NO TO DEVONWALL CONSTITUENCY
Keep Cornwall Whole launches petition to respect Cornwall’s historic border
The Keep Cornwall Whole campaign group has launched a petition against the proposal to create a cross-Tamar Devonwall constituency.
The petition calls on MPs to (i) seek changes to the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act to ensure that parliamentary constituencies respect Cornwall’s historic border and (ii) oppose all proposals for a Devonwall seat.
Adam Killeya, the Convenor of Keep Cornwall Whole and a Liberal Democrat councillor, said:
“The Boundary Commission for England has published its recommendations for constituency boundaries for the next General Election which include a cross-Tamar seat called ‘Bideford and Bude.’
“The government’s new law gave them no choice, but this just highlights what an absurd law it is.
“We are therefore calling on all of Cornwall’s MPs to vote to not accept the proposed seats.”
Cllr Dick Cole, the leader of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall, said:
“It has been well reported that there is a growing anxiety amongst MPs about the final outcome of the boundary review and it has been suggested that many, who face losing their seats and livelihoods, might oppose the legislation.
“Now is the time for us to put pressure on the Coalition and their MPs to oppose the changes which will need to be agreed by Parliament. Now is the time to fight back and to do all in our power to undermine the legislation.”
Independent councillor and Chairman of the Cornish Constitutional Convention Bert Biscoe added:
“Cornwall’s future lies firmly in being recognised and understood as a distinctive, different and recognisable region. Only this Cornwall can make its best and most lasting contribution to the future of Britain. A divided constituency will confuse and dilute Cornwall’s integrity and impoverish our British future – a line we cannot afford to cross. Sign today.”
Further information
- Download petition here
- The consultation on the proposed new parliamentary constituencies for Cornwall and England will be for a 12-week period and will last until 5th December 2011.
- Written representations can be forwarded via a consultation website, at www.consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk or emailed to southwest@bcommengland.x.gsi.gov.uk or sent in writing to: Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BQ.
- The Commission will also be holding a public hearing in Cornwall which will take place at the Alverton Manor Hotel in Truro on 10th and 11th November.
The “Keep Cornwall Whole” group was set up in 2010 as a direct response to the Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies Bill, which has since been enacted.
The Act specifies that the number of MPs be reduced from 650 to 600 and that all constituencies, unless specifically named, should be within 5% of the average constituency size.
The steering group of Keep Cornwall Whole has had representation from all significant political groups within Cornwall including the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, Mebyon Kernow and the Green Party, as well as Independent councillors.
Contact:
Cllr Dick Cole 07791 876607
Cllr Adam Killeya 07756 096241
i think the english have ruined kernow enough,all of our history is no longer taught in schools,in fact other countries are more aware than our own younger generation,which is ludicrous.schools think that its more important for foreign languages to be taught rather than the cornish language! england is a mess!cornwall and its people are not so leave cornwall be cornish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These proposals represent just another insult, by the UK Government, to the
Cornish people and their claim of right to be recognised as one of the
constituent nations of Britain and Europe. We should all use the power of
the individual and the internet to achieve as much support as we can for
this petition, because we shall all be the poorer should we fail in this
task.
The territorial integrity of our Cornish Duchy is an integral and
inalienable requirement in protecting those rights, which has been fought
over for the past 70 years see The Invisible Nation.pdf . The examples shown relate to threats that have been posed with regard to the integrity of our Cornish Border with England.
There have been many other battles/campaigns over the past 100 years (even
longer) , some visible, and many not so visible, against other challenges to
our right to be seen to be Cornish, but all well known in Government and
official circles. All of which show the degree of the insults to which we
are subjected on almost a daily basis.
We must welcome this petition and each do our level best to send a truly
Cornish message to the UK Government and its agencies. Remember that neither
any external agency nor we have the right to destroy the Cornish Nation, but
we must surely not be seen to be lacking, now that the truly oppressive
writing is on the wall.