Kernow - United and Inviolate

Philip Hosking writes on the ever-present threats to Cornwall


Now that one potential threat to Cornwall's territorial integrity has been seen off -Overwhelming support for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP- time to focus all attention on the remaining menace. 

The Lib Con administration fully intends to reduce and regularise the number of parliamentary constituencies within the UK. Whilst the historic frontiers of Scotland and Wales will be respected Cornwall's is under serious threat with a proposed part Cornwall part Devonshire constituency on the cards. 

If we want to maintain and strengthen Cornwall's case for greater self-government this must be resisted at all costs. The only region for Cornwall is Cornwall the Tamar being one of the oldest borders in Europe. The creation of a Devonwall constituency will only strengthen the case for a Devonwall or Plymouth city region. As in the past when ever Cornwall is coupled with Devonshire or the wider South West our voice is drowned out and our specific needs ignored. It is only after the statistical separation of Cornwall and Devon that Kernow qualified for Objective One funding from the European Union. 

Today I received the following invitation which people should feel free to circulate: 

I am sure you will have heard of the proposals to establish at least one cross-border parliamentary constituency linking Cornwall and Devonshire, and the concerns these have engendered. The proposals are embodied in the Parliamentary Voting and Consituencies Bill which is due to have its second reading on 6 September.

A Keep Cornwall Whole campaign has been initated to oppose the proposals, and this will be holding an open meeting in the Grenville Room, New County Hall Truro, on 31 August commencing at 19-00. This is a most important issue for those who value the integrity of Cornwall and care for her unique status.

Letters to Nick Clegg and to Cornish MPs will do no harm!

Equally a dedicated website is up and running with more arguments for why we should - Keep Cornwall Whole. If you do anything for Kernow join this campaign!

Labour PPC Jude Robinson has also created the following petition: No to the Devonwall boundary change

"We all know that the conquest and later repressions of Cornwall involved the use of force. But how many realize (in the new international climate of toleration of minorities and respect for small nations) that ongoing acts of latter day neo-colonialism by Westminster and Whitehall constitute a form of permanent and continuing State aggression? These covert activities need exposing simply because when a people become engaged in the struggle for a greater degree of self-determination they need to be able to justify why it is they offerresistance to the autocratic forces of centralized control. There is no doubt that, left to its own devices, Cornwall would find a more productive balance between centralisation and autonomy. However, dark forces work surreptitiously to stonewall such an event. This hard hitting and often controversial book sets out to explain what the forces of centralization have done in the past and,more importantly, reveals what is being done behind closed doors today."   - John Angarrack

Click'ee here to see Wasson