In our October 2026 edition of Spotlight on Westminster, we return to Cornwall, where the long-running question of Cornish devolution has taken a significant step forward. This month we look at Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s offer of advanced devolved powers for Cornwall, and the cross-party delegation of Cornish MPs and Cornwall Council leaders that travelled to No 10 North in Manchester to make the county’s case. We also look at the departure of Mebyon Kernow’s long-serving leader Dick Cole, and the suspension of Perran Moon MP.
A Devolution Deal Without a Mayor
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to giving Cornwall Council advanced devolved powers. Something that has previously been a sticking point with Cornwall not wanting an elected mayor. Having spoken to Cornwall’s six MPs on a recent visit to the county, Burnham said they were “all in favour” and “very supportive” of a devolution deal.
For the development industry, the most notable items Burnham described as “all on the table for discussion” are local income tax retention and a Strategic Place Partnership, a higher-level scheme for housing delivery. The latter would answer a call made by Perran Moon MP (Labour, Camborne and Redruth) during the Coastal Communities debate covered in our September 2025 edition, when he urged a Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England to deliver the “truly affordable housing” Cornwall needs.
Burnham, who was Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026, was clear that any deal must come from Cornwall itself, stating that “devolution is only real if it’s the voice of the local area” and that “if government is trying to impose too much on local areas, then it isn’t devolution.” On the question of a mayor, he said: “Cornwall, I don’t believe wants an elected mayor, maybe in the future it might, but at this point in time it doesn’t.”
Burnham also pointed to business rates retention, in Cornwall, as an “incentive for local areas to grow their own economy and then keep some of the proceeds that come from that growth”, while local income tax would be “some way down the line”. He also raised the prospect of an overnight tax on tourists, asking: “Is it fair for the council taxpayers to pay for all the services that are there to support visitors, so the extra policing, the extra transport, the extra waste collection?” He was careful to add that this would be “a matter for Cornwall”.
With Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell describing Cornwall as a likely “great beneficiary” of the government’s forthcoming devolution plans, Burnham set out his ambition to “do a deal hopefully this year but sometime very, very soon so that we set up 2027 and beyond.”
Cornwall Goes to No 10 North
On 19 October, Cornwall’s Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs joined the council’s leadership at No 10 North in Manchester to press for Cornwall to stand alone as a single foundation strategic authority, without a mayor.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Cornwall Council leader Cllr Leigh Frost (Liberal Democrat) was upbeat, saying he remained “confident that we’ll get the tools that we need to deliver meaningful devolution.” He pointed to the strategic authority roles the council already delivers as evidence that Cornwall is ready to take on more, provided the right support is in place.
Ben Maguire MP (Liberal Democrat, North Cornwall) said “Cornwall’s voice was heard loud and clear”, renewing his call for a deal that recognises Cornwall’s national minority status, an issue covered in our September Cornwall Spotlight. Andrew George MP (Liberal Democrat, St Ives) expects an announcement “around the time of the budget”, with powers that could “significantly improve housing prospects for locals”.
On the Labour side, Noah Law MP (Labour, St Austell and Newquay) wants “more control over our economic development, housing, transport, skills and culture/language policies”, while Anna Gelderd MP (Labour, South East Cornwall) stressed the importance of working with neighbours across the Tamar. Perran Moon MP described the talks as “productive”.
Mebyon Kernow
As Cornwall moves closer to a devolution deal, the leader of Mebyon Kernow (a Cornish nationalist and devolutionist political party), who has pushed for devolution, has stepped down. Councillor Dick Cole stood down as leader of Mebyon Kernow (MK) on 24 October after 29 years in the role.
Councillor Dick Cole was hopeful that Cornish people would feel that the party had “moved the dial”, stating: “We’re not talking about independence but we want devolution within the United Kingdom.” He hopes that the deal will be meaningful “and not just tweak local government and call it devolution.”
Perran Moon MP Suspended
Perran Moon MP (Labour, Camborne and Redruth) has been suspended after referring himself to a Labour Party investigation into a Covid-era Bounce Back Loan taken out by Autoswot, a training company he co-directed. Moon says the application “was made in good faith” and that he will cooperate fully with the process. The Labour Party has said it cannot comment further while the investigation is ongoing.
Looking Ahead
With an announcement expected around the time of the Budget, Cornwall appears closer than ever to a bespoke devolution deal. For the development industry, powers over housing, a Strategic Place Partnership and an Infrastructure Levy could reshape how homes and infrastructure are planned and funded in a county facing one of the highest housing targets in the country. The question that remains is whether the final deal will deliver the “meaningful” devolution that Dick Cole and Cornwall’s MPs have called for, and whether it comes with the funding Cllr Frost says is needed, after he warned the government not to “think they can do it on the cheap.”
