But the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition has used these problems as an excuse to wield an ideological axe to turn a crisis caused by the private sector into a crisis for the whole of the public sector.

The savage cuts of the Coalition are having a devastating impact on local government, the National Health Service, policing and a wide host of public bodies, and they have privatised many aspects of our public services and healthcare. The Coalition even sold off the Royal Mail and the helicopter search and rescue service.

The cuts have fallen hardest upon the poorest in society, who are struggling to make ends meet. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats slashed welfare spending, cut benefits for the disabled and introduced the inequitable “bedroom tax.” At the same time, they have delivered tax cuts for millionaires, allowing inequality to grow and the rich to get richer, while forcing thousands of poorer families to rely on foodbanks.

There is little between the three largest London-based political parties, as shown by the Commons vote on George Osborne’s “Charter for Budget Responsibility,” which set three more years of austerity politics and another £30 billion of damaging cuts to our already struggling public services. It was supported by 515 MPs, a “Grand Coalition” of the Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, both UKIP MPs and almost all Labour MPs.

Mebyon Kernow is different and will resolutely fight to protect Cornwall’s public services.