Cornish Nationalist Party

Last updated

Cornish Nationalist Party
An Parti Kenethlegek Kernow
AbbreviationCNP
Founded28 May 1975
Split from Mebyon Kernow
NewspaperThe Cornish Banner
Ideology
ColoursBlack and white
Cornwall Council
0 / 87

The Cornish Nationalist Party (CNP; Cornish : An Parti Kenethlegek Kernow) is a political party founded in 1975. It initially campaigned for independence for Cornwall [1] but later supported devolved powers under central UK control. [2]

Contents

The CNP should not be confused other Cornish nationalist parties, including Mebyon Kernow (MK) from which the CNP split in 1975, [3] or the similarly named Cornish National Party, which split from MK in 1969. [4]

History

The party was formed on 28 May 1975 by people who left Mebyon Kernow, Cornwall's main nationalist party, [4] and was first led by James Whetter.[ citation needed ]

The split with Mebyon Kernow was based on two main debates. First was whether to be a centre-left party, appealing to the electorate on a social democratic line, or whether to appeal emotionally on a centre-right cultural line. At the time, the same debate was occurring in most political parties campaigning for autonomy from the United Kingdom, including the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru. Second was whether to embrace devolution as a first step to full independence (or as the sole step if this was what the electorate wished) or for independence to be "all or nothing". [2]

The CNP represented a more right-wing outlook based on the belief that that cultural arguments were more likely to win votes than economic[ specify ] ones. The CNP worked to preserve the Celtic identity of Cornwall, and encouraged links with Cornish people overseas and with other regions with distinct identities. It also gave support to the Cornish language and commemorated Thomas Flamank, a leader of the Cornish Rebellion in 1497, at an annual ceremony at Bodmin on 27 June each year. It also worked to improve Cornwall's economy.[ clarification needed ]

Since the death of founder James Whetter in 2018, the CNP has been led by Androw Hawke.

Electoral and campaign activity

Throughout its history, the CNP has been sporadically registered with the Electoral Commission, fielding candidates for some elections but not others. When not participating in elections it has often continued to act as a campaign group or pressure group, although its visibility and influence within Cornwall is negligible.

It stood for national elections twice, in 1979 and 1983. [5] In April 2009, a news story reported that the party had re-formed following a conference in Bodmin; [2] however, it did not contest any elections that year. A newspaper article and a revamp of the party website in October 2014 state that the party planned to contest elections once more. [2] The reformed party was registered with the Electoral Commission in 2014, but ceased to be registered in 2017. [6]

Indian office

In 1983 the party opened an office in India. [7] The Indian office was established by Gagan Narayan Dua and published a periodical entitled Cornish India. [8] [9]

Publications

Whetter was the founder and editor of the CNP quarterly journal,[ verification needed ]The Cornish Banner (An Baner Kernewek), within the actions of the Roseland Institute.

Elections and results

YearElectionConstituencyCandidateVotes %Ref
1979 UK General Election Truro James Whetter 2270.4 [10]
1983 UK General Election North Cornwall James Whetter 3640.67 [10]
1984 European Parliament election Cornwall and Plymouth James Whetter 18921.0

At the 1984 European Parliament election, the CNP was affiliated to the former European Federalist Party (1974-1995)  [ de ]. [11] [12]

The CNP had one parish councillor, leader Androw Hawke who was elected to Polperro Community Council for the second time on 4 May 2017. [13] [ failed verification ]

Policy

Original policies

The Policy Statement of the CNP was published in 1975. The 1977 Programme of the Cornish Nationalist Party was laid out under multiple key points. [14]

