Cornish conspiracy theory

The "Cornish conspiracy theory" is claimed to be a long-running conspiracy by the English establishment to suppress Cornish people of their rights, identity and autonomy. [ [http://duchyofcornwall.eu/duchy05.php Suppression of Cornish identity] ] It is claimed that the main reason why the Cornish are being denied recognition of their identity is to prevent any public debate or official enquiry into the constitutional status of Cornwall regarding the Duchy of Cornwall, sometimes referred to as the "Cornish Question". ["The Cornish Question" by Mark Sandford - Constitutional Unit, School of Public Policy, University College London 2002] Cornish historians point to the fact that in 1508 the 'Charter of Pardon' was granted by Henry VII to give Cornwall a legal right to its own Parliament with the power of veto over acts, statutes, laws, etc, passed by the Westminster government. These rights were granted in perpetuity and cannot be lawfully rescinded, but today are ignored by the UK government. [ [http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6546 Sources of Cornish History - Charter of Pardon - 1508] ] [Philip Payton. (1996). "Cornwall". Fowey: Alexander Associates]

In 1858 the Cornish Foreshore Case (a case of arbitration between the Crown and the Duchy of Cornwall) confirmed that the Duke of Cornwall, was considered to be a quasi-sovereign within the Duchy of Cornwall territory (Cornwall), but today the Duchy of Cornwall describes itself as a private estate which funds the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales and his family. It is claimed that at some point after 1858, the officers of the Duchy, with the support of members of the UK Government, developed a plan to portray the Duchy of Cornwall as a 'private estate'. [ [http://duchyofcornwall.eu Duchy of Cornwall history] ]

More recently in 2007 the Cornish were the only UK ethnic/cultural group and indigenous minority to be specifically mentioned for exclusion from the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by the British government. [ [http://cornishstannaryparliament.co.uk//resources//article.php?story=20070118175652689 Cornish excluded from Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities] ] [ [http://www.kernowtgg.co.uk/natpages.html "Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities" UK 2nd Compliance Report] ]

Other examples

* The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 Section 40, 2g, gives the heir to the throne, the Duke of Cornwall, the authority to "control or otherwise intervene in proceedings that affect his rights, property and profits". [ [http://www.cornishstannaryparliament.co.uk/#11 The Crown Proceedings Act (1947)] ]

* The 1971 Kilbrandon Report into the British constitution recommended that, when referring to Cornwall - "official sources should cite the Duchy not the County" - this was suggested in recognition of its constitutional position. [ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmodpm/977/977we20.htm Kilbrandon Report paragraph 329] ]

* In 1977 Plaid Cymru MP Dafydd Wigley received confirmation in Parliament that the Stannators right to veto Westminster legislation is still valid. [ [http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5919 14 May 1977 - Cornwall Council - Stannator's right to veto Westminster legislation had never been formally withdrawn.] ] [Reference - National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, where Dafydd Wigley deposited his papers in 1978]

* In July 1997 Andrew George MP attempted to raise a question concerning the Duchy of Cornwall in the House of Commons but was prevented from doing so by an injunction that disallows MPs raising any questions in Parliament that are in any way related to the Duchy. The injunction prevents MPs asking questions regarding the "role, rights, powers and privileges" of the Dukes of Cornwall in Cornwall - reference Tamar Bridge Act 1998, s.41 and letter from the House of Commons Library to Andrew George MP, dated 16th July 1997. [ [http://cornishstannaryparliament.co.uk/resources/article.php?story=20061026005146214 The exercise of rights, powers and privileges] ] [ [http://duchyofcornwall.eu/duchy02.php Letter to Andrew George MP, 16th June 1997 referring to ‘Erskine May’ Parliamentary procedures p.288 and 379.] ]

* On 12 December 2001 a petition with 50,000 signatures was presented to 10 Downing Street in favour of more autonomy for Cornwall - a Cornish Assembly - so far this has not been implemented by the Government. [cite news
author=
title=Blair gets Cornish assembly call
date=2001-12-11
work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1704112.stm
accessdate=2008-08-05]

* In June 2005 the government allocated £80,000 per year for three years of direct central government funding to the Cornish language. Although pleased with this development, Cornish language speakers point to the fact that during the same period for example the Ulster-Scots language is being allocated £1,000,000 per year of direct government funding. [cite news
author=
title=Cash boost for Cornish language
date=2005-06-14
work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4092664.stm
accessdate=2008-08-05]

* Until 2006 the teaching of Cornish history was excluded from the National History Curriculum which began with the Romans and Anglo-Saxons, with little mention of the Celts or indigenous Britons. [ [http://www.sense-of-place.co.uk/Index.htm Sense of Place Cornish history project] ] [ [http://www.cornishworldmagazine.co.uk/content/view/34/91/ Institute of Cornish Historical Studies] ]

* In 2007 it was announced by the Office for National Statistics that a Cornish tick box would be refused on the next 2011 Census because "insufficient requirement for the data had been expressed by Census users" and "national identity and ethnicity questions will contain tick boxes only for the largest groups*". This is despite the fact that other groups such as Irish Travellers for example are recognised on the form and the Cornish had previously been allocated the ethnic code of '06' for the 2001 Census - ref. United Kingdom Census 2001 Ethnic Codes. [ [http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=36213 Cornwall Council - importance of Cornish ethnicity and language included by the ONS] ]

* There has been official Government (HM Treasury) approval for the leasing of Cornish heritage sites such as Tintagel Castle by the commercial Duchy of Cornwall to the state subsidised organisation known as English Heritage. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1768853.stm BBC news - January, 2002 - Cornish Heritage sites] ]

ee also

*Constitutional status of Cornwall
*Cornish self-government movement

References