The Labour government has shown that it is willing to break with orthodoxy by putting people into ministerial positions that they are eminently suitable for, such as James Timpson as prisons minister or Patrick Vallance as science minister. This should benefit the UK as a whole, and after the chaos of the last number of years, a new government with new ideas was desperately needed.

But will the Labour government support greater recognition of Cornish identity and culture? Here, the picture may not be so rosy.

The Labour Party has made it very clear where they stand. Every piece of party literature has a Union flag on it. Minsters pose next to Union flags. The message is clear: We are a Unionist party. Would it seem likely that Labour would support meaningful devolution to a Cornish parliament? Very unlikely, the rightwing press would deliberately misinterpret this as the first steps to Cornish independence and manufacture outrage about Labour breaking up the Union. Not the sort of image that Labour’s unionist credentials need.

Also, there is the small matter that Cornwall may produce much of the minerals and metals that the UK needs for the growing green technology sector, meaning that Cornwall could become very important to both UK security and financial well-being. It may not seem the smartest move in Labour circles to open negotiations to cede powers to a Cornish parliament.

It is not all gloomy. There will be some devolution to Cornwall. Jayne Kirkham, from the start of her successful campaign, pointed out that there will be devolution in Cornwall, but not quite the devolution we want. It will be a limited deal as part of Labour’s English local authority devolution plan, which would mean no Cornish assembly or parliament. But to be fair to our newly elected Cornish Labour MPs, could we really expect them to go to parliament like all MPs with hopes of political advancement to campaign for a Cornish parliament against their party’s wishes? It would be the equivalent of giving someone a quick hug, then a swift kick in the balls, and a guaranteed way to spend the rest of your career on the back benches. 

For these reasons, next year’s council elections will be both crucial and fascinating to watch.

If there is ever to be meaningful devolution in Cornwall, it will be led by the council chamber, as Westminster will find it a lot harder to ignore calls from local government. But who will be the loudest voice in the chamber?

You could have a little sympathy for the ruling Conservatives on the council, watching their party take a hammering from the electorate and knowing that whoever gets elected as their new leader, the party will descend into an internal ideological war that will lead to years of chaos. Hardly the most comforting thought for some Cllrs going into an election. With this going on, will some Conservative Cllrs have a Damascene conversion and find they do loudly support meaningful devolution to Cornwall?

For the ruling Labour Party, there will be little need for or support for devolution to Cornwall, save for a few St. Pirans flags to show local pride. Their campaign will be based solely on their performance at Westminster. The 21 county council and 9 unitary authority elections in May 2025 will be the Labour government’s first test and will be treated as a barometer of the party’s popularity. Labour took four seats in Cornwall, so it will not be surprising if they invest in a strong campaign to take as many seats as they can on Cornwall council. If they can, and it is by no means certain with probable tax rises and a winter of higher fuel prices to get through, are seen to be popular or at least competent and hold party unity together, they could do well in the council elections.

The Lib Dems have stated they want to rebuild their base in what they regard as their heartlands in the West Country. With elections in both Devon and Cornwall next year, it would seem likely that the Lib Dems will want to capitalise on their election success, but outside of Cornwall, does the party have any real interest in supporting meaningful devolution? It would seem unlikely, as the Liberal Democrats make no mention of this in their manifesto.

Mebyon Kernow is the outsider in the race, and it could be argued that their fortunes are closely tied to the Labour Party. The 2024 elections have created one of the most diverse and surprising elections of recent times, with a number of sitting Labour MPs seeing their majority slashed. This shows a deep disaffection with normal Westminster politics. If, over the next ten months, Labour is unable to increase its popularity, then Mebyon Kernow, along with its polar opposite Reform, could be the beneficiaries of a protest vote. Whereas Reform claims to be political disruptors but in reality offers only jingoism and Thatcherite policies wrapped in a cult of personality, Mebyon Kernow, as a left-centre party, can make the claim that they are the only party with their campaign for devolution to Cornwall that offers a truly different approach to the problems affecting Cornwall. Mebyon Kernow stepped back from the general election to concentrate on the council election. They have ten months. Maybe an investment in a marketing campaign to highlight what the party stands for could pay surprising dividends.

Whatever the outcome, the next ten months will be an interesting time for political anoraks in Cornwall.

In 1948 the writer Sydney Horler at the time a well known thriller writer of some 158 novels who is now largely forgotten .His views on race and religion that he expressed in the characters of his novels which are now very out of place in today’s world ,took it upon himself to write a letter to the Cornish Review, a small circulation arts magazine on the characteristics of the Cornish.