World and continental government
The party promotes international federalism in which power is decentaralised "to the true, natural identities and units" to free Celtic nations from their "imperialist overlords". It will work to achieve autonomy for Cornwall to the degree "necessary for her total fulfilment as a Celtic nation. It believes "internationalism is based on strong nationalisms."
Celtic confederation
The party will work to establish a confederation of the six Celtic countries with shared institutions, within a united Europe.
The Cornish state
A Cornish state should have sovereign authority inside its traditional border and over its surrounding sea. Its national flag will be the flag of Saint Piran. The Isles of Scilly may have a referendum to decide on membership. Devolved powers may be an acceptable step towards this ultimate goal.
Democratic government
Power within the Cornish state should also be decentralised to smaller units and these should be based on traditional hundred, parish and town boundaries.
Legal system
Transition from the English legal system to "Celtic Confederation Courts", European courts, and UN courts. New court procedures will introduce the verdict 'not proven' as in Scotland and treat crime against persons as more serious than property crime. Punishment will focus on rehabilitation.
Language
Cornish will be the official language, the language of government, and eventually of education, via a process modelled on the revival of the Hebrew language in Israel.
Mass communication
The Cornish state will have a free press. Publications and programming promoting Cornish and Celtic culture will be supported by the state. Aid will be given to the promotion of the party's Cornish Banner periodical.
Social organisation and welfare
The party supports continuing welfare for the old, sick and young. For others it will "encourage self-reliance and self-sufficiency" instead of "hand-outs". Men and women will be equal but "encouraged in their loyalties to old-established and traditional nuclear families" as well as to local communities and to Cornwall.
Housing
The party would end second homes and build housing to be bought affordably.
Economy
Property rights will be respected and registered in the Cornish state. The economy will be based on a mixture of capitalist and socialist systems. Small businesses will be encouraged, while new industry will emerge "naturally" from "market conditions". English "class antagnoism" will be avoided in larger businesses via profit sharing and worker representation on boards. Farming will be encouraged and fishermen will have sole rights to seas within 50 miles. Cooperatives and unions will be formed. The state has rights to all natural resources in its territory, and extraction companies will pay a proportion of their value to the state. Tourism will be controlled in volume, given better amenities, and refocused on Cornish culture.
Transport and communication
Improvements will avoid widening roads and removing hedgerows.
Energy
The Cornish state will use existing resources and develop new ones, prioritising natural sources.
Environment and ecology
The environment is unique and should be protected via education. People should be encouraged to build new buildings in a traditional Celtic style. Planning control will be minimal to ensure freedom.
Sport
Cornish sports and sports that the Cornish are good at will be encouraged in schools and at the national or Celtic level.
Culture and recreation
Traditional festivals, dances, literature and folklore will be promoted.
Religion
Education should focus on Christianity and ancient Celtic religion. People should have freedom of religion.
Youth
The party will develop a Cornish Youth Movement based on the Welsh Urdd Gobaith Cymru.
Defence
The Cornish state will have a "home defence force, linked to local communities and civil units of administration". It will have no offence force but will contribute to Celtic, European and UN forces. Water rights will be protected by fishery protection vessels and gun boats. Rights may be leased to England for naval use.
Foreign policy and ambassadorial recognition
The Cornish state will support international co-operation and justice as well as Celtic unity. Ambassadorial recognition of all but the most closely-linked stated will happen at the Celtic level.

Other policies

Other policies have included:[ when? ]

More recent policies include:[ when? ]

Image

The CNP has had image problems, having been seen as similarly styled to nativist and far-right parties, the British National Party (BNP) and National Front (NF). During the 1970s, the party magazine The Cornish Banner / An Baner Kernewek published letters sympathetic to the NF and critical of "Zionist" politicians. [15] [16]

In around 1976, CNP formed a controversial uniformed wing, for which it received criticism from members of the Celtic League and MK. [17] The group, known as the "Greenshirts", was led by the CNP Youth Movement leader and public relations officer Wallace Simmons. Simmons also founded the Cornish Front, which supported the NF. [18] [19] A notable political difference is that CNP and Cornish Front were sympathetic to Irish republicanism while the NF was largely supportive of Ulster loyalism, though there were exceptions within the NF, including former leading figure Patrick Harrington who is of Irish Catholic heritage.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mebyon Kernow</span> Political party in Cornwall

Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall is a Cornish nationalist, centre-left political party in Cornwall, in southwestern Britain. It currently has five elected councillors on Cornwall Council, and several town and parish councillors across Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic Congress</span> Celtic cultural organisation

The International Celtic Congress is a cultural organisation that seeks to promote the Celtic languages of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. The International Celtic Congress is a non-political charitable organisation and its stated object is to "... perpetuate the culture, ideals, and languages of the Celtic peoples, and to maintain an intellectual contact and close cooperation between the respective Celtic communities."

The Cornish people or Cornish are an ethnic group native to, or associated with Cornwall and a recognised national minority in the United Kingdom, which can trace its roots to the Brittonic Celtic ancient Britons who inhabited Great Britain from somewhere between the 11th and 7th centuries BC and inhabited Britain at the time of the Roman conquest. Many in Cornwall today continue to assert a distinct identity separate from or in addition to English or British identities. Cornish identity has also been adopted by some migrants into Cornwall, as well as by emigrant and descendant communities from Cornwall, the latter sometimes referred to as the Cornish diaspora. Although not included as a tick-box option in the UK census, the numbers of those writing in a Cornish ethnic and national identity are officially recognised and recorded.

Dick Cole is a Cornish politician, currently serving as an elected member of Cornwall Council and the leader of the Cornish devolutionist political party, Mebyon Kernow, a role he has held since 1997. He is currently one of the longest serving political leaders in Britain. Dick Cole was first elected MK leader in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornwall Council</span> Unitary authority for Cornwall, England

Cornwall Council, known between 1889 and 2009 as Cornwall County Council, is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished. The non-metropolitan county of Cornwall is slightly smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes the Isles of Scilly. The council has had a Conservative Party majority since the 2021 local elections. Its headquarters is Lys Kernow in Truro.

A Cornish Assembly is a proposed devolved law-making assembly for Cornwall along the lines of the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Cornwall</span> South West England county

Cornwall is administered as a county of South West England whose politics are influenced by a number of issues that make it distinct from the general political scene in the wider United Kingdom, and the political trends of neighbouring counties. Its position on the geographical periphery of the island of Great Britain is also a factor.

