Letter published in West Briton causes a stir!

A letter published in the most recent issue has caused a storm of protest and our social media accounts went into meltdown!

In just over an hour, the Facebook sites administered by KM received well over 20,000 views and drew hundreds of comments and shares. These numbers continue to grow and many are writing that they will not be buying the West Briton newspaper as a result.

In the letter which the West Briton headlined 'The People of Cornwall are English', a recent incomer from Essex who purchased a home in Truro wrote the following:

'I would like to point out that Welsh people are from Wales, Scottish people from Scotland but surely Cornish people are defined as English?'

This caused massive offence and our email in box was flooded with messages asking what we as an organisation intended to do about this alleged racism.

Well, obviously the author of the letter is factually incorrect. The Cornish have never been English as our distinctive history predates the arrival of the English to these islands by many generations. However, following years of argument and claims of assimilation, on the 24th April, 2014, the Westminster Government announced that the Cornish had been granted minority status within the UK and that (finally) the government formally recognises the distinct identity of Cornish people. 

A link to that Government announcement is at the end of this email.

Since then, matters concerning the Cornish National Minority have been subject of reporting processes by the Government, Cornwall Council and the Council of Europe. We have also had to remind several that the Council of Europe is not the European Union and that the UK was a founder member of the Council back in 1049, brought into being by the Treaty of London.

A link to relevant Cornwall Council information regarding the Cornish National Minority is also included below.

In being asked for a comment on the letter, which several who have emailed to us have requested and enclosed copies of, we do agree that it is insulting and probably written by an extremely ignorant individual and published by a newspaper keen to increase what has become known as 'click-bait'. This in turn increases newspaper revenues, all important in these times when the printed press is witnessing its steady and inevitable demise.

Accordingly, we have drawn the letter and its publication in the West Briton to the attention of the relevant authorities including the Council of Europe as further evidence of the bigotry shown towards those of us who are Cornish.

Links

HM Government Information - Cornish granted minority status

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cornish-granted-minority-status-within-the-uk

Cornwall Council - Cornish National Minority

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and-living/equality-and-diversity/cornish-national-minority/

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

https://rm.coe.int/16800c10cf

Kernow bys vyken!

Kernow Matters To Us Steering Group