A few months ago, Lib Dem Voice highlighted North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson’s attempts to create a new Cornish bank holiday on 5th March, St Piran’s Day. Well now he’s taken up cudgels again on behalf of the county, but this time with a more serious and far-reaching proposal – by introducing a new bill which would take power from Whitehall and unelected regional quangos and pass it to the new Cornwall Council, effectively transforming the new Council into an Assembly similar to that in Wales.
Dan’s Government of Cornwall Bill was presented in the House of Commons yesterday, and would provide Cornwall with greater responsibility in areas such as agriculture, heritage, education, housing and economic sustainability. Here’s what he has to say about it:
I believe strongly that Cornwall should re-assert its rightful place within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a unique part of the country, and this should be reflected in the way that it is governed. We should have the right to determine areas of policy that affect the people of Cornwall the hardest, such as rules on housing.
“The Government of Cornwall Bill will give me the opportunity to demonstrate to the House of Commons that there is a political and social will for Cornwall to be recognised as its own nation. Constitutionally, Cornwall has the right to a level of self-Government. If the Government is going to recognise the right of Scotland and Wales to greater self-determination because of their unique cultural and political positions, then they should recognise ours.”
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4 Comments
Surely the answer is a federal kingdom of Great Britain.
That would right the imbalances that devolution has wrought.
Cornwall is a unique region, but I’m not sure the “nation” of Cornwall really has much reach beyond a fringe, so I’m not sure a local assembly is really necessary.
Yma pub den genys frank hag equal yn dynyta hag yn gwyryow. Ymons y enduys gans
reson ha keskans hag y tal dhedhans omdhon an eyl orth y gela yn sperys a
vredereth.
Good for him. Now let’s devolve the other areas of England too.
As a proud Cornishman, living in Wales, I’ve got to object to your intro Stephen. From what I read of Dan’s plans, it would not “effectively transform the new Council into an Assembly similar to that in Wales.”
The National Assembly for Wales has almost 100% of powers over health, education, economic develoment, transport, the environment, local government, social justice, rural affairs, tourism, heritage and housing. While I would support Dan’s plans, they do not suggest a move to anything as strong and important in institutional terms as the National Assembly. We’re not a glorified council.