Celtic League News - Cornwall is a Nation – SNP Conference Delegates Told

The following published by the Celtic League:

Cornwall is a Nation – SNP Conference Delegates Told

Celtic League News

It is not uncommon these days for the United Kingdom (UK) media and establishment to acknowledge that the UK comprises more than one nation.

The term ‘four home nations’ is often used today to acknowledge the existence of the north of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, but even though this description is a vast improvement on how the UK has been previously described, it is still never the less incorrect; the north of Ireland is not a nation and the existence of the nation of Cornwall is completely ignored. (Mannin or Isle of Man is omitted, it should be guessed, because it is not part of the UK).

It is therefore immensely frustrating when nationalist minded organisations and individuals ignore the nationhood of Cornwall (Kernow) in the same way as the media and establishment do, especially when the description is being used by nationalist political parties in the other Celtic countries.

At the 80th Annual General Conference of the Scottish National Party on 14th and 15th November 2014 in Perth, the SNP Member of the European Parliament, Alan Smith, ironically used the description ‘four home nations’ in an motion he was proposing about Scotland’s right to stay in the European Union, even if England chooses to leave as a result of a proposed referendum on the issue. In response to the motion Yowan Byghan, a conference delegate, made a suggested amendment, partly in Cornish, to request that the ancient Celtic nation of Cornwall should not be forgotten. Yowan Byghan’s response and request for amendment to the motion is set out below:

“Kernowyon ov, Kernow yw ow bro, ow bro yw bro Geltek, yw bro goth, yw bro brout, hag a vynn bos bro an Geltek poran kepar dell vynn Alban bos bro an Geltik.

“I’m speaking Cornish. Cornwall is a nation … I know that Cornwall is perceived by many people in Scotland in exactly the same way as it is perceived by many people in England as a shire…Cornwall is not a shire, it’s a nation. I am asking a very, very simple request … the word ‘four’ [nations] in the resolution denies Cornwall membership or nationhood within the group of Celtic nations. And it may not be very important to you, but you have no idea how important it is in Cornwall. All I’m asking is for that word ‘four’ be changed to ‘five’ or if that’s a step too far for the word ‘four’ to be taken out, so that Cornwall can at least assume itself to be there … Cornwall doesn’t have an assembly, it doesn’t have a parliament, but there is, believe me, very strong and powerful movement towards creating a Cornish Assembly. And if anybody is going to speak up for a tiny nation, which is deprived, which is ignored, which is maltreated by England, surely it’s Scotland. Please can we change the wording of the resolution to reflect that thank you.”

A video of Yowan Byghan speaking at the conference can be found at the link below, which is on the Celtic League TV website:

24/11/14

Link:

http://www.celticleague.net/news/cornwall-is-a-nation-snp-conference-del...

For comment or clarification on this news item in the first instance contact:

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot
General Secretary,
Celtic League
gensec@celticleague.net
M: 07787318666
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