Is it time for Cornwall to got it alone?

kernow/cornwall | local government | news report Thursday May 14, 2009 07:35 by KernowKid

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has announced that its list of candidates for the ‘South West Region’ seat in the European Parliament will comprise their six prospective parliamentary candidates for Westminster.

So how strong is that challenge?

This is what Mebyon Kernow say in thier core values; "We exist to fight for ALL the people of Cornwall, with a political programme that puts Cornwall first and offers an alternative to the London-centred parties." and seeing the London parliament in such a mess, is breaking up the UK now the best way to go? Cornwall has issues being a poor area but with very expensive house prices and wealthy people from elsewhere come and buy holiday homes or 'investments'. With local wages so low, many can't compete. Peter Tatchell though going it alone was possible; "Cornwall was once separate and self-governing. If the Cornish people want autonomy and it would improve their lives, why shouldn't they have self-rule once again? Malta, with only 400,000 people, is an independent state within the EU. Why not Cornwall?" http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/10/cor...nwall

Back in 2001 there was talk of a SW assembly - a step on the path to Cornwall going alone; http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/jan/12/localgove...ution

But Matthew Taylor didn't think there was the support for this party;
"The simple truth is that Cornwall is not full of people who want a separate parliament – nor, incidentally, did they want one in 1497. In both cases what is wanted is a genuine recognition that poor rural communities such as ours have not had their problems taken seriously, let alone addressed, in decades. We don't need a separate parliament, we simply need genuine local autonomy over the things that matter locally rather than nationally, and fair funding to go with it." http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/14/cor...nding

I guess we'll see in the elections....