AS we gather around the tree and get our last bits of shopping in before Christmas, there’s an early present for Cornwall that’s worth celebrating. After years of austerity and underfunding, the Labour government has delivered a Fair Funding settlement that finally recognises Cornwall’s unique challenges – and it’s a whopper.

After months of lobbying, Cornwall’s four Labour MPs have secured a £198.4-million boost to Cornwall Council’s coffers over the course of this Parliament, with overall funding set to rise by 27 per cent to £932-million by 2028/29. That puts us firmly in the top fifth of beneficiaries nationally under the Government’s new Fair Funding settlement.

For too long, under Conservative austerity, Cornwall’s essential services were starved of resources. Between 2010 and 2024, local government core spending in England fell by 18 per cent per person in real terms, compounded by a 46 per cent reduction in central government support. The result? A cycle of cuts and rising Council Tax bills for hardworking families.

This settlement changes that. It moves away from the short-term, one-year deals of the past to a long-term funding model, giving Cornwall Council the certainty it needs to plan and deliver better services. Crucially, the Fair Funding formula now recognises the realities of life in Cornwall – from the costs of remoteness to the pressures of the visitor economy. That means fairer funding for school transport, elderly care, road maintenance, and waste collection in our rural and coastal communities.

It comes on top of last month’s £30-million Kernow Industrial Growth Fund, which will turbocharge investment in our most promising industries and finally put to bed debates around whether we’ll get a fair deal. Together, these measures show that our Labour Government really gets Cornwall.

So, as I’ve said time and time again, fairness isn’t just a slogan – it’s about delivering for our communities. After 15 years of cuts, this is a gear shift in the relationship between central and local government. Now it’s up to my Liberal Democrat friends in charge of Cornwall Council to use this funding wisely and deliver the improved services our people deserve.

A top-tier Fair Funding deal for Cornwall versus other parts of the country shows the Cornish Labour MPs have been on Santa’s nice list this year. And that’s a Christmas message worth sharing.