This is the letter he wrote:

Sir:

Pick up any book about Cornwall,and you’ll find the writer expatiating about the lovely coast scenery ,the different points of interest,etc,whilst remaining very reticent about the natives. I have lived among the Cornish -the Bude variety in particular for years now,on and off, and I have been appalled by what I have discovered in the local character. I have found a certain class to be treacherous, two faced, sly, deceitful, flagrant humbugs ( more especially when they profess themselves deeply religious as many of them do) and altogether undesirable.In fact in sheer defense ,I now refuse to have anything to do with the ‘locals’,and if newcomers to the county take my advice they will adopt the same precaution.If they don’t ,they will inevitably learn the same bitter lesson as myself.

What is the reason for this deplorable antisocial behaviour? The principal cause,I believe,is that the Cornish,a primitive people at the best,cut off for centuries from the rest of the country,have always hated the intrusion of anyone from outside- the ‘foreigner’, as they call him.They like his money, but keenly resent his physical presence. And the kinder and more generous he is on arrival,the more they will hate and fleece him. This is the stark truth. Perhaps being a very backward, illiterate and ignorant people ,they develop a strong sense of inferiority when they come into contact with anyone of a different and better type: the fact remains the ‘foreigner’ is only safe if he leaves them strictly alone .I have actually heard Cornishmen boast that their forebears lured ships on to the rocks by false lights,and their present actions are influenced no doubt,by what is in their very blood.A man who should know (he served in the Intelligence Service during both wars) assured me that German submarines were refuelled in coves along the south and north Cornish coast in 1914-1918, and that the crews were allowed to come ashore and mingle freely with the natives. After living in Cornwall, I can well believe it: in spite of the crowded chapels or, perhaps because of them- there is more farmyard immorality in Cornwall than in any other part of England. Many of the stories I can tell you would be judged incredible by any ordinary standard.

Perhaps the sexual lust can be partially explained by the strange mixture of blood in the Cornish, the frenzied chapel goer will deny it at the top of his voice ,but in spite of the strenuous attempts to hush it up,there is undoubtedly a lot of foreign blood among the natives, you can see men in Newlyn and other places standing on street corners,unshaved and wearing filthy trousers,who are pure Iberian, and who might have stepped out of a picture by Goya.This may account also for the Cornishman’s indolence,carelessness. and general shiftiness in some measure ,at least ;although the worst kind of Cornishman would be a natural rascal,I am afraid in any case .

Sydney Horler.

Quite what Mr Horler thought the reaction to his letter might be it was probably not what he expected.

I found his letter amusing, particularly the line about farmyard immorality and points much more to his isolated and fevered imagination .

At the time the letter was greeted with huge outrage across Kernow,Mr Horler was forced to leave Kernow after complaining that he had received threatening phone calls. Later that year an effigy of Sydney Horler was burnt on a huge Guy Fawkes bonfire in Newlyn attended by thousands of people.

It does make me think though ,are there still people today who are more circumspect about talking so publicly ,still share the very unfortunate view of the Cornish of Mr Sydney Horler ?

I asked Cllr Jayne Kirkham  Labour candidate for Truro and Falmouth recently what was the Labour policy for tackling the affordable housing shortage,which according to the Local Government inform website states that the number of households in Kernow on the social housing list stands at 23,181 as of 31st March ( 2021/2022). Cllr Kirkham sent me a link to an article from the Evening Standard about the Labour policy to build more social housing, though with nothing on potential numbers or when this might start.

That is very laudable even though they will not repeal the right to buy which was abolished in both Scotland and Wales preferring an already failed policy of sell one to replace one strategy.

Building more social housing is a welcome move forward but is it not time to expect our candidates for the general election to argue for a more revolutionary approach to both meeting the housing needs in Kernow and protecting its identity ?

Social housing would seem the most beneficial way of providing affordable housing for Cornish families with connections in particular to rural and coastal communities that they would otherwise be priced out of by second homes,holiday lets and inward migration to Kernow.

Of course this is not an issue that just affects Kernow, in England there are many coastal and rural areas where local people are priced out of the area they or their family have a connection to.

But Kernow has a far more complex problem when it comes to house building and land development from the issues facing England because of the recognition of the Cornish as a national minority .

Kernow is recognised as a Celtic nation and homeland to the Cornish, and the people of Kernow have a unique culture and identity that should be preserved and protected. There is a question that could be asked of how much of the culture and identity is shaped by the coast line, mine workings,moorlands,fields and farms and the villages that are Kernow , as more housing developments change the face of Kernow do they also erode the culture and identity ?

Housing developments are primarily being built on green field sites,and the argument is made that we have got acres of green fields in Kernow so does it really matter if a few acres here or there are lost when it is going to provide much needed housing?

I would argue that every field that is lost to open market developments erodes Cornish culture and does not provide any solution to the acute housing needs in Kernow .

