Cornish Nationalist Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cornish Nationalist Party An Parti Kenethlegek Kernow
Abbreviation	CNP
Founded	28 May 1975
Split from	Mebyon Kernow
Newspaper	The Cornish Banner
Ideology	Cornish nationalism Cornish devolution Pan-Celticism
Colours	Black and white
Cornwall Council	0 / 87
Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties

The Cornish Nationalist Party (CNP), also known as An Parti Kenethlegek Kernow in Cornish, is a political party that started in 1975. It first wanted Cornwall to be completely independent. Later, it supported having more local control for Cornwall, but still under the main UK government.

It's important not to mix up the CNP with other groups that also want more for Cornwall. For example, Mebyon Kernow (MK) is a different party. The CNP actually formed when some people left Mebyon Kernow in 1975.

History of the CNP

The Cornish Nationalist Party began on May 28, 1975. It was started by people who left Mebyon Kernow, which was Cornwall's main nationalist party. James Whetter was the first leader of the CNP.

The main reason for the split from Mebyon Kernow was about two big ideas. First, they disagreed on whether to focus on social issues and appeal to a wider group of people, or to focus more on Cornish culture and history. Second, they debated if getting some local control (called devolution) should be the first step towards full independence, or if they should only aim for complete independence.

The CNP decided to focus more on cultural arguments. They believed that celebrating Cornwall's unique culture would help them gain support. The party worked to keep Cornwall's Celtic identity strong. They also encouraged connections with Cornish people living in other countries.

The CNP supported the Cornish language. They also held an annual ceremony on June 27 in Bodmin. This ceremony remembered Thomas Flamank, a leader from the Cornish Rebellion of 1497 in 1497. The party also worked to make Cornwall's economy better.

After its founder, James Whetter, passed away in 2018, Androw Hawke became the leader of the CNP.

Taking Part in Elections

Over the years, the CNP has sometimes registered to take part in elections. They have put forward candidates for some elections, but not all of them. When they are not running in elections, they often work as a group that tries to influence decisions or raise awareness.

The party ran in national elections twice, in 1979 and 1983. In 2009, there was news that the party had started up again after a meeting. However, they did not run in any elections that year. In 2014, the party said it planned to run in elections again. They registered with the Electoral Commission that year, but stopped being registered in 2017.

Office in India

In 1983, the party opened an office in India. This office was set up by Gagan Narayan Dua. It published a newspaper called Cornish India.

Party Publications

James Whetter was the person who started and edited the CNP's quarterly magazine. This magazine was called The Cornish Banner (An Baner Kernewek).

Election Results

The table below shows how the Cornish Nationalist Party performed in some elections. It lists the year, the type of election, the area they ran in, their candidate, and the number of votes they received.

In the 1984 European Parliament election, the CNP was connected to a group called the European Federalist Party. The CNP also had one local councillor, their leader Androw Hawke. He was elected to the Polperro Community Council in 2017.

What the CNP Believes In

Original Ideas

The CNP published its main ideas in 1975. The 1977 Programme of the Cornish Nationalist Party explained their goals.

• World and European Government: The party believes in sharing power more locally. They want to free Celtic nations from bigger governments. They aim for Cornwall to have enough control to be a full Celtic nation. They think that strong local identities help international cooperation.
• Celtic Unity: The party wants to create a group of the six Celtic countries. These countries would work together within a united Europe.
• The Cornish State: They believe a Cornish state should have its own power within its traditional borders and over its surrounding sea. The flag of Saint Piran would be its national flag. They think that having some local control could be a step towards this goal.
• Democratic Government: The party wants power within Cornwall to be shared with smaller local areas. These areas would be based on traditional boundaries like parishes and towns.
• Language: The CNP wants Cornish to be the official language. They want it to be used by the government and eventually in schools.
• Social Life and Support: The party supports help for older people, sick people, and young people. For others, they want to encourage people to be self-reliant. They believe men and women are equal. They also encourage loyalty to traditional families and local communities.
• Housing: The party would work to stop people from owning second homes. They would also build houses that people can afford to buy.
• Economy: The economy would mix different systems. They would support small businesses. They also want workers to have a say in larger businesses. Farmers would be encouraged, and fishermen would have special rights to the seas nearby. The state would have rights to natural resources. Tourism would focus on Cornish culture.
• Environment: The party believes Cornwall's environment is special and needs protection. They want new buildings to look like traditional Celtic styles.
• Culture and Fun: They would promote traditional festivals, dances, stories, and folklore.
• Youth: The party wants to create a Cornish Youth Movement. This would be similar to a youth group in Wales.
• Defence: The Cornish state would have a local defence force. It would not have a force to attack others. It would help with Celtic, European, and UN forces.

Other Policies

The CNP has also supported other ideas over time:

• Creating better job opportunities for Cornish people.
• Reducing unemployment to a low level.
• Protecting self-employed people and small businesses in Cornwall.
• Making housing cheaper and giving priority to Cornish people.
• The Cornish state would control the number and type of immigrants.
• Setting up a Cornish economic department. This department would help basic industries like farming, fishing, and mining.
• Improving transport in Cornwall.
• Developing and improving medical and welfare services for Cornish people.
• Protecting Cornwall's natural resources, including those offshore.
• Making courses on Cornish language and history available in schools.
• Ensuring that the law is upheld by the Cornish state. They also believe the courts should be separate from the government.

More recently, the CNP has called for:

• Cornish people to have a much bigger say in their government. This could happen through referendums.
• More power to be given to Cornwall Council. They believe the council should act as the Cornish government. Local town and parish councils would then be local governments.
• A reduction in the number of councillors on Cornwall Council. They also want electoral areas to be the same across Cornwall.
• The UK government to appoint a Minister specifically for Cornwall. They also want to confirm that no parliamentary areas will cover parts of both Cornwall and Devon.
• John Le Bretton, the party's vice-chairman, stated their support for Cornwall Council. He said they want the British government to give more powers to the council. This would allow decisions affecting Cornwall to be made in Cornwall.

See also

• List of topics related to Cornwall
• Cornish self-government movement
• Constitutional status of Cornwall