G7 LEGACY

THE EYES OF THE WORLD SHONE ON CORNWALL EARLIER THIS SUMMER, AS WORLD LEADERS GATHERED FOR THE G7 SUMMIT.

hen Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Cornwall as his choice to host G7, initially it was greeted with surprise. But on closer inspection, it was the perfect choice. Looking beyond the natural beauty (and crystal azure waters lapping onto the Carbs Bay beach), Cornwall has many of the building blocks in place in the PM’s vision to build back from Covid “better and greener”.

Cornwall is probably best known as a tourist destination, for pasties and Poldark, for its beaches, its food and drink, its lifestyle. But as Boris recognised, it has far more going for it than that. The green industrial revolution is at the heart of Cornwall’s economic plans. Cornwall stands on the cusp of being genuine leader in lithium production,

geothermal energy, offshore renewables etc. And then there’s the exciting plans over at Newquay for Spaceport Cornwall, which, all being well, should see the UK’s first satellite launch in 2022.

It was a surreal sight for many of us in Cornwall, seeing Air Force One at Newquay Airport, motorcades down the A30, thousands of police and the entire media circus descending upon us. But the excitement was quite palpable. Just what the legacy will be, it’s difficult to say. But it is fair to say, hosting G7 has energised Cornwall’s businesses and ambitions more than ever.

Kim Conchie, chief executive of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, was in little doubt over the positive impact that G7 will leave.

“The police were incredible and seemed to bring communities together rather than alienate them,” he said. “The world leaders and their families appear to have fallen in love with the Duchy, and the protestors in the main were amicable – and in many cases helped demonstrate Cornwall’s creativity, community spirit and uniqueness.

“We have collectively shown Cornwall off in the very best light, which I am confident will pay dividends for the careers of our children and our children’s children.”

Cornwall is a fantastic place to visit, but an even better place to live in and work. Many of us in Cornwall already knew this, but thanks to G7, the Duchy’s reputation on the wider stage has moved up another level.

Photo on adjacent page: G7 Cornwall 2021. All photos on this page: Karwai Tang/G7 Cornwall 2021.