Cornwall: Latest 'Devonwall' official petition and other news

News from Kernow Matters To Us:

No to a cross-Tamar “Devonwall” parliamentary constituency

A second petition to sign and share please

Link to petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/188271

The “Boundary Commission for England” is carrying out a review of the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies. The review follows guidelines in the Parliamentary Voting System & Constituencies Act. This does not recognise Cornwall as a political unit and the BCE has proposed a cross-Tamar seat.

We demand that Westminster politicians amend the legislation to “Keep Cornwall Whole” and ensure parliamentary seats lie entirely within the historic boundaries of Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly.

It should be noted that the Government has recognised the Cornish as a national minority through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and it is evident that the creation of a “Devonwall” seat would be in conflict with the articles of the Framework Convention.

A younger viewpoint of the current political system

Our weekly newspaper column this week has been written by one of our younger KMTU members who shares his opinions:

"Trust a Westminster Politician? You must be joking!

The referendum on whether to remain or stay in the European Union (EU) was surprising. Not for the fact that 43.5% of those voting in Cornwall, some 140,540 opted to remain or that 182,665, 56.5% of those voting opted to leave, no, surprising that 23% of the electorate in the Duchy, more than 96,500 people didn’t vote at all.

Across the so called ‘United Kingdom’, which is now anything but, 12.93 million people didn’t vote.

I was one of those 96,500 in Cornwall and 12.93 million in this Disunited Kingdom who didn’t vote. Actually, I haven’t voted for years. Why you might ask? ‘It’s your democratic duty’ some might say. ‘Your ancestors gave their lives for that right’ I have heard said. And so they did. But one of the reasons why I and tens of thousands of others, millions indeed, don’t bother anymore is that we have absolutely no confidence at all in what is on offer. You just don’t buy into defective goods.

Many who voted to leave the EU believe that it is a cess pit of corruption, where bloated bureaucrats and politicians on huge salaries do very little to earn their money. Fair enough. However, I would argue that Westminster and the Parliament there is an even bigger cesspit, where a record number of MPs are under investigation for fiddling election expenses, lining their own pockets, preaching one set of principles and practising another and voting themselves salaries of in excess of £76,000 a year plus the inevitable expenses naturally. Oh, where would they be without those much loved expenses which alone exceed what I earn in a year?

Then there is the House of Lords, which has over 800 members who apparently claim £300 a day just for turning up.

Compare that to what many of us earn in Cornwall, £7.20 an hour, dependent on zero hour contracts and seasonal work in the laughingly entitled holiday ‘industry’ (it’s far from being an industry, trust me!) and you can see why I have given up on these MPs and their political bedfellows. An opinion poll held late last year by Ipsos Mori concluded that only 15% trusted their MPs to tell the truth. I am astounded it’s as high as that!

I sometimes watch them at Prime Minister’s question time and feel a sense of disgust at what I see. In the circus act that is the House of Commons, they tell blatant lies and expect all of us to be taken in by them. Do you remember Boris Johnson’s promise on that coach when he came to Cornwall? I do. Now the Foreign Secretary no less, Johnson repeated that slogan on the side of the ‘Leave EU’ campaign bus which stated in large letters that if we left the EU, £350 million per week could go to the NHS. The government has now stated that this will not happen so the reason thousands voted for ‘Brexit’ have been ignored. We were lied to…..again!

As I and my family and friends sign petitions to keep our own hospitals and health centres open here in Cornwall, I remember the lies we have been told by these MPs who no longer represent the electorate to government but who toe a party line and enforce the Westminster policy on the people.

Will I ever vote again? Perhaps I might when an MP actually represents his or her people and not a political party, when a ‘none of the above’ box appears on the ballot paper, when I see a root and branch reform of the distant Westminster Parliament or even full and well overdue transfer of power from its self-serving, institutional, uncaring, corrupt establishment to something more local, more answerable. But until that time, I shan’t be rushing to sharpen my pencil and nor will millions of others!"

North Cornwall MP Scott Mann claimed £79-a-year Amazon Prime subscription on expenses

http://www.cornwalllive.com/north-cornwall-mp-scott-mann-claimed-amazon-prime-subscription-on-expenses/story-30199490-detail/story.html

Tory whistleblowers accuse Conservatives of ‘huge betrayal’ of electorate over expenses

https://www.channel4.com/news/tory-whistleblowers-election-expenses-conservative-party-battlebus

