WHEN I was elected as MP for St Austell and Newquay, I made three clear pledges– to create jobs and prosperity, tackle the Cornish housing crisis, and revitalise our towns. These weren’t just campaign slogans — they were a commitment to do politics differently, after too many years of hollow promises.

As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Critical Minerals, I’ve been pushing for the UK to take this sector seriously — because with the right investment, Cornwall can lead the charge. That means using every economic and educational lever to support homegrown production and unlock growth.

I’ve made the case in Parliament for backing this burgeoning industry and supporting trailblazing companies like Cornish Lithium and Imerys British Lithium. So I welcome the government’s £7.3-billion National Wealth Fund, which supports strategic sectors like critical minerals—and rightly ensures returns flow back to the community.

My Prime Minister’s Question in October set in motion preparations for a roundtable on the future of the sector, bringing together industry leaders and policymakers to chart a way forward. I was pleased to host this roundtable recently, where I was joined by MP Sarah Jones, Minister of State for Industry, my three Cornish Labour colleagues, and business leaders including Imerys, Cornish Lithium, Cornish Tin and Cornwall Resources.

Infrastructure emerged as one of the most immediate barriers. We simply cannot build a future-facing economy on the back of creaking, disconnected systems which fail to serve both businesses and our community. Mid Cornwall’s rail infrastructure and the Ports of Falmouth and Fowey are cases in point — strategic assets that must be reconnected and upgraded if we’re serious about establishing Cornwall as a hub for critical minerals. Together with my Labour colleague Jayne Kirkham MP for Truro and Falmouth, we have been pushing to reconnect the freight line at the Port.

Of course, infrastructure and investment only go so far without the right people to drive the industry forward. There’s a pressing need for more chemical engineers and geologists — and that starts in the classroom with the likes of our world class Camborne School of Mines, the new Green Construction Skills Hub at St Austell College, and Truro College’s now oversubscribed geology A Level.

What struck me most during the discussion was the importance of social licence which our local industry champions recognise. Cornwall has a mining legacy, and with that comes an understanding of what responsible mineral development can bring.

That’s why I’ve been calling for a dedicated Industrial Strategy for Cornwall to support local growth — one that ensures industrial development in Cornwall goes hand-in-hand with new infrastructure, housing, and services, so prosperity is shared across our communities.

Locally, it is great to see progress already, with Imerys’ vote of confidence in our constituency; investing £18 million the largest investment in the china clay industry in two decades. South Crofty, which we visited with the Minister later last Thursday afternoon, also this year received £28.6-million of investment from the National Wealth Fund. On critical minerals, there is much more potential to be tapped.