Cornwall general election: Not a two-horse race says ‘next David Penhaligon’ MP hopes

If the polls and political talk are to be believed, the Truro and Falmouth constituency is a two-horse race between its former Tory MP, Cherilyn Mackrory, and Labour’s Jayne Kirkham, who could very well steal the crown. However, Liberal Democrat Ruth Gripper – who grew up in the area – says anyone who thinks that is wrong.

In the latest interview (and probably the election has been called lately) with candidates in the constituency, Ruth tells us she wants to build on the reputation of former Liberal/Lib Dem MPs for the area, David Penhaligon and Matthew Taylor, who “he spoke fairly for Cornwall, and they were industrious constituent MPs.”

We spoke in the heart of her constituency at St Piran’s Cafe in Bissoe, where Ruth once worked frying breakfast and serving ice cream. She grew up in Perranwell Station after her parents moved to Cornwall to work as trainee doctors in Treliske. Her father was a well-known GP at the practice of Devoran and Chacewater.

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“I think I got from both of them, and from growing up in the village, a sense of being part of a community. They were involved in the parish council and the playing field committee, school governors, that sort of thing – the life of the village,” Ruth told me. “I left Cornwall to go to university and worked at home and abroad – a year teaching English in France – but Cornwall was always ‘home’ and I knew I would return one day.”

Ruth now lives in Falmouth and works on an environmental project with the University of Exeter at the Penryn campus.

The seat – when it was Truro and then the constituency of Truro and St Austell before a boundary change led to the formation of Truro and Falmouth – has always been a Liberal / Lib Dem stronghold, as has most of Cornwall. So what happened?

“I think the wave of conservatives has come. Certainly, growing up here, I remember Cornwall being Liberal Democrat with that slightly different independent way of thinking. I don’t think it (the Tory hold on Cornwall) will last.

“At the moment you’d be hard-pressed to find people who say they vote Tory. The main reaction when I sat down to talk to people is this feeling of tiredness, exhaustion, weariness, disillusionment – tired. was the word used by a man.

“All parties have a challenge in terms of restoring people’s trust. I think the experience of the last five years where politics was so chaotic and we had scandals and incompetence at the top affected politics as a whole. There is a very strong appetite for change. What people want and what they vote for can vary quite a bit.”

David Penhaligon and Matthew Taylor are big shoes to fill from a Lib Dem point of view as people in the constituency still really respect them as politicians.

“I was quite amazed at how often their names appeared on the doorstep. I think people remember them because they were good, hard-working constituents and they actually felt on our side. They spoke right for Cornwall. and the constituency in a way that we haven’t had in recent years, as you say, but that’s certainly the kind of model that the Lib Dems aspire to, but the important thing for me is to be a local champion in that style .”

Let’s take Truro first – what help do you think the town needs that it might not have received in the last four years, in your opinion?

“I’ve seen some of your stories and people have spoken to me about the high street – how it feels with empty shops, anti-social behaviour, people often talk about the lack of visible policing. I know the city council is trying to change that with rangers and additional funding.

“That kind of concern about how we bring back the vibrancy and vibrancy of Truro. I think there are things we can do around better support for the high street, so reducing rates and reforming business rates. Can we get a little creative about lighting up downtown?

“It’s about making sure public services have the funding they need to make sure some of the issues around rough sleeping, mental health, drug and alcohol use are supported.”

What about Falmouth?

“It’s an interesting constituency because of the contrast between the two seats. In Falmouth you have students so you have that energy and life all year round. The Pydar development in Truro, when it arrives, should make a big difference.

“There are really big opportunities around docks and what’s happening with offshore wind drift. For me, it’s about making sure that we in Falmouth, and in Cornwall more generally, end up in the best position to take advantage of these opportunities. The recent announcement on Investment in the harbor has made Falmouth lose out, so as an MP I would be banging on about funding for this kind of future infrastructure, here we are in danger of missing the boat and being left behind.

“Truro and Falmouth are the big population centres, but an important thing for me is those rural communities. They have different needs and problems and they need someone to tell them too; be it public transport or opportunities and services. A Many people in Cornwall often feel quite removed and forgotten from Westminster.”

Sewerage is something you’ve talked about a lot and is of massive importance to the people of Cornwall.

“The sewerage issue is something that people take out the door – they’re very upset about it. That contrast between the dividends and shareholder bonuses that are paid and the dumping that is supposed to be exceptional and appears to be routine.

“This is an area where the Lib Dems are putting forward bold ideas and taking a bit of a lead on that. We have certainly been led in this direction in Parliament in terms of tabling amendments which have been rejected each time by our Tory MPs in Cornwall.

“So we would stop the bonuses until the sewage storage stops, tighten up the regulator because Ofwat doesn’t seem to be doing anything particularly useful, and then turn the water companies from private to public interest companies. In this way, you have environmental and community representation in It would be a legal requirement that it is not only about the pursuit of profit, but also about environmental considerations.

Ruth unsurprisingly found that another big topic on the doorstep is housing.

“Housing is one of the most common things people raise. It tends to be the NHS, the environment, the cost of living and housing. Housing has all the side effects in those other areas. pushing powers to local communities, thereby giving the local authority more power to manage and control second homes and holiday lets in their area.

“So planning changes and making sure second home owners and vacation rental owners pay their fair share of tax. There are these loopholes – you shouldn’t get tax breaks if you have a second home or holiday rental.

“We need to build more social homes – the right kind of housing that is affordable for local people. Tenants are being forgotten too. I was furious last week with the end of Parliament – the no-fault eviction issue that has been promised ever since. Theresa May in 2019 each of these Prime Ministers promised to end no-fault evictions, Michael Gove said “we’ll do it before the election” and they let five years of promises go nowhere.

“During that time, the number of families in Cornwall who have been evicted to make way for a holiday rental and have nowhere to go is shocking.”

What would you say to those who say it’s just a two-horse race?

“I’d say I think they’re wrong, no doubt about it. I’ve talked about the Lib Dem MPs we’ve had here in the past. Labor has had an MP in all of Cornwall for the last 50 years and this constituency. He was a Liberal Democrat before being conservative.

“Talking to the people on the doors, there’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of people are making up their minds. Anyone who tells you how it’s going to go is keeping you honest. We had a similar argument last time and Labor threw everything at this seat and the Tory majority grew.

“I’m just arguing that we’re not just electing the Government, we’re electing someone to represent this constituency and who will do the best job of speaking for the people here. That’s what I’m talking about. “

In short, why should people vote for you?

“They should vote for me if they want someone who will put the constituency first. I want to represent this whole constituency – if elected I would be an MP for everyone here, whether you voted for me or not. I think it’s very important that we have someone who speaks for us at Westminster and not just holds the party to account and defends the government’s position here.”

For interviews with Conservative candidate Cherilyn Mackrory go here and for Labour’s Jayne Kirkham click here.