WITH the Spending Review announced by the Chancellor this week, I was absolutely appalled to see that Cornwall was not given a single mention - and the wider South West region was only mentioned once in the entire executive summary. We are in absolutely dire need of greater funding down in this part of the country, as one of the UK’s most deprived areas - yet it seems the government forget we exist time and time again. I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops in Parliament all week: The country does not end at Bristol. It’s about time the Government learned this, and outlined a proper funding programme for vital areas like transport, health, SEND provision, and many others, where Cornwall is lacking greatly in investment.

We’re sick and tired of being overlooked, especially in areas like Transport, where although £15-billion was allocated to a new Transport Infrastructure Programme last week, it seems that not a single penny will be making its way to Cornwall in funding. This comes at a time where vital transport links like the Number 11 and 12 buses, used by cancer patients to access treatment down at Derriford, have been cut to the point where the route is no longer usable for these crucial

On a slightly lighter note, I was very pleased to see that the government has finally seen sense on the Winter Fuel Payment, and have now reversed their cuts for pensioners with an income of £35,000 or less. Of course I understand that tough decisions need to be made to reduce public spending, especially given the state of our economy at current, but I was very clear from the start that taking away a vital fuel payment from pensioners simply was not the right way to do so. Now, I’ve joined my Liberal Democrat colleagues in calling for the payment to be backdated, so that those vulnerable pensioners who missed out on the payment last winter, will be paid their dues and provided some reassurance that they can indeed stay warm this winter.

I was very glad to announce the winner of our ‘North Cornwall’s Best Chippy’ competition… in which Peckish Fish & Chips in Camelford took the top spot. Congratulations to the whole team at Peckish for their hard work, and to the runners up, Port Isaac Fish & Chips!

Over in Launceston, I was pleased to receive the news that the town will finally be getting a Banking Hub, something I and others have campaigned very hard for over the last few months. With the final bank in the town now set to close its doors, the Banking Hub will serve thousands of residents (and dozens of small businesses) who rely on face-to-face services and access to cash. I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to secure a hub that will help keep banking alive on our high street, and I’ll do my very best to keep Launceston’s residents updated on the progress of the hub as we learn more about its opening.