20,000 sign petition to recognise Cornwall as fifth UK nation
The Government needs to respond to petitions that receive more than 10,000 signatures
A petition urging the Government to recognise Cornwall as the fifth nation of the UK has reached an important cultural milestone as far as Cornish people are concerned. The unofficial anthem of Cornwall, Trelawny, features the immortal line “Here’s twenty thousand Cornish men will know the reason why” which has come to sum up the Duchy’s independent spirit.
The petition has today (Monday, September 1) reached and surpassed 20,000 signatures. It was set up after a motion brought by Mebyon Kernow leader Dick Cole was passed at Cornwall Council backing nation status.
If the request is successful it would mean that decisions about local services and investment in Cornwall’s economy are made in Cornwall, closer to the people they affect most. Cornwall – which already has national minority status – would have more of a say on issues such as housing and transport within the Duchy.
The petition states: “We urge the UK Government to formally recognise Cornwall as a nation, granting it equal status to Wales and Scotland. This includes devolved powers, cultural preservation and official recognition of Cornwall’s distinct heritage, language and historic autonomy.
“Cornwall has a rich cultural and historical identity, distinct from the rest of England, with its own language, Kernewek, and heritage. Despite being part of the UK, Cornwall’s history as a Duchy reflects its unique status. We think granting Cornwall nation status would preserve its culture, promote self-governance and could empower its people to address local issues.”
The Government needs to respond to petitions that receive more than 10,000 signatures. They are then considered for debate in Parliament on reaching 100,000 signatures.
The culturally significant number of 20,000 is a timely reminder of Trelawny, the 1824 poem by the Rev Stephen Hawker celebrating a protest in 1688 when Sir Jonathan Trelawny, one of seven ‘bishops’ who petitioned King James II, was imprisoned in the Tower of London for his opposition to the King’s religious policies.
Trelawny’s imprisonment led to a large protest, with “one and all” Cornishmen rising to march on London to demand his release. Hawker’s poem was set to music by Louisa T Clare in 1861 and named The Song of the Western Men, but is better known to everyone in Cornwall as Trelawny.
Cornwall Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Leigh Frost delivered a ‘State of Cornwall in the National Context’ speech in July, saying: “A nation isn’t just a border or a flag. It’s a people. It’s a voice. It’s shared history and a shared purpose. Cornwall has all of that and more.
“We have the language, we have the culture, we have the identity, we have the pride, resilience and community spirit. We’re ready to take our place. We’re ready to be heard. And we’re ready to shape our future on our own terms.
“This is not a slogan or a branding exercise. It is a statement of fact and a declaration of intent. We’re making this case for better funding and representation, and for a stronger place in the union which we have contributed to for centuries. It’s time to show what Cornwall is made of.”