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; in Cornish: An Parti Kenethlegek Kernow) is a political party in the United Kingdom. It was started by Dr James Whetter. The party works to protect the unique identity of Cornwall and its people. They also want Cornwall to have more control over its own affairs, rather than decisions always being made in Westminster.

History of the CNP

The Cornish Nationalist Party was formed on May 28, 1975. It was created by people who had left Cornwall's main nationalist party, Mebyon Kernow. These groups had different ideas about how Cornwall should be governed.

One big difference was whether to focus on social issues or on Cornish culture. Another point of disagreement was if Cornwall should gain more powers step-by-step, or if it should aim for full independence right away.

The CNP generally focused more on cultural issues. They wanted to keep Cornwall's Celtic identity strong and improve its economy. They also encouraged connections with Cornish people living in other countries. The party supported the Cornish language. Each year, they remember Thomas Flamank, a leader of the Cornish Rebellion from 1497. This ceremony happens in Bodmin on June 27.

For some time, the CNP was seen more as a group that tried to influence opinions, rather than a party that ran in elections. However, in April 2009, news reports said the CNP had started up again after a meeting in Bodmin. They did not run in any elections that year.

Dr Whetter was the founder and editor of the CNP's magazine, The Cornish Banner (An Baner Kernewek). After he passed away in 2018, Androw Hawke became the leader of the CNP.

In October 2014, a newspaper article and updates to the party's website said that the party planned to run in elections again.

John Le Bretton, who was the party's vice-chairman, said that the CNP wanted Cornwall Council to remain the main authority for Cornish matters. He also called for the British government to give more powers to the council. This would allow decisions about Cornwall to be made in Cornwall.

The CNP has run in a few elections. In the 1979 UK General Election, they received 227 votes in Truro. In the 1983 UK General Election, they got 364 votes in North Cornwall. In the 1984 European Parliament elections, they received 1,892 votes in the Cornwall and Plymouth area. Dr James Whetter was the candidate in all three of these elections.

The CNP had one parish councillor, Androw Hawke, who was elected to Polperro Community Council for the second time on May 4, 2017.

The party was officially registered with the Electoral Commission in 2014, but it stopped being registered in 2017.

What the CNP Believes

The CNP published its main ideas and plans in 1975. Here are some of their key goals:

To protect the interests of Cornish people.
To keep and improve Cornwall's unique identity, which is mainly Celtic.
To achieve self-government for Cornwall. This means Cornwall would have more control over its own laws and decisions.
The Cornish state would have full control over the land within its traditional borders.
Cornish would be the official language of Cornwall.
To create better job opportunities for Cornish people.
To reduce unemployment to a low level (around 2.5%).
To protect self-employed people and small businesses in Cornwall.
To make housing cheaper and give priority to Cornish people.
To discourage people from buying second homes in Cornwall.
To control tourism in Cornwall.
The Cornish state would control how many and what kind of people move into Cornwall.
To set up a Cornish economic department. This department would help important industries like farming, fishing, china clay, and mining. It would also help other industries that grow from these.
To improve transport in Cornwall, allowing more private companies to operate.
To develop and improve existing medical and welfare services for Cornish people.
To protect Cornwall's natural resources, including those found offshore.
To preserve Cornwall's landscape, environment, culture, and identity.
To offer courses on Cornish language and history in schools for students who want to learn them.
To recognize the Cornish flag of St Piran and keep the Tamar River as the border with England.
The Cornish state would uphold the law. Its judges would be separate from the lawmakers and government leaders.
The Cornish state would create a local defense force, connected to local communities.
Young Cornish people would learn about world religions and philosophies. However, Christianity and early Celtic beliefs would receive the most attention.
To give Cornish people a much bigger say in government, possibly through public votes (referendums). They also want to give more power to a Cornish nation within a united Europe. They aim to build special connections with other Celtic regions like Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Wales, and Brittany.

The party's current policies also include:

Asking for more law-making powers for Cornwall Council. They believe the council should become the Cornish government. Local town and parish councils would then act as local governments.
Reducing the number of councillors in Cornwall Council. They also want to make electoral areas and constituencies the same size across Cornwall.
Asking the Westminster government to appoint a Minister specifically for Cornwall. They also want to make sure no future parliamentary area covers parts of both Cornwall and Devon.

Cornish Nationalist Party facts for kids

History of the CNP

What the CNP Believes

See also