Open market developments fall loosely in two categories, the identikit housing built across the UK by the big house building companies that shoehorn as many properties into the development as possible and the smaller luxury developments aimed at the wealthy buyer. Both types of development often are beyond the means of a Cornish income to either rent or purchase ,do not blend in with the existing housing in the area, and change what was once small populations into much larger communities, putting pressure on already overstretched public services ,they offer only a handful of ‘affordable homes’ that put people who need housing who have lived for sometime or have family connection to the area into a competitive lottery for a home. Open market developments with their higher pricing in our coastal towns and villages have created an air of exclusivity and a feeling that the Cornish coast is only for those that can afford it.

Yet conversely there is a type of development that actually strengthens Cornish identity . If acres of land are developed to build social housing in rural and coastal villages to provide homes for people who already live with the insecurity and high cost of private tenancy’s or have long family connections to an area that they would otherwise be unable to afford to live in ,then it strengthens the culture and identity of Kernow and the social bonds and oral history of the villages that have been forged through generations are then protected.

The current housing plans have proven to be unworkable. At present right to buy has removed much of the social housing stock and housing provided by the council and not for profit charities can not provide enough homes .Open market developments with a small affordable element are not really making any indentation into the shortage of homes for Cornish people and plans by Labour for social housing would meet opposition from developers whose open market developments are geared up to meeting the inward migration population growth in Kernow . Look at the population growth since 1931.These figures also have to include the baby boomer area post WW2.

Between the lowest population period in Kernow recorded by the census in 1931 at 317,968 to 1990 when the population was recorded at 468,425 a growth over nearly sixty years of 150,457. By 2021 the population was 568,210 a growth in just over thirty years of 99,785 . The Council is now planning for the population to grow to at least 600,000 by 2028.

How can Kernow provide desperately needed secure homes for local families and also create housing to meet the rapid population increase by inward migration to Kernow without concreting over vast swathes of the Duchy and destroying much of what makes Kernow unique?

We need politicians who are willing to talk about what would have once been unthinkable ideas and are not wedded to national party policies. Ideas such as putting social housing developments for local families first, removing the right to buy, a moratorium on all new second homes and holiday lets, limiting the number of open market developments of any size with a burden of proof that they are needed and rent caps on former social housing that has been sold off and is now rented privately.

I would agree that my views on housing may seem extreme and would be regarded as unworkable and going against the orthodoxy of the free market. But if the uniqueness of Kernow is to be protected then we need politicians who are brave enough and have the foresight to speak about the tough question of how we can protect Cornish heritage and identity and address the housing needs.

Below is slightly off topic but it serves to highlight a point about Cornish heritage and how it can be protected if there is a will to do it.

I have used as my source an article by Jackie Skipper called Penryn . A future for the past . Cornish Life Vol. 4 1977. An interview with Harry Grant.

In 1975 Carrick District Council conducted a survey of housing conditions in old Penryn the ancient town centre and the results were very worrying. Of the 212 inhabited houses

42% had no fixed bath

9% had no sink whatsoever

56% had only external W.C

98% had no damp course

65% needed roof replacement or extensive repair

92% had a bad external layout.

It was also found that the younger people were abandoning the old town leaving behind a large proportion of elderly and people on low income who could not afford to renovate the dwellings.

Harry Grant Carrick’s District architect was asked to look at the town with a view to conservation. The report from the surveys came back and it made bleak reading and it would cost the district a lot of money.

The houses in Penryn dated from the fifteenth century to the Georgian era and it had remained essentially the same town that existed in the time of John Wesley and was one of the oldest towns still in its original form in Europe. Given the dreadful state of many of the ancient buildings and this being 1975 at time when even having conservation status meant there was no guarantee that demolition would not happen and there were fears that much of the old town would be lost by the 1980’s.Many councils would have bulldozed the majority of buildings and started again. But Carrick to their eternal credit made the decision to restore. The primary reason was to make sure people had habitable homes but also because this was an important part of Cornish heritage and if it was lost it could never be replaced

To fully understand how brave a decision this was you have to look at the state of the UK in 1975.

In 1975 the UK was entering into its third year of recession, Inflation reached 26%, unemployment was over a million and climbing, strikes in manufacturing and public services were crippling the UK economy . The following year the prime minister James Callaghan had to ask the International Monetary Fund for a £2.3bn (£21 billion in 2023) bailout to support the UK’s economy.

In 2023 would any local authority think of doing something like the restoration of Penryn in such a financial crisis?

Undaunted the council looked for a funding solution and suggested that the town should be made a ‘ Housing Action Area’ by the Department for Environment ,all the evidence was condensed into a report and sent to the Department for Environment and this took the Department by complete surprise.

Why Surprise? The Housing Act only passed in 1974 and was designed for reconstruction in slum areas such as the Gorbals and parts of Liverpool. The criteria for granting the money was rigid. Amongst other things there must be bad housing conditions; social stress arising from these and evidence of at least 2-300 houses in bad condition. The D of E thought Penryn was far too small for consideration until it was pointed out that surely it would be more rewarding to benefit an entire community and if the old town centre was allowed to die then social stress was bound to follow.

