Cornwall - a Summer of discontent?

As you may be aware, social media has been awash with reports of discontent spilling over on to the streets of Scotland and Wales. 

Now, it's spread to our little Celtic land of Kernow and as in Wales and Scotland, the writing is on the wall.

One cannot just continue to deny the Cornish their full rights as guaranteed by charter and convention which are being blatantly ignored, affordable housing, properly paid work, protection from an out of control second home explosion and increasing incoming population, a dysfunctional planning system which has allowed for speculative development in green areas and on our coasts, massed tourism with Cornish peoples' needs placed second to that of an 'industry' which is highly extractive and which raises vast sums whilst damaging our environment with a huge percentage of the profits leaving Cornwall in the hands of companies based up country and appalling governance arrangements with far too many decisions affecting Cornwall being made outside the Duchy. 

The apathy and anti politics shown in the recent Cornwall elections which saw the Conservative administration being installed at Cornwall Council as a result of the votes of just 15.2% of the electorate should have sent a message to politicians. More and more are turning their backs on a broken system and taking to direct action and other forms of protest.

We have received reports of a growing amount of unanswered correspondence sent to MPs and Councillors and this has added to the feeling that the exercise of democracy needs to take a different path, that somehow the old methods no longer work.

We have warned that the constant abuse and vitriol aimed at Cornish people must stop. No one has as much as made any public condemnation of it and it continues unabated. Much of the anti Cornish hatred reduces us to some form of sub species, an inconvenience in the way of tourists' enjoyment of our coasts and hinterlands.

The writing has been on the wall for a while now with occasional articles appearing in the London press about the crisis in Cornwall where people are faced with dealing with spiralling prices for homes well exemplified by apartments in Hayle being sold for nearly £1 million, indigenous people sleeping on sofas and borrowed caravans and depending on food banks and column after column of complaints on social media regarding all such issues.

Recent headlines in the London media accompany hard hitting articles:

The G7 Summit is impacting negatively on peoples' lives and promises made by Westminster have turned sour with environmental damage, limited public protests at the site and the prospect of yet another pseudo lockdown following the Covid restrictions.

Independent local media headlines:

From information received, we know that there will be open protest related to the G7 event despite police consultations. These protests will probably not follow police attempts to contain them.

In a weekend which has seen demonstrations in Wales, the discontent is now in Cornwall and we have clear information that it is going to become increasingly noticeable. The sign over the bridge last year telling tourists to go home will be as nothing compared to what is to come. These frustrated young people agreed to desist but we are told they will be back.

Already self made notices are appearing. These are placed by ordinary people, concerned at what they see happening.

We have been notified on social and mainstream media based in Scotland and Wales as well as Cornwall that an announcement is to be made on 27th June, 2021, the day of commemoration of Michael Joseph 'An Gof' and Thomas Flamank, two of the leaders of the Cornish patriotic uprising in 1497. That announcement will determine an outline for open protest in the Duchy.

With a few notable exceptions, much of Cornwall's own mainstream media is heavily controlled and fails to report on many matters. The comment below is from oft repeated comments:  

A glimpse at the print media in Wales and Scotland reveals the true discontent though.

Nation.Cymru reports...

Cornwall joins Scotland and Wales in marching All Under One Banner Link: https://nation.cymru/news/cornwall-joins-scotland-and-wales-in-marching-all-under-one-banner/

The National reports...

Cornwall establishes its own indy march group inspired by AUOB

Link: https://www.thenational.scot/news/19337489.cornwall-establishes-indy-march-group-inspired-auob/?fbclid=IwAR0EZGfccnEGBZS8jMXKalgtt99ZZY1brJ99r3cqD2Btp9U7zjE5P4n3kWg

We monitor social media in its many forms and the ties between Scotland, Wales and Cornwall are growing ever strong and people in these nations are discussing matters of similar interest and learning from each other. There are strong historical, social and linguistic links and identical issues of concern in all three.

So we say to politicians at all levels, Ignore Cornwall and its people at your peril because tempers are stretched. It really is time to remove the blinkers from your eyes and cotton wool from your ears and to start engaging.

The Kernow Matters To Us Team