Cornwall must stand alone in devolution says chief

The leader of Cornwall Council says the county must not be tied in with Devon in any future devolution arrangement.

Councillor Linda Taylor was commenting on the government's English Devolution white paper which some have labelled "a grim day for Cornwall".

All political groups on the council and the county's MPs want the government to treat Cornwall as a standalone authority because of its national minority status and unique economic and social situation.

The government has previously made it clear it would prefer to see Cornwall in a devolved authority with Devon or as part of a greater South West region.

Devolution transfer powers, funding and decisions normally held by central government to local authorities.

A devolution deal approved in November 2023 gave Cornwall Council more control over areas such as green energy and adult education.

Taylor said Cornwall had proved it could deal with devolution but if it refused a mayor it would be "left behind".

She said: "If we don't accept, we won't have a seat at the table of nations for funding, devolved powers, investment into transport, skills and control over planning and housing."

"We need the government to invest in a single footprint for Cornwall," she added.

The white paper states the government's preference is for partnerships that bring more than one local authority together over a large geography.

The paper outlines three tiers of devolution – a Foundation Strategic Authority without a mayor, a Mayoral Strategic Authority and an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority.

The latter two options require populations of more than 1.5 million people.

Cornwall had a population of 570,300 in 2021 according to the Office for National Statistics while Devon had a population of 1,623,200.

Dick Cole, the leader of Mebyon Kernow, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This is a grim day for Cornwall.

"It is particularly frustrating that the Westminster government has ignored the collective representations for a devolution settlement for Cornwall, which came from all groups on the unitary authority and all six Cornish MPs.

"It is shameful and disturbing that the Ministry for Communities and Local Government has failed to acknowledge or address Cornwall's unique historic, cultural and constitutional status within the UK."

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