Amazingly the Department was so impressed with the report that it eventually made a grant of £2 million ( the equivalent of £21 million in 2023).

The plans for restoration could only happen if the townspeople wanted it and initially doubts were expressed to whether they would.

Public meetings were held and the results were overwhelming and gratifyingly a packed meeting held at the Town Hall in Broad Street where residents were offered up to 75% grants of £2,2400 (£25,000 in 2023) to repair their houses or 90% grants if on low income with loans available if the cost of repair exceeds this with special mortgages available. Over 60% of residents made enquiries .

70 houses were tackled by 1977 and the remaining properties would be completed over the next four years.

Harry Grant said in 1977 ” It may seem like trying for the impossible ,but what we are aiming for is a prosperous, modern, medieval town. And it’s all voluntary ,there’s no compulsory purchasing involved, in fact we cannot make anyone improve their home if they don’t want to. All the council is trying to do is help the townspeople help themselves”

I think it could be said in 2023 that they succeeded.

Why is it that 48 years ago Carrick council in one of the worst recessions the UK had known was able to look at the importance of making sure homes were fit to live in a whole town and to protect Cornish heritage for future generations and yet in 2023 our politicians and those standing as candidates for the national parties at the next election have in many cases not even asked the question how we house the people of Kernow and protect the environment and heritage for the generations to come?

On the 6th Sept Konsel Kernow/ Cornwall Council sent a reply to an email I had sent asking why they did not use Lys Kernow or Konsel Kernow. Their view was that the use of these names could cause confusion or a lack of clarity. I was told I could ask for a review if I could provide evidence to support my complaint. Below is my response to Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council with evidence taken from the council’s own policies that are supposed to support Kernewek and promote Cornish identity and culture. 

This may seem a rather trivial argument to take to the council when set against many of the issues that are facing Kernow today from council tax rises to over development,but I would argue that the use of the Cornish names is important because it shows to the population of Kernow that the council takes seriously the use of Cornish language and supports Cornish identity,also if Kernow is to get an assembly or parliament then using the names Lys Kernow and Konsel Kernow is possibly a way of encouraging people to see that a Cornish assembly/parliament is a possibility.

Reply to Konsel Kernow.

Thank you for your reply dated 6th Sept 2023 I would like to ask for a step 2 review of your findings.

The new evidence I would like to present is based on Lys Kernows own policies and commitment to support Cornish language and identity.

In your reply on the 6th you state that the reason you use New County Hall instead of Lys Kernow is because the majority of residents know it as that and for reasons of clarity and understanding you refer to Lys Kernow as New County Hall I would also like to present evidence that both names are already being used with no impact on clarity or understanding.

Background

Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council across social media, its own online platform and on letters it sends out uses the name New County Hall. The name Lys Kernow is the official name of the council headquarters just as Cornwall Council should also be known as Konsel Kernow. There is no use of bilingual names for the council on the council’s social media feeds or online platform or official correspondence when written in English. I feel this is wrong at a time when there is growing interest in both the Cornish language and Cornish identity. 

Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council should be using at least the Cornish and English names for the council on its online and written communications.

Konsel Kernow/ Cornwall Council has by its own policies a duty to promote the use of the Cornish language and to promote Cornish identity.                           

What message does it send that Konsel Kernow/ Cornwall Council uses only English and not a bilingual approach to identifying itself ? If buses are operating on routes across Cornwall with messages on the side in the Cornish language with no translation what is stopping the council from using just four words of Cornish? I should not have to be making a complaint to Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council about their neglect of the Cornish language, they should be the ones promoting more uses of Cornish names. 

The reply on 6th Sept from Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council that the use of County Hall and Cornwall Council is for reasons of understanding and clarity is against Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council’s own policies on promoting and providing education about both Cornish language and Cornish identity.

Evidence

In the twenty four page booklet Cornish Language Strategy 2015-2025. Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council set out a strategy to both grow and encourage the use of the Cornish language.

On page 12 the document states:

1. the need to increase the numbers of Cornish speakers, 

2. the need to increase the use of Cornish as a community language, 

3. the need to maintain and increase the profile and status afforded to Cornish in public life,

4. the need to maintain and develop Cornish as a dynamic language that can be used for a full range of purposes in all fields of human activity

On page 14 of the document a strategy is set out to increase the use of Cornish by Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council and to increase the use by public bodies:

In order to maintain and develop the profile and status afforded to Cornish in public life, the strategic aims are: 

SA 3.1 To increase the use of Cornish by Cornwall Council. 

SA 3.2 To increase the use of Cornish by other public bodies, voluntary organisations and their networks. 

SA 3.3 To increase the use of Cornish by private sector companies, economic development agencies and their networks. 

SA 3.4 To maintain and increase public interest and support for Cornish. 

