Cornish devolution

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St Piran's Flag, the flag of Cornwall Flag of Cornwall.svg
St Piran's Flag, the flag of Cornwall

Cornish devolution is the movement to increase the governing powers of the County of Cornwall. [1]

Contents

History of Cornish devolution and status

Origin of English rule

In 1066, much of Cornwall was invaded by the Normans [2] and Brian of Brittany may have been made earl of Cornwall by William the Conqueror and some Cornish people returned to Cornwall from Brittany following prior invasion by the Anglo-Saxons. [3]

The peerage of the Earl of Cornwall was created and first appointed to Condor of Cornwall, a survivor of the royal lineage of Cornwall. [4]

Duchy of Cornwall

Bilingual map of Cornwall (English & Cornish). CornwallKernowMappa.png
Bilingual map of Cornwall (English & Cornish).
Statue of Michael Joseph An Gof (the Smith) and Thomas Flamank, leaders of the Cornish rebellion of 1497. Statue of Michael Joseph the Smith and Thomas Flamank - geograph.org.uk - 1263309.jpg
Statue of Michael Joseph An Gof (the Smith) and Thomas Flamank, leaders of the Cornish rebellion of 1497.

The Duchy of Cornwall was formed in 1337 by English king Edward III for his first born son, Prince Edward and a charter stated this would continue in the same manner for each eldest son of the English monarch. The Duke of Cornwall is the title given to the holder of the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duke holds some rights in Cornwall and owns the coastline and riverbeds around Cornwall as well as the significant profits from which are produced. These profits contribute to financial support of the English Duke of Cornwall. [5]

Cornish rebellion and Stannary Parliament

In 1497, Michael Joseph An Gof and Thomas Flamank and a Cornish army marched upon London in protest of raised taxes by Henry VII who aimed to increase funding for a war against the Scots. The Cornish army was defeated and An Gof and Flamank were both executed. However, the rebellion may have influenced the decision by the Henry VII to introduce the Charter of Pardon in 1508 which gave powers to the Convocation of the Tinners of Cornwall (commonly known as the Stannary Parliaments) to veto English legislation in Cornwall. [4]

Local Government Act 1888

The Local Government Act 1888 established Cornwall as an administrative county and established Cornwall County Council. [6]

Modern Devolution Proposals

Early 2000's call for devolution powers from business

Managing director of Ginsters Mark Duddridge has outlined what he believes to be key reasons that Cornwall would benefit from increased devolution powers citing:

Early 2000's Proposed Cornish Assembly

The Cornish Constitutional Convention was formed in 2000 as a cross-party organisation including representatives from the private, public and voluntary sectors to campaign for the creation of a Cornish Assembly, [8] along the lines of the National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament. Between 5 March 2000 and December 2001, the campaign collected the signatures of 41,650 Cornish residents endorsing the call for a devolved assembly, along with 8,896 signatories from outside Cornwall. The resulting petition was presented to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. [8]

Early 2020's Proposed Cornish Assembly

Cornish party Mebyon Kernow has called for the creation of a Cornish Assembly or parliament in light of the 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall, stating: "...what better legacy could there be than parity with the other Celtic parts of the UK, such as Scotland and Wales, in terms of influence and investment, and a comprehensive devolution deal, which would deliver a Cornish Assembly or Parliament?" [9]

2020's Annual All Under One Banner: St Piran's Day

Since 2021 an "All Under One Banner" march has occurred annually on 19 March in Cornwall to both celebrate St Piran's Day and promote greater autonomy for Cornwall and a greater discussion on its future. [10]

2021 Devolution report

A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), an independent think tank, suggested that Cornwall has "outgrown" the original devolution deal of 2015.

Sarah Longlands, director of IPPR North suggested that Cornwall needs "the power and resources to be able to get on and get the job done, rather than wait for central government to make the next move" and that based on their research "it is clear that Cornwall has made the best of the fairly limited decentralisation deal that it was originally offered." Longlands also suggested that due to the decline of the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and "the uncertainty of Brexit, now is the time to give Cornwall real devolution which means that they have the economic powers and resources they need to support a strong and fair recovery.” [11]

2022 Council devolution ambitions

Cornwall Council has outlined several areas in which they are seeking devolution of powers from central government:

Cornish devolution to date

2015 Local authority devolution

In 2015 Cornwall became the first county of England to receive new devolved powers which included;

2016 Cornish language powers

In 2016 authority for the Cornish language (recognised under the Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in 2003) was transferred to Cornwall Council from the central government. [13]

2022 failed devolved power transfer and Meryon

In December 2022 at Spaceport Cornwall, Dehenna Davison the Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up announced a package worth £360m transferring building and skills powers to Cornwall Council. The devolution deal required Cornwall to create a new directly elected regional Mayor (Meryon in Cornish). [14] The powers were designed to give the council and Mayor/Meryon "greater control over transport budgets, building, skills delivery, and greater influence with government to tackle challenges of second homes" [15] [16] [17]

The council announced in April 2023, it would be abandoning the proposed devolution deal and the role of a directly elected mayor due to public opposition. The council would instead look into a smaller devolution deal. [18] [19]

2023 cross-party motion for Cornish Assembly

A cross-party motion led by Dick Cole and supported by a total of 27 councillors is set to go to a meeting of Cornwall Council in April 2023 and states, “Cornwall Council resolves to inform the UK Government that we wish to commence negotiations for a more meaningful devolution settlement similar to those enjoyed in the other Celtic parts of the UK (ie. a National Assembly of Cornwall or Cornish Parliament).

