While some have expressed concern over the potential risks of this proposal, the facts are that one of the two companies bidding for the contract will be legally required to deliver at least £5 million savings within the first two years, with continuing further savings in future years, as well as creating a minimum of 500 net new jobs in Cornwall.
Not only would this bring significant investment and employment into Cornwall, the savings would also play a key role in protecting frontline services from the impact of further cuts in government funding.
Some have suggested we should wait until we know the details of these cuts before making this decision. While this might look tempting, we cannot afford the luxury of waiting if we want to maintain our services.
As the Deputy Prime Minister recently announced, the country faces further belt tightening over the coming years and it certainly is not scaremongering to suggest we could face a further £100m reduction in our budget from 2015.
The impact of more cuts means that the status quo is not an option. If we don't do this we will need to find the savings somewhere else, resulting in a real threat of a significant reduction in frontline services in Cornwall.
Earlier this week we were presented with a petition calling for the matter to be debated again before a final decision is made. This debate is expected later this month and, while I remain personally convinced that going ahead with the Strategic Partnership is in the best interests of Cornwall, I have made it clear that the Cabinet accepts that the proposed partnership is unlikely to succeed if the council majority is against it.
The proposal presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Cornwall. This important decision affects many people's lives and jobs and we must avoid politicising it.
I believe that setting up a strategic partnership is the right decision for Cornwall and I am hopeful that members will support the proposal once they have access to all the facts. However if a majority of the members present at the debate vote against the proposal, then it will not go ahead.
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Quelle/Source: This is Cornwall, 11.10.2012
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