How with only two years left of this strategy is Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council adhering to its own strategy to create more opportunities to use Cornish when it refuses to use its Cornish names ?

Page 12 point 4 states the need to maintain and develop Cornish as a dynamic language that can be used for a full range of purposes in all fields of human activity. Would a full range of purposes not include the use of Cornish when using the name of Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council? 

Page 14 states:

SA 3.1 To increase the use of Cornish by Cornwall Council. 

SA 3.2 To increase the use of Cornish by other public bodies, voluntary organisations and their networks. 

SA 3.3 To increase the use of Cornish by private sector companies, economic development agencies and their networks. 

SA 3.4 To maintain and increase public interest and support for Cornish.

How does Konsel Kernow/ Cornwall Council support SA 3.1 when it is not using Konsel Kernow or Lys Kernow? Surely this would be the starting point for the council to increase the use of Cornish?

How does Konsel Kernow /Cornwall Council  support SA 3.2-3.3 ? How does Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council encourage public bodies and private sector companies to use the Cornish language or to at least use bilingual language when council does not set the example at a most basic level?

And what of SA 3.4 ? How can public interest and support for Cornish language be maintained when the council uses only English? 

How are you meeting your own targets?

The next evidence I would like to show is taken from the Konsel Kernow/ Cornwall Council online document about Cornish minority status.

Under National Minority the Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council states:

Cornwall Council and its partners have been working hard to raise awareness of the Cornish as a national minority.  They have also been working hard to encourage the UK Government to fulfil its responsibilities.  This is so that the Cornish are treated equally with other Celtic nations.

Public bodies have been reviewing their policies, procedures and responses to the Cornish.  This is to ensure that a level playing field exists for them in comparison with other minority cultural groups.

What message does it send when the seat of administration in Cornwall does not use its Cornish names? How can it be claimed that the council wishes to see the Cornish treated equally with other Celtic nations while making no mention of  the Celtic names Lys Kernow/ County Hall or Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council?

As both one of Cornwall’s largest employers and most identifiable public body, using the Cornish names would raise awareness to the residents of Cornwall of our status and our Celtic identity. 

The next evidence is taken from the ‘Celtic Heritage – Cornwall-Wales Collaboration Agreement’ signed by Wales and Cornwall to cooperate in areas of mutual interest.

One of the areas covered by the agreement and signed on the 17 July 2023 is celebrating culture and language. As Cllr Taylor who signed the agreement said:

“It is also great for us from a cultural perspective too. I know we can learn from the way the Welsh language has been successfully grown in recent years, and I am looking forward to sharing the ways in which we both celebrate our rich and ancient culture.”

 The Celtic Heritage – Cornwall-Wales Collaboration Agreement Action Plan,lays out how both Cornwall and Wales can hold discussions on areas of joint interest.  Under the common areas of cooperation one of the areas of discussion are quarterly meetings  about celebrating culture and language.

From the Cornish side. the main topics to be raised for discussion under celebrating culture and language are :

   

• Cornish distinctiveness

• Developing minority languages

• Early years language provision

• Promoting Cornish in national broadcasting

• Screen Cornwall, Cornwall Film Festival

• Cultural development

How can Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council enter into discussions about language and culture when it cannot use Konsel Kernow or Lys Kernow because of fears of confusion ? If the council is to hold a meaningful debate about ways of promoting  Cornish distinctiveness  and developing language, maybe they could first look at their own limited use of Cornish.  

I would finally like to turn to the argument that using the Cornish names when referring to the council could cause problems with clarity or understanding .

 Lee Trewhela the well known journalist and local democracy reporter for Cornwall Live uses the term Lys Kernow/New County Hall in his reports on the council without causing confusion or a lack of clarity in his reporting.    

  The question I would like to ask is why does Konsel Kernow /Cornwall Council not use the bilingual terms Lys Kernow/New County Hall and Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council ?

In Wales they use the names Senedd Cymru/ Welsh Parliament and the Llywodraeth Cymru/Welsh Government. I do not believe that this has caused any major problems but for clarity I have written to the Senedd asking what or if any confusion has been caused by the use of Welsh names.  

Taking a bilingual approach would easily remedy any concerns about a lack of clarity and over the time as people become more familiar with the Cornish names the English translation could be dropped.

The fact that Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council believe that using their Cornish names would cause confusion is openly admitting that they have failed in their own ten year plan to educate and encourage the use of the Cornish language.     

Would it really cause a lack of clarity for the residents of Cornwall if the council was to use bilingual names of Lys Kernow/New County Hall and Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council? 

Everyday Konsel Kernow/Cornwall Council uses social media to update residents on subjects such as updates to refuse collection or recycling to social and environmental issues, if this is such a successful way to keep the residents of Cornwall informed on all relevant matters could the council not use a social media campaign to promote the use of both English and Cornish names for Konsel  Kernow/Cornwall Council and  Lys Kernow/New County Hall?

