Cornwall Conservatives launch petition over puberty blockers vote

Two of Cornwall’s six MPs did not record a vote when the Commons debated puberty blockers for children this week. Now the county’s Conservatives want residents to say where they stand.

What the Conservatives say happened in Westminster

Cornwall Conservatives say the county’s two Liberal Democrat MPs, Andrew George and Ben Maguire, failed to record a vote during a Westminster Opposition Day debate on puberty blockers for children on 23 June.

The Conservative group says Cornwall’s four Labour MPs voted against the Conservative motion, while the two Liberal Democrat MPs did not vote at all.

Conservative group leader Connor Donnithorne said the decision not to vote was a choice to avoid the question.

“Andrew George and Ben Maguire know that many people across Cornwall oppose the use of puberty blockers on children. Yet loud activist voices within their party continue to support them. Their failure to vote wasn’t about principle. It was about internal party management.”

He drew a contrast with Cornwall’s Labour MPs, saying that while he disagreed with their position, they had at least told voters where they stood.

Why a petition

Connor Donnithorne, who is the father of two young children, said Cornish families deserved a clear answer from their representatives.

“Why won’t Andrew George and Ben Maguire give Cornish families a straight answer? Do they support the current safeguards, or do they want them eliminated?”

The Conservative group has launched a county-wide petition, “Say No to Puberty Blockers for Children in Cornwall“, calling on Cornwall Council to put child safeguarding first.

“If Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MPs won’t give the public an answer, the public should have the chance to give theirs,” the Conservative group leader said. “We want residents from every corner of Cornwall to make their voices heard.”

You can find the petition here: Say No to Puberty Blockers for Children in Cornwall

What happens next

On 21 July, Conservative councillors at County Hall will bring forward a motion calling on Cornwall Council to oppose the use of puberty blockers for children in Cornwall.

The Conservatives say the petition will be presented ahead of that debate, and is intended to show the strength of public feeling across the county on an issue that affects children, families and communities.