James C. A. Whetter was a Cornish historian and politician, noted as a Cornish nationalist and editor of The Cornish Banner. He contested elections for two Cornish independence parties. A prolific writer, Dr James Whetter was the editor of Mebyon Kernow's monthly magazine Cornish Nation in the early 1970s before later becoming active in the Cornish Nationalist Party. While active in Mebyon Kernow he authored A Celtic Tomorrow - Essays in Cornish Nationalism and The Celtic Background of Kernow, the latter intended to assist schoolchildren in a better understanding of Cornish Celtic history and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish nationalism</span> Nationalist movement in the United Kingdom

Cornish nationalism is a cultural, political and social movement that seeks the recognition of Cornwall – the south-westernmost part of the island of Great Britain – as a nation distinct from England. It is usually based on three general arguments:

Cornish Solidarity was a Cornish direct action protest group founded in 1998, campaigning for Cornish issues, principally including Objective One status for Cornwall and more support for the Cornish economy in light of mine closures during the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devonwall</span> Possible region of England

Devonwall was a political concept introduced in the United Kingdom in the 1970s by the Conservative government. It was an attempt to link Cornwall and Devon together in an economic, political and statistical sense to form a South West region. This involved combining and centralising some local government functions and services such as the police, ambulance, fire services and media output such as local TV and newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Jenkin</span> Cornish nationalist politician (1925-2002)

Richard Garfield Jenkin, was a Cornish nationalist politician and one of the founding members of Mebyon Kernow. He was also a Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow.

Ernest George Retallack Hooper (1906–1998), also known by his bardic name Talek (broad-bowed), was a British writer and journalist from St. Agnes.

Garry Harcourt Tregidga is a Cornish academic, director of the Institute of Cornish Studies at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, UK, and editor of the journal Cornish Studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish devolution</span> Political movement in Cornwall, England

Cornish devolution is the movement to increase the governing powers of the County of Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Separatism in the United Kingdom</span> List of separatists movements in the UK

Separatism in the United Kingdom may refer to the secession of any of the countries of the United Kingdom from the union. Less significant movements for separatism exist such as Cornwall within England.

Loveday Elizabeth Trevenen Jenkin is a politician, biologist and language campaigner. She has been a member of Cornwall Council since 2011, and currently serves as councillor for Crowan, Sithney and Wendron.

Loveday Carlyon is a Cornish nationalist politician.

Pedyr Prior was a Cornish politician and a noted figure in the Cornish nationalist politics, being Chairman of Mebyon Kernow from 1985 to 1986 and later Chair of the Labour Party in Cornwall.

Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall is a Cornish nationalist, centre-left political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly. It has representatives in local government, but has never succeeded in national elections.

References

  1. "Cornwall's full potential as an independent nation". Partikenethlekkernewek.fortunecity.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 DaveCDM (1 October 2014). "The Cornish Nationalist Party reforms as a political party". The West Briton . Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. Tregidga, Garry H. (Spring 1999). "Devolution for the Duchy". Journal of Liberal Democratic History (22).
  4. 1 2 Mebyon Kernow and Cornish Nationalism by Dick Cole, Bernard Deacon, and Garry Tregidga, p. 56, pp. 65-69, p. 81, p. 105, p. 130
  5. "UK Election Statistics: 1945-2003" (PDF). parliament.uk. UK Parliament . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. Registration - The Cornish Nationalist Party (De-registered 15/02/17).
  7. "CNP's India connection". The West Briton . 3 February 1983. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  8. "kernow" (PDF). Carn. No. 41. Celtic League. Spring 1983. p. 16. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  9. "General correspondence: 1983-1984". archives.library.wales. National Library of Wales . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  10. 1 2 Craig, Fred W. S. (1984). British parliamentary election results, 1974-1983. Chichester, West Sussex: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   090017823X . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  11. "Alliance pick lawyer to fight Euro-seat And Whetter is CNP choice". The West Briton . 29 March 1984. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  12. Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations : parties, groups, and movements of the twentieth century. London ; New York : Pinter. 2000. ISBN   978-1-85567-264-2 . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  13. "Polperro CC - Councillors". www.polperrocommunitycouncil.gov.uk.
  14. Program an Party Kenethlegek Kernow =: Programme of the Cornish Nationalist Party (PDF). St. Austell: C.N.P. Publications. 1977. ISBN   0906009022 . Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  15. The Cornish Banner, Merth (March) 1977, pp. 18-20
  16. Tristan Bolitho, "Cornwall for the Cornish?", Heritage and Destiny, May 2017, pp. 3-6
  17. "CARN" (PDF). www.celticleague.net. 1976. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  18. Mebyon Kernow and Cornish Nationalism by Dick Cole, Bernard Deacon and Garry Tregidga, pp. 66-67
  19. Celtic Crossman, Fascism and Nationalism in Cornwall - A History 1924-2017, Steven Books 2017