I would like to ask what would be the financial cost to the council to use social media to promote such a campaign?

Meur ras rag ow kemmeres an termyn dhe redya.

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/parks-leisure-and-culture/the-cornish-language/cornish-language-programme/

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/people-and-communities/equality-and-diversity/cornish-national-minority/

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/your-council/celtic-heritage-cornwall-wales-collaboration-agreement/

 

                                                             

         

                              

   

Thank you for contacting us on the 22^nd August. I am sorry that you were unhappy with the service and thank you for letting us know.

Your complaint was that Cornwall Council’s social media use the name New County Hall Truro instead of the Cornish name Lys Kernow.

In this instance, we use New County Hall because the majority of residents know it as that, and therefore for reasons of clarity and understanding we refer to Lys Kernow as New County Hall. We are in no way avoiding the name Lys Kernow or attempting to stall the progress made over the years.

As you mentioned in your feedback great strides have been made. The Cornish language is a big part of the history of Cornwall and proudly has a place in it’s future. There are many examples of Cornwall Council using Cornish both in our communications and on social media – including, for example, our recent Cornish language week posts and establishing the Cornish Language Office.

This is a reply I received from Cornwall council complaints team, and it is not entirely accurate. It was not just a complaint about the use of County Hall when it should be Lys Kernow on social media, there was a bit more to it than that.

I started looking at this because I found if I was talking to someone and mentioned Lys Kernow they would look puzzled and ask what’s that? When I would say it’s the name of Cornwall Council they would say more often than not I just call it County Hall. That got me thinking that if Cornwall Council has been called Lys Kernow since 2009 why are they still using the name County Hall? 

So I started looking at the council’s social media feeds, their online platform and letters I received from the council and County Hall appears everywhere and is used by the council as the primary name of their headquarter in Truro. 

The issue I have with this is the use of the word county. The last few years have seen greater recognition of Cornish identity,language,culture,ethnicity and the idea that Kernow is a Celtic nation which should have devolved political powers to an assembly/parliament,many Cllrs claim to support these ideals and yet the the council refuses to use the official Cornish name of Lys Kernow preferring county over Cornish. This was the full basis of my complaint.

How are we to move to a devolved assembly/ parliament and manage our own affairs when every day the council sends out letters to people across Kernow with a County Hall address which reinforces the idea that Kernow is a county of England?  

I agree with the council that the majority of residents only know the name of New County Hall but whose fault is that?

Why has the council chosen not to promote the official name of Lys Kernow? Everyday the council’s social media team puts out messages from factual to inane,so how many sub committees have to meet to agree to put out a simple message on social media saying something like ‘fun fact did you know that Cornwall council’s name is actually Lys Kernow?’

In the hallowed corridors of Lys Kernow what do they think of the intellect of the people of Kernow, that if the council uses the name Lys Kernow people will become so confused that they will be unable to contact the council?Do they not think that many people would just Google the name Lys Kernow? They could use Lys Kernow/New County Hall till people come to accept it then drop County Hall. 

If the hard work carried out by so many people across Kernow to get Cornish identity recognised is to continue and flourish then it has to be led from the top and the council has to show it fully supports Cornish language and identity.

I have been told that if I am unhappy with the reply from the council I can ask for a step 2 review which I will be doing but if you read and agree with what I am saying then maybe you could email the council and ask them the same question. 

On March 28 2023 Simon Jenkins wrote in Country Life magazine an article proposing a solution for second homes. It is a utopian ideal , the flowery language of the countryside and calling on the reader to feel sorry for the hard pressed city dwellers who own a small piece of the countryside as a retreat from the stresses of city life with the threat of council tax being raised to £18,000 on second homes a year  (though if you can afford to pay £400,000 upwards for a second home then is that really a threat?). And proposing a charter for second homeowners in a way that could enrich and support communities . But just like Sir Thomas More’s original text it is a no place and a fantasy.

Simon Jenkins is writing about second homes across the UK but if you put his article into the context of Kernow it is at best hopelessly naive.

It could be said there is a hierarchy for housing within Kernow,which has created a ripple that has altered the very fabric of life within the Duchy,The hierarchy can be broken into three distinct social groups:

1.The Affluent:  At the top are the affluent, these are people who already have a fair degree of wealth or are employed in industries paying far above the average wage, who can afford to purchase a home in Kernow. This may be a family home,or for occasional use,holiday rental or as investment.

2. The Relocators : In the middle are relocators who often already own a home in another part of the UK and have decided to sell and relocate to Kernow,they may be retirees or families looking for a better quality of life.

3. The local population: At the bottom are the local population, those either born or have lived most of their lives in the Duchy, who due to lower local wages are unable to rent or purchase in their town or village due to competition from the above groups.

