Devonwall's dates with destiny

A big day tomorrow as the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill hits the Report Stage in the House of Commons.

For Cornwall's MPs, this is their last chance to introduce pro-Cornwall amendments to save the existing political border with Devon. Should they fail, Tuesday is the Third Reading and the day they have to decide if their enthusiasm for an early referendum on the Alternative Vote system matters more than their opposition to the idea of a Devonwall constituency (or constituencies.)

After that, it's game over - although no doubt some MPs will continue to pretend that the Boundary Commission might yet save the day (it won't.)

Some of our MPs have suggested that the reason they were unable to debate pro-Cornwall amendments at the committee stage was because of boring and long-winded speeches from the Labour and nationalist benches, some of which, they allege, were close to organised filibustering.

Well, I listened to the committee stage and in my opinion there were plenty of very boring speeches from both sides of the chamber, with all sorts of contributions from the Isle of Wight and faraway places in Scotland. Perhaps the real reason the pro-Cornwall amendments were not debated was because the Bill needed more time for consideration (this was the view of the Select Committee.)

One of the very first votes on this Bill was on its Parliamentary timetable. And all of Cornwall's MPs voted in favour of it.