AFTER months of determined cross-party campaigning, I’m delighted to report that Cornwall has secured a bespoke devolution deal from the government.

This new arrangement recognises our national minority status, will not require a merger with Devon, and we’ve been given a strong indication that it will also not need us to have a directly elected mayor. I’ve pressed Ministers time and again in the Commons, written directly to the Secretary of State, and worked closely with all five other Cornish MPs to make the case for a fair and proper devolution settlement that respects Cornwall’s distinct identity. This is a significant step forward for our Duchy, and a clear sign that when Cornwall speaks with one voice, Westminster listens. But this must now be the beginning, not the end. That’s why I’ve renewed my call this week for a fully-elected Cornish Assembly, pushing for real powers over housing, transport, and economic development to be transferred here to Cornwall - and to the Cornish people - where they belong.

The Budget was also of course a major topic this week, and while there was some long-awaited good news, we are far from where we need to be. The Chancellor finally responded to our calls and confirmed a £30 million Kernow Industrial Growth Fund, following my recent meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. That’s a big win for North Cornwall’s economy and will help keep investment flowing into jobs, innovation and small business support once our Shared Prosperity Funding runs out in March. But it cannot end there. I was extremely disappointed to see no further commitment on compensation for WASPI women, despite the clear injustice they’ve faced. Nor was there any progress on scrapping the damaging Family Farm Tax, which continues to cause anxiety for farmers across our region. I’ll be sure to keep pushing, on behalf of my constituents, on both of these issues and many more.

On that point, I recently hosted a summit in Parliament with Cornish farmers, joining with colleagues to directly raise their concerns with Ministers. We presented clear alternatives backed by the NFU which would raise more revenue without punishing working family farms, and yet the government still refuses to listen. I’ll keep the pressure on until they do. Alongside this, I’ve continued to raise the devastating impact of bovine TB on local herds and farming families. I stood up in the Commons to call for more funding for a proper vaccine rollout, so that we can pursue a science-led, humane and effective strategy for managing this disease.

I’ve also joined Liberal Democrat colleagues in calling for urgent, ring-fenced funding to support Cornwall’s hospices.

And finally, thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with me and Cllr Damon Dennis during our recent doorstep surgery in Launceston. Listening to you is always the most important part of my job, and I’ll be following up shortly with all of those who raised casework and queries with me on the doorsteps.