News from Cornwall Labour

Labour calls on all Cornish MPs to reject “Devonwall” Bill

Cornwall Labour Party is challenging the county’s Conservative and Lib Dem MPs to vote against the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, because the Bill as it stands will inevitably result in a Cornwall-Devon constituency.

Launching an online petition against the cross border constituency, Jude Robinson, Cornwall Labour Party Chair said: “The coalition government is pushing through major constitutional change without proper parliamentary scrutiny which WILL result in a cross Cornwall-Devon constituency.

“The Labour Party believes the government is wrong to mix the issues of Electoral Reform and Parliamentary Boundaries and is playing politics with the integrity of the historic county boundaries of the UK including the Cornish border for perceived party political gain.”

Leadership contender Ed Miliband launched the campaign during his recent visit to Cornwall and meeting with Labour members at the Eden project. The petition is available at here.

Jude said: “The Bill is being rushed through in just three weeks time without the opportunity for people in Cornwall to have their say. Our MPs have made noises of opposition but if they vote this through on September 6th, the Boundary Commission will have no alternative but create a constituency that crosses Cornwall’s border. It would be dishonest to pretend otherwise.”

The Bill has linked the issues of a referendum on reform of the voting system with the changes to constituency boundaries. This means that Lib Dem MPs must support the boundary changes if they want reform of the voting system and Conservatives must vote for the AV referendum if they want to impose the boundary changes.

The Labour party has said that linking the two issues in this way is wrong and will therefore oppose the Bill as it stands, having challenged the Lib Dem/Tory government to separate the two parts of the Bill.

Other news from Cornwall Labour

• Hundreds sign Falmouth for Orders petition - 30 January 2012
• Labour and unions campaign for dredging the port of Falmouth - 18 January 2012
• Regional funding put at risk by ministers' failure to act - 8 January 2012