The impact of the first two groups on villages and to a degree towns in the Duchy affect the third group:

1 A rise in house prices, particularly in more scenic areas due to demand from the first two groups, this rise is mirrored by private rents which are unaffordable to those on a local wage.

2 The social networks that have been built over many years or generations and  underpin village life or to a degree town life become fractured or broken leaving many of the original inhabitants feeling isolated with the arrival of new inhabitants,

3 The cost of living rises as services change to mirror the needs and incomes of the new residents.

4 Demand for the right sort of housing from the the first two groups alters Kernow’s landscape as developers seeking to capitalise on the perceived wealth of the first two groups seek permission for developments in areas that would once have been deemed unsuitable such as rural greenfield and coastal sites .

Compare this to the charter that Simon Jenkins sets out.:

‘One solution would be a voluntary second-homes charter, drawn up by councils and offered to all newcomers.

They would pledge always to use local shops and employ local services.

They should try to keep their properties occupied as much as possible, if not by themselves, then by family, friends and others.

They will respect local traditions and support local clubs and charities.

They will understand that these communities are composed of people, not merely nice buildings and nice views.’

Can these two statements exist together ? I don’t think so.

The belated recognition of the Cornish as a national minority and its claim to protect Cornish identity and culture and the ongoing campaign to force the government to give the Cornish the full recognition they are entitled to under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities should mean that Cornish villages in particular coastal villages which are often given over to second homes and holiday lets should have protection to so they are not ghosts towns in the winter months and a transient population in summer. Simon Jenkins charter could never work as it is both voluntary and unenforceable.

Further on in the article Simon Jenkins states:

“Long-established rural communities are famously tight knit and averse to outsiders. From France’s Manon des Sources to Suffolk’s Akenfield, they instinctively resist intrusion. But what was gradual has become a torrent. Working from home, ‘staycationing’ and Brexit’s obstacles to second homes in France have seen a shift in how the better off spend their money. They feel it unfair to be denied a retreat from a hard-working week in the city, just as it is unfair on locals to be denied the open-market price for their property. It may be reducing the availability of housing for long-term rent, but that is happening everywhere. Beautiful villages are becoming like very expensive parts of towns.

Where argument becomes more trenchant is over the impact of newcomers on community cohesion. Here, there seems to be a crucial difference. Terraces of boarding houses, holiday lets and Airbnbs cater for tourists, anonymous comers and goers who have no contact other than the commercial with local people. Second homers, on the other hand, can develop a strong local commitment to their alternative residence. They have invested by choice in a particular place, either through some family link or through having holidayed there in the past. They frequently stay on in retirement or become ‘first homers’, with the city as their second one.”

  Simon Jenkins proves he does not understand the impact of second homes on community cohesion because in many of the more sought after villages there is no established community anymore. A village is more than just scenic views and bricks and mortar. The history of a village can be written down but more often it is a shared oral history, events that had happened or people who had once lived in the village were remembered anecdotally through generations. With the demand from people often with no cultural links to the community for a holiday home and the escalating house prices in these villages the indigenous population are forced out and the oral history is lost.   Even if some of these people eventually become ‘firsts homers’ does this make a Cornish community or just a fantasy of living in Kernow ?

How often are plans to build affordable housing for those with a local connection to these villages blocked on the grounds of damaging the environment or the wrong sort of housing or it just becomes simply unaffordable?

Simon Jenkins’ article may be trying to bridge the gap between second  homeowners and locals but is in reality just trying to square the circle. Owning a second home anywhere is morally wrong .Just like the campaigns in the past to shame people against littering or making people pick up the mess your dog leaves on the pavement, there should be a public campaign to show that it is antisocial to own a second home.

If people are that desperate to buy a second home instead of some half baked charter and slapping a Kernow sticker on the bumper of their new 4×4 and thinking that makes them local maybe they should have to pass a Cornish test. 

If they first had to learn some Kernewek and have an understanding of Cornish identity ,history and culture and realise that we are not a county of England would that not show real commitment?

Think it sounds far-fetched ? Why should it not happen, the Cornish are a national minority and having an understanding of the indigenous culture you wish to live would show real commitment and might even put some of them off.  

The solution to the second home problem? A charter that would ensure second home-owners enrich and support communities

In these somewhat stressful times if you have a moment maybe you could spare a thought for Kernow’s Conservative Cllrs. It must be a particularly worrying time for them. The Conservatives lost over 960 seats in the council elections so many of our poor Cornish Conservatives must have some trepidation of what the future may hold.

 If the Conservatives are in despair then it would seem likely that Labour are feeling fairly euphoric. But would a Labour government or even a Labour controlled Cornish council be of any benefit to getting greater political devolution to Kernow?

The Labour party have released their snappily titled  A New Britain . Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy. In it the Labour party lay out their plans for devolving powers to councils across the UK and a must read if you enjoy that sort of thing.

Chapter 8 of this edifying  document states :

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each has its own unique position in the UK reflecting the different history and aspirations of each.

