Chancellor under fire for ignoring Cornwall issues

CORNWALL'S Liberal Democrat MPs have criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves for “leaving Cornwall out in the cold” after she failed to mention the Duchy during this week’s Spending Review, concentrating on the Midlands and the North instead.

- by LEE TREWHELA

The CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce also weighed in, saying he'll pay her train fare down here so she can see what Cornwall needs and how it can help the rest of the country with the right funding.

However, Labour MPs in Cornwall have defended the Chancellor of the Exchequer, stressing she sets departmental budgets, but doesn’t tell them how to spend them. They say it is now up to them, as local MPs, to lobby for specific funding in Cornwall's favour.

The Chancellor announced an extra £29 billion a year will be spent on the NHS, an annual rise of 3% on current levels. Of particular interest to Cornwall and our housing crisis, will be the promise of £39bn, over the next 10 years, towards affordable and social housing.