in limiting the number of states with nuclear capabilities, we still cannot rule out, particularly in these turbulent times, a major shift in the international security situation which would put us under grave threat. We should not abdicate our roll in the world and ‘outsource’ this part of our defence to other nations with nuclear capabilities. We need to stand together with our allies and demonstrated out commitment. That is why I do not believe, particularly under the current circumstances, that it would be right to give up this capability.

The Government's policy has been to retain the Trident continuous nuclear deterrent, where there is always one of our four nuclear submarines armed and at sea, to provide the ultimate deterrent to anyone threatening the UK. This will also secure thousands of highly-skilled engineering jobs in the UK.

I fully support the renewal of our nations own nuclear deterrent in the form of the Trident missile system and will be voting for this on Monday. This is the only sensible policy for ensuring our country’s future security. This I believe is the first priority of any government. 

Newspaper column 13 July 2016 - The conclusion of the Conservative

We are certainly living in very interesting times at the moment. There is an old saying that a week is a very long time in politics, and I feel that this has never been truer than now. What a week we have had.

In my column last week I wrote about my support for Stephen Crabb in the first round of the leadership contest to decide not only the new leader for the Conservative Party, but also our next Prime Minister.

However Stephen dropped out of the race mid-week and I subsequently declared my support for Andrea Leadsom, who by Friday was one of two candidates remaining from the original five.

Along with several other MPs I had, over the weekend written to Conservative party chairman Lord Feldman, asking him to fast track the leadership contest. We stated that the country is living through unprecedented times and that ongoing instability on the markets caused by the uncertainty around the leadership race risked causing real damage to the country. With just two candidates remaining so early in the process, it seemed ridiculous to wait two months before coming to a decision.

However, as I write this column on Monday morning, the breaking news was Andrea has also withdrawn from the competition and put her support behind the sole remaining candidate, Theresa May.

I am obviously disappointed that Andrea has taken this decision but entirely respect her reasons for doing so. I believe that Andrea’s actions have been brave and selfless, and in taking this step she has put the wellbeing of the country ahead of her personal ambitions, of which I applaud.

I have always said that all of the candidates for the leadership post would have made an excellent Prime Minister and am sure that Theresa, with her many years of Cabinet experience, will do a good job for the country.

Following the EU Referendum the people and businesses of the UK need strong leadership to move quickly to set out what an independent United Kingdom’s life outside the EU looks like.

Theresa May has promised to implement Article 50, the mechanism for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, as soon as possible, and it is now our job to form a strong and united Government behind her to ensure that this process takes place and the people of the UK get the best possible outcome.

The Conservative party was elected in 2015 with a strong manifesto, of which a major part, the EU referendum, has now been fulfilled. We all now need a new Prime Minister in place as soon as possible, who will fulfil that manifesto as well as implementing the clear democratic instructions from the British people, who spoke so strongly at the referendum.

I look forward to working with Theresa May and her team to ensure the best interests of Cornwall and its people are kept at the heart of this Government as we go forward.

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

Newspaper column 6 July 2016 - EU funding and the next PM

As we move on from the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, one of the things most raised with me is how Cornwall will be impacted by the eventual cessation of funding formerly provided by the EU.

As I recently said in Parliament, the funding we have received from the EU is not really EU money. The EU does not actually have any money—there is no magic EU money tree. It is our money, which we gave to the EU. It converted it into euros, then converted that into sterling to give back to us, except that it gave it back with a whole load of strings, bureaucracy and red tape attached about how we can spend it.

The money was meant to create 10,000 new jobs in Cornwall. In fact it has created around a third of that number. The funding is not raising wages or the standard of living and is essentially a failed endeavour. A major reason for this failure is that we were not able to spend the aid on what we need to in Cornwall. How we should spend it was dictated by the EU. The requirements were designed for a Europe-wide programme that does not fit the Cornish economy.

In fact, just last week the Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed that out of the current £500m EU grant funding that has been made available for Cornwall, only £36m has been spent. This is not a failure of civil servants in Whitehall but rather the criteria and regulations imposed by the EU are putting off the private sector from risking investing. The only projects currently on the table are all public sector. This is not what we need and I will be surprised if we manage to spend half the current funding available. It is also highly unlikely that Cornwall would have qualified for the next round of EU funding post 2020 anyway. With our economy growing far quicker than most of the rest of the EU it is very likely we will be out of the picture for the next round.

