THE leader of the Labour group at Cornwall Council has criticised the Prime Minister’s G7 ‘legacy package’ for Cornwall, announced this morning saying it is the same money he announces before every big event.

Falmouth councillor Jayne Kirkham, Labour leader on Cornwall Council, said that this wasn't new money and had already been announced on a number of occasions: “The Prime Minister’s ‘legacy package for Cornwall included the Town Deals of up to £25 million each for Camborne, Penzance and St Ives which were first announced before the 2019 general election and have been mentioned since a number of times as part of other funding packages. So much of this isn’t new money.

“We need the fundamental issues addressed in Cornwall - insecure and low wages; insecure and expensive housing which is totally out of the reach of most and skyrocketing as a result of Covid effects and stamp duty cuts that help people buying second homes as well as first homes.

“Town deals that redevelop stations, footpaths and buildings for only some of our towns – and those towns chosen by political convenience rather than the greatest need - although welcome are not going to address these fundamental issues.

“Where’s the plan for social care, glossed over yet again in the budget. Social care is a massive black hole in our budget. Who is looking after all those people turfed out of hospital in case the G7 needs the beds?

“Where are our homeless who have been ejected from their emergency accommodation in hotels in this past week going to go? There’s not enough affordable housing in Cornwall and emergency housing is desperately hard to find.

“These two issues alone are approaching crisis level and are structural issues that desperately need addressing with funding, planning and time rather than media friendly eve-of-G7 announcements.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to invest in Cornish towns in an attempt to create a long-term legacy from the G7 Summit.

Johnson announced today that funding would be found that could be pumped into new investment in Cornwall's town centres and natural landscape.

The Town Deals announced for Penzance, St Ives and Camborne are worth over £65 million and will fund projects at the heart of communities in some of Cornwall’s most deprived areas.

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