I HOPE many of you enjoyed the recent May Bank Holiday weekend, and managed to make the most of the scorching weather we had across the Duchy.

With everyone out and about day tripping to enjoy the weather, I was pleased recently in Parliament to secure an important meeting with Treasury Ministers to continue pushing my campaign for Rural Fuel Duty Relief to be extended to North Cornwall. In rural communities like ours, cars are an absolute necessity for getting to work, taking children to school, attending healthcare appointments, and getting around (especially due to the lack of public transport).

Yet, fuel prices here remain far higher than in many cities and other areas, especially following recent rising oil and fuel prices. In this meeting I’ll be making the case directly to Ministers that rural areas like North Cornwall should have the Relief, as we deserve the same support already available in other parts of the country. We don’t have the transport infrastructure that many cities enjoy, and North Cornwall doesn’t even have a main line train station - so it’s essential we get this support.

Digital ID also returned to public debate this week after a number of my constituents raised fresh concerns with me. I have made it clear that ANY future system must remain completely voluntary, properly regulated, and must never, ever undermine civil liberties or exclude people from essential services. Lots of constituents here already struggle with poor mobile signal and unreliable broadband, while not everyone owns the latest smartphone or feels comfortable using digital systems that this ID would require. Older residents in particular here risk basically being left behind if the Government gets this wrong, so I’ll be making sure Ministers listen carefully to their concerns.

I also pointed out the growing pressures facing Cornish businesses during questions in Parliament recently, especially since Brexit, as many local firms face huge amounts of additional bureaucracy and rising export costs. Some businesses are of course reporting major falls in European sales since we left the EU, which has hit profits hard. On their behalf in the House of Commons, I highlighted concerns around red tape, freight connectivity, and the impact of additional charges such as Extended Producer Responsibility rules. Cornwall has enormous economic potential, but without better infrastructure and practical support for exporters and manufacturers, we risk businesses relocating elsewhere entirely.

I also went to visit Trethorne Leisure Farm this week to hear from the owner, Mike, about some of the struggles he’s facing as a business owner, and he provided some excellent suggestions on getting young people into work (which I’ll now be taking up to Parliament to relay to Ministers). He pointed out that rising NICs costs, business rates, and wages mean it’s hard to employ more staff and turn a profit. This, sadly, is the case for far too many businesses here in North Cornwall, and I’ll be urging the Government to act NOW before more locals go out of business for good.