“Cornwall Council also resolves to request a meeting between the Secretary of State and a cross-party delegation from Cornwall Council as a matter of urgency.” [20] The motion failed to pass in the Cornish council with 38 to 36 councilors voting against the motion. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish Nationalist Party</span> Political party in the United Kingdom

The Cornish Nationalist Party is a political party founded in 1975. It initially campaigned for independence for Cornwall but later supported devolved powers under central UK control.

<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">Senedd</span> Devolved parliament of Wales

The Senedd, officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and Senedd Cymru in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees to certain taxes, and scrutinises the Welsh Government. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English being the official languages of its business. From its creation in May 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was officially known as the National Assembly for Wales and was often simply called the Welsh Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of England</span>

Politics of England forms the major part of the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with England being more populous than all the other countries of the United Kingdom put together. As England is also by far the largest in terms of area and GDP, its relationship to the UK is somewhat different from that of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The English capital London is also the capital of the UK, and English is the dominant language of the UK. Dicey and Morris (p26) list the separate states in the British Islands. "England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.... is a separate country in the sense of the conflict of laws, though not one of them is a State known to public international law." But this may be varied by statute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael An Gof</span> One of the leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497

Michael Joseph, better known as Michael An Gof, was one of the leaders of the Cornish rebellion of 1497, along with Thomas Flamank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchy of Cornwall</span> Royal duchy in England

The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of Duke of Cornwall at birth or when his parent succeeds to the throne, but may not sell assets for personal benefit and has limited rights and income while a minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish rebellion of 1497</span> Popular uprising in England

The Cornish rebellion of 1497, also known as the First Cornish rebellion, was a popular uprising in the Kingdom of England, which began in Cornwall and culminated with the Battle of Deptford Bridge near London on 17 June 1497.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitutional status of Cornwall</span>

The constitutional status of Cornwall has been a matter of debate and dispute. Cornwall is an administrative county of England.

<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 is under no overall control since July 2024, when the Conservatives lost their majority. Its headquarters is Lys Kernow in Truro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Directly elected mayors in England</span> Executive leaders of local government

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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.

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Localism Act 2011</span> Legislation concerning English local government

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devolution in the United Kingdom</span> Granting governmental powers to parts of the UK

In the United Kingdom, devolution is the Parliament of the United Kingdom's statutory granting of a greater level of self-government to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the London Assembly and to their associated executive bodies: the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and in England, the Greater London Authority and combined authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that allows for the introduction of directly elected mayors to combined authorities in England and Wales and the devolution of housing, transport, planning and policing powers to them. The bill was introduced to the House of Lords by Baroness Williams of Trafford, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on 28 May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Cornwall</span> Overview of and topical guide to Cornwall

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall: Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall is also a royal duchy of the United Kingdom. It has an estimated population of half a million and it has its own distinctive history and culture.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North East Combined Authority</span> Combined authority in North East England

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References

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  2. "The Impact of the Norman Conquest of England". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  3. "Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion | 1977 | 1977 | Welsh Journals - The National Library of Wales". journals.library.wales. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 SeaDogIT. "Medieval Cornwall". Cornwall Heritage Trust. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  5. "History of the Duchy | The Duchy of Cornwall". duchyofcornwall.org. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. "Local Government Act | United Kingdom [1888] | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. Hoare, Callum (5 March 2021). "Cornwall devolution bid tabled as Scottish and Welsh breakaway movements gather pace". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  8. 1 2 Cornish Constitutional Convention (3 April 2005). "Campaign for a Cornish Assembly – Senedh Kernow". Cornishassembly.org. Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  9. "Devolution for Cornwall call as G7 uses it as a 'picturesque backdrop'". Nation.Cymru. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  10. "St Piran's Day announcement of new Cornish 'All Under One Banner' march". Nation.Cymru. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  11. Eyriey, Nick (19 March 2021). "Report calls for 'true devolution' | Business Cornwall" . Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  12. Knott, Jonathan (25 August 2021). "Cornwall calls for further devolution to crack down on second homes". Local Government Chronicle (LGC). Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  13. "Cornish language funding stopped by government". BBC News. 21 April 2016.
  14. "Gerlyver Kernewek (FSS)" (PDF). www.cornishdictionary.org.uk. Akademi Kernewek. 30 May 2019.
  15. "Historic £360 million Devolution Deal transfers building and skills powers to level up Cornwall - Cornwall Council". www.cornwall.gov.uk. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  16. "Cornwall Council leader confirms elected mayor included in devolution". BBC News. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  17. Whitehouse, Richard (2 February 2022). "Cornwall's Levelling Up just seems to rehash old funding". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  18. "Devolution deal with elected mayor dropped by Cornwall Council". BBC News. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  19. "Cornwall drops devolution plan with elected mayor over public 'concern'". The Independent. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  20. "Councillors demand Cornish Assembly after collapse of Mayor for Cornwall plans". The Cornish Times. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  21. "Proposal for 'Cornish parliament' devolution bid narrowly rejected". Local Government Chronicle. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.