This column was published in the Cornish Times on 16th June 2023
South East Cornwall’s Conservative MP has been all-in behind Boris Johnson from start to finish, but neither she nor her constituents have anything to show for it.
They promised that Brexit would be great for fishermen and farmers, that Cornwall wouldn’t lose a single penny of economic development funding, and that the cost of living would fall. Obviously the opposite turned out to be true. They promised to build new hospitals in Plymouth and Truro, but both are still stuck on the drawing board, with no funding in place for construction.
Johnson promised “Project Speed” for safety measures on the A38, but funding has been delayed until at least 2030. Their 2019 promise to cap social care costs has been postponed until after the next election, meaning thousands of older people will be forced to sell their homes to pay for care.
But what’s worse than all these broken promises is the damage Johnson has done to the reputation of Parliament. MPs are called “Honourable Members” because they are expected to uphold some basic minimum standards. When a Prime Minister stands up in Parliament, we expect them to know what’s happening in their own Government, accept responsibility for any wrongdoing and, at the very least, tell the truth. And backbench MPs, whatever their party, have a duty to call out their leaders when they fail to live up to these expectations.
So whilst it’s been depressing to see Johnson break every promise he’s ever made, and find a way to blame every one of his failings on someone else, it’s been utterly sickening to watch our local MP cheer him on every step of the way. Honours such as Knighthoods, Damehoods and CBEs have been given to many of Johnson’s supporters.
But Ms Murray, who has defended Johnson’s actions through thick and thin, voting countless times to support measures which hurt South East Cornwall, has been left with nothing.
It had been rumoured that Ms Murray would be made a Baroness, given a seat for life in the House of Lords alongside Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams. But apparently someone in Government decided that a line had to be drawn somewhere, and these peerages were blocked. Dorries and Adams have now followed Johnson and quit as MPs. Perhaps Ms Murray will do likewise, then at least South East Cornwall would have gained something...
Hundreds of protesters marched across the Tamar Bridge on Saturday calling on the Government to abolish the tolls, but local MPs weren't there to listen.
