Cornwall is set to enter talks for a new devolution deal following a pledge from the Prime Minister during his first statement to Parliament. Andy Burnham singled out the Duchy during his opening address in the House of Commons. He announced plans to begin work on a new devolution agreement for Cornwall during a three hour and 23 minute statement, including questions from backbenchers.
Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, said after the Prime Minister's speech on Tuesday: "Today, in his first statement to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Andy Burnham talked about his visit to Truro and his commitment to start work on a new devolution deal for Cornwall. He recognised that our lack of infrastructure has been holding us back and pledged to help. I am so pleased that the Prime Minister has recognised Cornwall's needs particularly as one of the first places he visited and in his very first speech to the House of Commons and look forward to working with Number 10 North on this."
Mr Burnham told MPs: "I was glad to meet the Liberal Democrat leader of Cornwall Council with my honourable friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth on my recent visit. I know, like many rural economies across the UK, Cornwall lacks a basic level of infrastructure which in turn harms growth and holds back living standards and life chances, and I heard the cross-party call for a devolution deal. I understand concerns in this House about the potential emergence of a two-tier England between those with devolved power and those without, and I will not ignore them. So, I have asked Number 10 North to begin work with Cornwall Council and its six MPs on a devolution deal, with or without an elected mayor."
Anna Gelderd, MP for South East Cornwall, also welcomed the announcement as a "clear signal that Cornwall matters." Ms Gelderd said: "It's fantastic that Cornwall has been put front and centre in Andy's first statement to Parliament as Prime Minister. For an area that has too often felt forgotten by Westminster, this is a clear signal that Cornwall matters and that our communities, industries, and ambitions are being taken seriously."
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During his speech, Mr Burnham also criticised decades of deindustrialisation, privatisation, austerity, and the effects of Brexit on regions outside London and the South East. He said these policies had removed control from communities.
Andy Burnham’s First Statement Promises Devolution Talks for Cornwall