This blog has in the past likened Cornwall Council to a puppet government; the marionette of Westminster’s puppeteers. However, recently it has taken a commendable stand against the Tories decision to stop all Cornish language funding. The irony is that if the English had not imposed their English language bible, onto a Cornish speaking nation, it’s likely our language, along with Welsh, would have survived at a level that wouldn’t need the funding required today – if at all.
Tories ‘Devonwall’
Yesterday, 1st November during a meeting, Cornwall’s Councillors again displayed their testicular fortitude by voting for continuing their challenge against Tory ‘Devonwall’ proposals (there were 12 votes for – all Tory) that effectively splits Cornwall into what has become known as ‘Devonwall’. The term describes the ‘gerrymandering’ of the Cornish border that would have Bude and Launceston assimilated under a Devon constituency.
At the meeting, Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat councillors pointed out the failure of the Tory group to condemn their own MPs (Scott Mann; Steve Double; Derek Thomas; Sheryll Murray; George Eustace and Sarah Newton) for not standing up for Cornwall on the issue.
Council leader, Mr John Pollard stated:
“I believe that representing two counties will dilute our effectiveness to argue Cornwall’s case. We are here to argue for Cornwall and we should expect our MPs to do the same.
I want a strong Cornwall, a Cornwall that works for everyone and a Cornwall that can stand up for itself. Being represented by someone with divided loyalties will do nothing for Cornwall or the people we represent.”
Mr Pollard also told PirateFM:
“We need to preserve the integrity of the Cornish border for many reasons. Not the least the fact that we have devolution deal for Cornwall. We are fighting for more powers for Cornwall, more decision making in Cornwall for Cornwall and having an MP which represents a part of Cornwall is essential to that.
If you’ve got an MP who represents a bit of Devon as well, they’re not going to give the interest or the time or the effort to that campaign; so that’s the first thing.
The second thing is, of course, that we’ve traditionally had parliamentary constituencies within our borders and it will weaken the parliamentary impact.”
Councillor Dick Cole from Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall said:
“I think there will be a strong consensus built up in Cornwall and hopefully we can all work together, put the pressure on central government and make them deliver and keep Cornwall whole. It is a democratic travesty that Cornwall is not being properly represented democratically.
The government has said the Cornish are a national minority and they should be treated the same as the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish. The boundaries between England, Wales and Scotland – they’re not being broken. Yet the boundary between Cornwall and England is being breached; that’s totally wrong.”
The Cornish, along with passionate supporters, displayed the depth of feeling against ‘Devonwall’ with a demonstration at Polson Bridge.
Tory Plan: Assimilate Cornwall and the Cornish
A video has appeared on YouTube that shows just how the Tories plan to assimilate Cornwall even further by its inclusion into a ‘South West Region’.
Apart from the most ignorant, tabloid educated and severely Anglocentric individuals, there can be no argument that Cornwall, through Government recognition of Cornish ethnicity and language; Cornwall’s own history, includes Wales, pre-dates the arrival of the English people. Eighty percent of Cornwall’s place names are from the Cornish language provides the visible evidence of Cornwall’s distinct identity. Even Theresa May’s predecessor, David Cameron admitted:
“There is a distinctive history, culture and language in Cornwall which we should celebrate and make sure is properly looked after and protected.” (24th April 2014).
Yet in the video, a presentation by the recently appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid has made some of the most un-informed, ill-considered and degrogatory remarks from an established political party in recent years:
Mr Javid said:
“Some in Cornwall, for example, see their ‘county’ as distinct from the rest of the ‘region’ a special case that should be handled separately from everywhere else East of the Tamar. That whole attitude has to change.”
It would not be too difficult to place Mr Javid in one of the ‘most ignorant’ ‘tabloid educated’ or ‘severely Anglocentric’ category. The ‘Some in Cornwall’ to whom he referrers are the Cornish and Cornwall’s supporters. The insulting remarks are evidence of the contempt in which Mr Javid holds the Cornish ethnic minority and their Cornish homeland, and provides a broader insight into the mentality of Tory policy towards Cornwall. Faced with such derision, the Cornish would likely place Mr Javid in all three categories.
With such a display of intolerance towards an ethnic minority, his understanding of Cornwall non-existent, it’s difficult to justify Mr Javid’s current appointment.
This lack of understanding is even more unforgivable given that Mr Javid has roots that originated in Pakistan. A fine people who in 1947, finally cut the chains of British colonialism and assimilation. Maybe the remarks could be excused due to a low-grade speechwriter? If so, the remarks were read – and understood.
In such adversity, it’s time for the Cornish and Cornwall’s wider population to stand together. We must take ownership of our destiny, identity, history and culture through the formation of a Cornish Assembly, perhaps through a Progressive Alliance. But without the divisive, anti-Cornish political agenda that the Conservatives seek to impose; to undermine and marginalise to the extent that Cornwall, Cornish produce and the Cornish themselves, become invisible under the cloak of Tory assimilation.
CORNOVIA 