Now the dust is settling, a major decision we now have to make is who to support in the upcoming Conservative Party leadership contest, which ultimately also decides who will be our next Prime Minister.

There are five candidates and any one of them would make an excellent Prime Minister. However, I have decided to give my support to the current Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Stephen Crabb. I have got to know Stephen well over the past 14 months and believe he has the right qualities to lead our country. He represents a rural coastal constituency that faces many of the same challenges we face in Cornwall. He has also confirmed to me that should be become PM he will continue to provide support for investment in our county’s infrastructure and economic support when we lose the EU funding.

There is a long road ahead but both myself and the Cornish MPs are committed to getting the best deal for Cornwall whether the funding comes from the EU, as was the case in the past, or solely from Westminster as will be the case in the future.

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

Newspaper column 29 June 2016 - Brexit fallout

There is no doubt that the result of the EU Referendum last Thursday was a surprise to many people. But the fact is it was a legitimate democratic decision made by the British people. The country voted to leave the EU by a majority of over 1.2million votes and every region of the country with the exception of only London, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to leave.

Whilst I am pleased with the outcome, I do understand the strong feelings those who wanted the UK to remain in the EU feel. We need to accept this decision and now work together for our future outside the EU. Calls for a 2^nd referendum are, in my view, undemocratic and unworkable.

I have been contacted by many people asking about the affect this decision will have on our country and on us as individuals. Let’s be clear this result is neither the end of the world nor is it the answer to all our problems. But what it does do is give us as a nation the opportunity to once again run our own affairs. We can now recover control of things such as VAT, our borders, our fishing waters and the regulations on our farmers.  

The fact is virtually nothing has changed since last Wednesday. We have not yet left the EU and there will be a lengthy process of negotiation before we leave that is likely to take at least two years. I would urge that we do not jump to conclusions about what life outside the EU will like – especially negative ones. Let us wait and see what the negotiations will bring and precisely what future trade deals and agreements will be made before passing judgement.

One of the greatest dangers we face is that we talk down our country’s prospects. There is a very real danger that we create a self-fulfilling prophesy by saying all will be doom and gloom. I believe in our nation’s ability to stand up for ourselves. We are a great country with a strong economy and a significant player on the world stage. There is no reason we cannot be successful and prosper outside the EU. We should be proud and confident of our country’s future. 

I was very pleased that a majority of voters in Cornwall voted to leave the EU. By a margin of 12%, significantly bigger than the national average, Cornwall demonstrated its desire for change. Legitimate questions have been asked about the impact of this on Cornwall and especially with regards to EU funding for our economy. Once again it is far too soon to answer those questions. But I can assure everyone that, along with my fellow Cornish MPs, I will be working tirelessly to ensure Cornwall continues to get the investment and support we need and deserve.

There will undoubtedly be some bumps in the road ahead. The Conservative Party needs to elect a new leader and Prime Minister as well make decisions about when to begin the process of leaving the EU. But I want to assure everyone that through all this I will continue to work for the people of this constituency and represent you in Parliament. My team and I are here to serve you and are available to help in any way we can. You can contact me my email office@stevedouble.org.uk or phone 01726 829379.

St Austell Voice EU Referendum Special - 22 June 2016

Tomorrow we all have the chance to cast our vote for the most important decision our country has faced in generations, as we decide whether the United Kingdom should remain as part of the European Union.

I have always been clear about my euro-scepticism. For some time I have not believed the EU was working for the UK. Following, what to me, was essentially a failed negotiation, by the Prime Minister earlier this year, I decided I would be voting to leave the EU in this referendum. There are many reasons why I believe this is the case. For the purposes of this article I am going to focus on the three I believe are the most important, sovereignty, our country’s finances and the uncertainty of remaining.

Firstly, sovereignty. To me the issue of sovereignty is key. A vote to leave the EU will set in motion a return to the UK of decision-making powers that have increasingly been removed from us by ever-expanding EU bureaucracy.

