Great news! At the full meeting of Cornwall Council today, a motion brought by Green councillors Drew Creek and Karen La Borde for the Council to pause and reconsider its plan to resume wide-scale glyphosate use was passed with overwhelming support.

The petition you signed was presented to the Council ahead of this meeting with, 5,625 signatures from Cornwall (sorry - I had to take out all those signatures from outside Cornwall because the Council will only consider petitions as signed by Cornwall residents). The names on the petition filled 65 close-packed pages.

A very large group of protesters, including environmentalists, beekeepers, medical professionals, and town and parish councillors gathered outside the Council building from early this morning to make their feelings known. There were cheers and loud applause from the public gallery when the Green councillors' motion was passed.

Councillor Creek said: “This is a win for the natural world, for human health and for local democracy – but only if the Council listens and acts accordingly.”

That's because the motion was an "advisory" motion, meaning that the Council is not bound by it. But Cornwall Council has been left in no doubt about how residents and their elected representatives feel about the glyphosate plan, or about the outcry that would ensue if they  try to press ahead with it. 

Partly for this reason, I'm leaving the petition open for a while longer. But what we've already achieved is hugely important, and I can't thank you enough for your help in achieving it!