YOU ARE INVITED: 'Gesdelynyansow Kernowek Polytyk' - 'Cornish Political Cartoons' Agan Tavas re restras cows dhyworth John Rowe, den Cambron hag owth obery orth Unyversyta Plymoth, gans an tytel 'Gesdelynyansow Kernowek Polytyk'. Ran anodho a vyth yn Kernewek ha ran yn Sawsnek. Synsys a vyth de Sadorn 1sa mys Ebrel dhe Jy Murdoch, Redruth dalleth 7.00wh. Bos ha dewas scaf a vyth provyes ha'n cost a vyth rohow orth an darras. Gwra ow avysya mars esos ta ow tos mar plek - ray@spyrys.org Agan Tavas has organised a talk from John Rowe, from Camborne and working at Plymouth University, with the title 'Cornish Political Cartoons'. Part will be in Cornish and part in English. It will be held on Saturday 1st April starting 7.00pm at Murdoch House, Redruth TR15 2BU. Light refreshments will be provided and entry is by donation. Please inform if you are coming - ray@spyrys.org Gorthewer dydhanus a vyth heb mar ha govenek a'm bues gweles lyes ahanough dy. Gans oll an gwella, Ray Chubb Scryvynyas Agan Tavas

The Old Red Tongue – An Anthology of Welsh Literature

Lesser Used Languages of Europe Series Volume Eight

Pre-publication offer – £25 until 1 May 2017

Edited by Gwyn Griffiths and Meic Stephens

with an introduction by Dafydd Johnston

Paperback 1000 pages

ISBN 978 0 9957473 1 9

The Old Red Tongue is a major anthology of over 300 texts – poems, plays, memoirs, essays, extracts from novels and short stories, hymns, eulogies, elegies, medieval prose, political and theological commentaries – from  nearly 200 writers covering every period from the 6th century to the present day.

Included are selections from poets of 'the Old North' (present day Cumbria and the Lowlands of Scotland) where the first Welsh poetry was written, extracts from the Mabinogion, poems by Dafydd ap Gwilym – generally regarded as the greatest Welsh poet of all time – as well often neglected writers of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as Lewys Morgannwg and William Salesbury. In the 20th century, nearly 100 writers are represented –  including Kate Roberts, Saunders Lewis, Kitchener Davies, Caradog Prichard, and contemporary writers such as Wiliam Owen Roberts, Mererid Hopwood, Menna Elfyn, Bobi Jones, Gwyneth Lewis and Alan Llwyd. Welsh texts are followed by English translations and many have been translated into English for the first time.  

Over 1000 pages long, The Old Red Tongue introduces the English reader to the riches of Welsh literature, one of the oldest in Europe. A unique work in scale and variety, this anthology is also an invaluable resource for Welsh speakers, learners and students.

The Old Red Tongue will be available in May. Save £5 by ordering now.

http://www.francisboutle.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=135

Gwyn Griffiths was co-editor of the Breton anthology, The Turn of the Ermine (2006), the first in the Francis Boutle Lesser Used Languages of Europe series. He is the author of a biography of the 19th century Welsh pacifist and patriot, Henry Richard (2012), also published by Francis Boutle. His other published works include travel books, translations of Breton plays into Welsh, a history of the Breton onion men and a history of the Welsh national anthem

Meic Stephens was Professor of Welsh Writing in English at the University of Glamorgan and, from 1967 to 1990, Literature Director of the Welsh Arts Council. Founder of Poetry Wales in 1965, he edited the magazine for eight years. He wrote the pioneering study Linguistic Minorities in Western Europe (1976) and compiled The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (1986) and The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to Britain and Ireland (1992). He has also translated from the Welsh the work of Islwyn Ffowc Elis, Saunders Lewis and John Gwilym Jones.

Francis Boutle Publishers

272 Alexandra Park Road

London N22 7BG

UK

+44 (0) 20 8889 7744

07772 312 665

info@francisboutle.co.uk

http://www.francisboutle.co.uk

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Skype: clive.boutle

YOU ARE INVITED St Patrick's Day Cornish Celebration

17 March 2017 8pm

A taster of what Cornwall will be taking to the Pan-Celtic festival in Ireland this Easter. 

An evening to celebrate St Patrick's Day Cornish-style, with a taster of what Cornwall will be taking to the Pan-Celtic festival in Ireland this Easter. The Grenaways and Macquarrie and Toms lead the music and a chance to dance the night away at a ceili to finish the evening.

Tickets are £5.00.

Licensed bar.

Venue: Grampound Community Hall

Date/Time: March 17th / 8pm

More & bookings here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/st-patricks-day-cornish-celebration-tickets-32176294162

YOU ARE INVITED Porkellis Sings

Saturday 18th March 2017

Traditional Cornish songs, some in Cornish too! - please see poster attached

Kernow bys Vyken!

Issued on behalf of Kernow Matters To Us.

John, Teresa, Craig, Tony, Matt, Mike, Clive, Ronan, Samuel & Mark

Elected Members of the KMTU Steering Group