Many of you will have voted in the original referendum to join the then-European Economic Community in 1975. That referendum did not include the ever closer union of EU member states. Since then, more and more laws that historically and rightly were the responsibility of UK Parliament are instead being made by faceless, unaccountable and unelected officials in Brussels. I know many of you are upset by this as it was not part of the original deal. Now is your chance to vote again. A vote to leave would see a return to the UK being able to operate on our own terms as a trading nation, free to negotiate and regulate our own trade deals. Businesses would be free of the crushing weight of EU red tape, we would be able to have total control over our own borders, and we would regain control over our 200-mile fishing waters. Brexit would mean that all of these decisions would be returned to the responsibility of British MPs who are accountable to you, the British public and you alone.

Secondly, the economic argument for leaving could not be clearer. As a net contributor to the EU our membership costs us in excess of £10billion every year. And as our economy continues to grow faster than most other EU nations this figure is likely to increase further.

One of the arguments put forward for us voting to remain in the EU is the amount of economy development support that Cornwall receives. However, as I said in Parliament last week, over the past 10 years or so Cornwall has received around £600 million in money from the EU. But we need to remember that that is not EU money. The EU does not actually have any money—there is no magic EU money tree. It is our money, which we give to the EU. It converts it into euros, then converts that into sterling to give back to us, except that it gives it back with a whole load of strings, bureaucracy and red tape attached about how we can spend it.

I get quite wound up when I see that wonderful blue plaque saying, “Funded by the European Union”. Every time I see one, I think, “No, that was funded by British taxpayers’ money that you have recycled and given back to us AND then told us how to spend.”

The fact is, this is not working. The money was meant to create 10,000 new jobs in Cornwall. In fact, in the past 10 years or so, it has created around a third of that number. That Cornwall has now qualified for a third round of EU funding demonstrates that the funding is failing. It is not lifting the Cornish economy as intended. It is not raising wages or the standard of living in the way it was designed to.

There is a very simple reason for that failure. We are not able to spend the aid on what we need to in Cornwall. How we should spend it is dictated, Big Brother fashion, by the EU. The requirements are designed for a Europe-wide programme that does not fit the Cornish economy.

A vote to leave will give our country back control over where we can target our financial resources. Along with the other Cornish MPs I am confident that we will be able to continue to argue the case for Cornwall to get its share of the additional money freed up for spending from central government should we leave the EU. I will certainly do all I can to make sure this happens.

Finally, there is the uncertainty of remaining in the EU. The Remain Campaign has argued that leaving would be a bad idea due to the uncertainty of what awaits us on the outside of the EU. I believe that staying in what is a demonstrably failing group of nations exposes us to far worse possibilities. Vast amounts of our money has been pumped into propping up and bailing out EU member countries such as Greece, who never should have been allowed to join the Euro zone and these cash injections are only a temporary fix. Things are not going to get better and we will only waste more money in trying to postpone the inevitable.

The current migration crisis continues to be a major issue across the EU. One option being considered by the powers that be in Europe is a new "corrective fairness mechanism" to relocate asylum seekers from frontline states to other EU countries, something which could also have serious ramifications for our already stretched public services and housing stock.

I would much rather see us take the positive, forward-looking and very British step of leaving the EU while maintaining close links with European countries, as well as reinforcing and reclaiming our international status, particularly in this age where technology advances make operating on a truly global scale so easy. As Churchill said, “We have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked but not combined. We are interested and associated but not absorbed. If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea.”

The final point I would make is that the ‘status quo’ is not an option. We will either vote to leave the EU tomorrow and be able to take control of our own affairs, or we will vote to remain. A vote to remain is not a vote to carry on as things currently are. The EU has not reformed and has shown no willingness to do so. They remain committed to further integration and expansion – as we know Turkey is waiting in the wings to join. If we remain we will be locked into an increasingly uncertain future within EU and tied to the other 27 states economically and politically.

In the end though, the outcome of the referendum is rightly in the hands of the public and not just the politicians. Your vote is just as important as mine here. I will be voting for the UK to leave the EU tomorrow, and regardless of the outcome will continue to serve you, the people of St Austell and Newquay and ensure that we get the best deal possible whether as part of the EU or not.