Notice something missing?

It does not look good for Kernow when the Labour party’s devolution plan does not even mention Kernow as one of the Celtic nations.

But maybe I am being unfair as Jayne Kirkham,leader of the Labour group at Cornwall council said recently.

“ An incoming Labour government will enact real devolution for Cornwall. Cornwall will have more power to make our decisions locally. On housing, planning, skills, childcare, transport, further education, and more. We will be able to negotiate a bespoke deal for Cornwall that takes our National Minority status into account.

“We will have more control over the money invested in Cornwall’s economy and will push for a cluster of innovation to invest in and benefit from the raw materials and expertise that we have in renewable energy and other industries. We will be able to choose how we are governed. A Labour government won’t force a mayor on Cornwall like the Tories are trying to do.”

 There are two points I would raise about this. 

1 It is all very promising but it is just promising and the cynic would say that when in opposition it is easy to make promises but once in power are soon forgotten.

2 “A bespoke deal for Cornwall that takes our National Minority status into account” ? That just sounds very much like what the Conservatives were offering but without a mayor. 

Why should the Labour party take into account our minority status? It is a fact. We are recognised as having our own culture and identity and equal standing with the Welsh,Scots and Irish. Take into account makes it sound like they are doing us a favour.  

The Labour Party’s view on Kernow sounds very much like the Conservatives view and could be summed up as meet the new boss same as the old boss.

If Kernow is to get devolution it is going to need a council that is united on this and refuses to engage with any debate that falls short of this.

I wonder if it will happen?

On the 24th of April 2014 the Cornish were officially recognised as a minority people with all the rights and protections that went with this.

That was nearly nine years ago. And what has improved in that time?

Here is a link to the Cornwall Council timeline of the Cornish as a national minority.

Click to access timeline-of-recognition-of-cornish-as-a-minority-under-the-fcpnm.pdf

I do not wish to be churlish about this,the timeline shows that a lot of hard work has been done in that time to raise awareness of Cornish culture and I have great respect for the people involved in this but what it does not show is how they are reaching out to the communities, I would argue that a focus on language and arts is disenfranchising a section of the Cornish community and unless you follow and take a certain interest in the Cornish movement then you would not have a clue what is going on.

I have spent a lot of time over those nine years whenever the situation arises to talk to people about their view of Kernow and something I have found that is quite shocking in this time of connectivity is how few people have heard of minority status.

I will make it clear I am not talking about just a handful of people,I am talking in the hundreds across the age range. Is it wrong to suspect that something has gone wrong when Cornish people have not heard of something that is about a part of their identity?

There are a lot of people in Kernow who do not speak or study Kernewek, they do not go to the theatre or watch art house films in Cornish, they are just normal Cornish people who work and bring up families but are proud they are Cornish and want a better Duchy. What is being done to engage them? Are we just giving up on them and hoping through a school curriculum that focuses on Cornish identity that the next generation will be more engaged?

Then when people ask you what minority status actually means it becomes difficult to talk positively about culture and identity when you are standing next to a field that is about to be developed for housing that will be completely unaffordable to a local wage. As one man recently said to me “What you are saying is that the Cornish can all hold hands,dance around singing in Cornish while the developers and council carry on with business as usual”

If minority status is important as many of us feel it is then why does the council not send out a mail shot explaining what minority status is, what they are doing to raise awareness of Cornish identity ? Maybe because not much is really changing outside the Duchy. Watch television or read a national paper and you could be forgiven for thinking 2014 had never happened. Kernow is nearly always talked about as a county or the southwest of England,we are a place as far as they are concerned famed for its beauty,for top chefs and quality restaurants ,for holidays and the joys of relocating to England’s Celtic outpost.

Is it really any wonder that many people have no idea what is going on?

Why is there nothing in the council timeline for a plan to encourage more people to take an interest in local politics? Would it not make sense to draw as much attention as possible to inform the people of Kernow that as part of minority status the government and public bodies have a duty to take into account the views of Cornish people? 

The last council election only had a turnout of 39%, the Conservative administration was elected on just 15% of the population of Kernow. If more of the population was aware that the Cornish had a legal right to promote and protect their unique culture and identity would there be more interest in local government and making sure a council was elected that represented the best interest of the Cornish people? 

Somehow I think that is the last thing our council would want.

Maybe betrayal is too strong a word,perhaps a failing would be a better term .Promoting Cornish language, arts and music is important in showing our cultural identity.

But what about the landscape of the Duchy and that which makes it so unique ? Kernow is changing all the time with more developments on greenfield sites and coastal regions.Kernow is not just the people, it is the land that we live in that makes us unique.If that is lost to over development then what are we ?

If minority status and the protections of our unique culture and identity that it promises to protect are to be realised then a way has to be found to maximise the potential of this opportunity to all who live in Kernow.