The Devonwall Conspiracy
Yesterday’s barking mad decision at Cornwall Council was based on the idea that ‘they’ – possibly the English though it would not surprise me to learn it was green bug eyed aliens – are hell bent on placing a Devon boot firmly on the back of every Cornish neck, for reasons unknown but possibly just jowly, slavering lust for power.
Basically, it is this. The government is planning to spend silly amounts of money on elections for Police Commissioners (Only the Labour Party opposes this but we will be out-numbered by all those Lib Dems trotting through to vote with the Tories. )
As our Police Authority covers Devon and Cornwall, the expensive election will be for a Devon and Cornwall Police Commissioner and there will have to be a PARO – Police Authority Returning Officer to oversee the election.
The post was advertised and our Chief Exec Kevin Lavery applied and was offered it. Cornwall Council is the largest council in the area and we would be taking the lead. Each authority (Plymouth, Exeter, Devon) would have their own Returning Officer and Kevin would be co-ordinating and managing the overall project. For that, he would be paid a sum of money, which he would pass to the staff at Cornwall Council involved in the election.
Sounds reasonable? Oh, no. After an eon or so of discussion and lots of outraged, empassioned speeches about people being born in Cornwall (or not but equally proud etc) and how outrageous it is to be subject to a joint Police Authority and how Cornwall will disappear if we don’t stand up to ‘them’ and stop another unprecedented attack on Cornish identity, most of the Lib Dems, Mebyon Kernow and some of the more excitable Independents voted through a resolution that Kevin Lavery must only act as a Returning Officer for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
So, having accepted the role, which puts Cornwall in a lead position and brings money into the council, our Chief Executive is now expected to make some excuses and leave by the back door, letting the grown ups get on with the work.
I’ve already been told that by opposing this bollocks, I have voted for Devonwall. But by now I am used to the pettiness that passes for political debate at Cornwall Council.
And the Devonwall conspiracy? Our police have been working together since 1836 and the Devon and Cornwall authority was formed in 1967. Seems a bit late to be making such a fuss now.
I love reading your blogs. They’re so well written!
Oh, thank you!
for once I completely agree with you Jude – small minded petty posturing which we will come to regret
The Council were right Jude! This is the thin end of the wedge. Despite scrapping the hated ‘regional’ spatial strategy lots of government consultation raises the possiblity of local authorities to work together to save senior staff costs. Once this happens the ability to make policy is lost. Devonwall police is a great example – the HQ is in Exeter just like all the other ‘regional’ institutions that Cornwall has been told it has to have over the last 45 years.
In fact Jude the ‘regional’ spatial strategy was imposed by the Labour government and the ‘regional’ chamber re-styled itself as an ‘assembly’, growing from about 6 officers to over 70 quite highly paid individuals by abolition. I agree that councillors of all parties across the wouth west were complicit in supporting the strategy and it regrettable that those in Cornwall never had the courage of their convictions to tell them to take a running jump – although I think it came close.
The cash for Cornwall Council from doing this job would need to be balanced against the cost of staff time of doing it. My point is that this is another example of ‘Devonwall’ which along with the new constituency starts to present a narrative. It is by no means certain that welcome innovations such as LEPs will not be ‘Devonwalled’.
Surely, if you support this commissioner returning officer role you are supporting the role of a commissioner? This is a waste of time and money and not dealing with the real issues that the police face or the public with little police presence in many parts of Cornwall at night.
I also agree with Jude on this occassion