When is a defeat not a defeat?
Well let’s look at the vote on the motion on the 18th of April at Lys Kernow for Meaningful Devolution for Cornwall. It was defeated, no one can disagree on that, but I would argue that the outcome of the vote in itself was inconsequential,it was the symbolism of the support for the motion and the debate that was far more important.
Below is the motion as proposed by Cllr Dick Cole and seconded by Cllr Loveday Jenkin of Mebyon Kernow that Cllrs voted on.
In 2014, the UK Government recognised the Cornish as a national minority through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. It pledged that the Cornish would have the “same status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.” This was a wide-ranging commitment from the UK state, covering culture, language, heritage, education, territorial integrity and public life. We, the undersigned, are therefore disappointed at the content of the “devolution deal,” which principally represents accommodations between central government and Cornwall’s unitary authority, rather than a meaningful devolution settlement as achieved in Wales and Scotland. 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.
Watching Cornish councillors from different groups stand in the chamber and argue that the Cornish are a recognised minority with the rights and protections that go with it, and it is time for the Cornish not Westminster to make the decision on how Kernow is managed was fascinating to see. The idea of such a debate in the council chamber even a few years ago would have seemed remote and yet here it was happening.
What message did those councillors standing in the chamber send to people of Kernow and further afield ?
Apart from setting some alarm bells ringing in Whitehall, I would say that it said that the idea of Kernow taking its place alongside Scotland and Wales as a Celtic nation is no longer the stuff of parody or amusement that Cornwall council is taking the idea of proper devolution to Kernow as a tangible goal.
When it came to the vote the possibility of winning was always unlikely, but to lose by only two votes again would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Had that debate been held then it would have been more likely that a much wider margin of defeat would have been the most likely outcome.
The defeat was down to the Conservatives having an ideological tantrum. For some unfathomable reason the Conservatives are the largest party on the council.
The Cornish Conservative group following the dictat of the Conservative government plan for English county devolution,have been utterly humiliated by the twin defeat of their plan for a Level three English county devolution deal and the celebrations that the Conservatives will not be able to impose their mayor on Kernow. You possibly could feel a little sympathy for the Cornish Conservatives knowing just how unpopular they will be at Conservative Campaign Headquarters..or maybe not.
However you feel about the Conservatives they are now forced to go back to the Department for Levelling up to negotiate a Level 2 deal and then have to try and sell this as the best deal for Kernow, at a time when the Conservative party as a whole are not very popular,so it may be a little understandable that they are in no mood to support proper devolution to Kernow. Except of course the three Conservatives who supported the motion.
And yet some of the Conservatives speakers possibly sensing which way the wind is blowing wanted to show that though they supported the idea of greater devolution to Kernow but felt that the motion as set out did not give enough clarity to how devolution would work so were unable to support the motion at this time,which Cllr Cole leader of Mebyon Kernow neatly rebutted by holding up a copy of Mebyon Kernow’s devolution plan and pointing out it was available for three pounds to those opposing the motion but free to supporters of the motion, too much supportive laughter in the chamber. Some Conservatives claimed they could only support greater devolution if it could be proved that the people of Kernow supported it, maybe by referendum?
After the tortuous wrangling over the mayor deal and should there/shouldn’t there be a referendum you would think Cornwall council would want to steer well clear of such things.
A referendum sounds like a good idea but could it end up being bogged down for months with technical questions such as should second homers or owners of holiday lets who do not live in Kernow have a right to vote? If they do not have the courtesy to live in Kernow full time, why should they have a right to have a vote on the future of Kernow?
Would the Conservatives really want to go to a referendum? As Cllr German pointed out over 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for a Cornish assembly and Mori polling has shown consistent support for a Cornish assembly.
If you ask people in Kernow, people who have seen Westminer set arbitrary numbers for instance, on how many house have to be built in Kernow, many of which are unaffordable to local people and ask them would you rather have a Cornish assembly with powers to control housing developments or let Westminster force its plans on us, it does not take a great leap of the imagination to see where support might lie.
I spoke to Cllr Loic Rich at the beginning of last week (24 April) to get his view on the vote. Cllr Rich was one of the supporters named on the motion. I asked him how he felt the vote had gone.
Cllr Rich said ” I am disappointed we lost the vote but I think that losing by only two votes was actually impressive and the next time we could probably win. We have got rid of the Conservatives devolution plan that was waste of time and was not proper devolution and because of this vote people in the council and in the wider communities are now talking about how devolution could work for us”
I asked him what the anti argument would be? Would it be that Kernow was too small to financially support itself ?
” That is absolute nonsense. Do you know how much taxpayers money gets sent from Cornwall to Westminster? Millions of pounds,and Westminster gives only some of that back. If that money stayed in Cornwall we could do so much more with it to do the best for people in Cornwall, we would be better to decide than Westminster or Whitehall”
I asked him if he thought the debate would be over for the foreseeable future?
“ Far from it,that was just the opening. The independent group are having an informal meeting this week to discuss devolution and how we can reach out to other groups mostly the Conservatives, so we have the backing of the council for proper devolution to Cornwall ,and we can take a full plan to the government after the next election and say this is what we want for Cornwall and the only thing we will accept”
The last question I asked was did he think there would be a referendum on an assembly or parliament?
“That’s a good question. I think it will be down to how good a plan we take to the council.If it did come to a referendum we could win it”
I asked members of the Conservative group if they would like to comment but they seemed oddly reticent and no one came back to me.
The next general election could be about more than just a change in government but a change in the future for Kernow. If Labour win the next general election would they be more willing to recognise Cornish identity? They do have their own plan for English county devolution that makes no mention of Cornish cultural identity and are they willing to risk the wrath of the right wing press who would accuse them of breaking up the union if they supported a Cornish assembly?
We have to hope that this Cornwall council and after the next council election in May 2025 that the next elected council will have the foresight and stamina to fight for the right to give Kernow the same standing with other Celtic nations that it rightfully deserves.
KernowCalling 