Cornwall has a constitutional, customary and chartered right to its own parliament and judiciary. Its legitimate powers far exceed any that can be prescribed by whatever form of devolved assembly.
The Cornish people's irrevocable right to their own sovereign parliament is unique within the island of Britain.With such an indisputable right, it seems unpatriotic that some Cornish people strive for a devolved assembly which would merely give an illusion of some small degree of power. Surely their own parliament, the oldest surviving on earth, is worthy of their support.
"Power devolved is power retained," said Enoch Powell.
Two Conservative MPs – George Eustice and Sarah Newton – calling for the Cornish Assembly campaign to be ditched, said in the WMN recently Cornwall must "reject the politics of victimhood and isolation".
Victimisation. Yes, Cornish people have been, and continue to be, victimised over a period of some 1,000 years and more, by:
The ethnic cleansing of the Cornish from Exeter by Athelstan (Tribal leader of Wessex – 936AD)
The imposition of partial Norman French rule 1068 AD, and the removal of the Cornish head of State with the later replacement by a Norman Earl.
The creation of a Norman French Duke in 1337.
Being forced to resist (at great loss of life) excessive taxation 1497.
Being forced to resist (again at great loss of life) an imposed English religion in 1549 and the subsequent attempted extermination of their language.
Being double-taxed as foreigners from 1337 to 1837.
Suffering multiple forms of discrimination and assimilation, particularly since the 1950s, leading eventually to effective ethnic cleansing.
Although being the elder of the indigenous people of Britain, being denied the right of inclusion into "The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities" by an England- dominated Westminster Parliament in 2012.
Isolation – No.
The Cornish diaspora of some six million people of Cornish descent around the world does not invite the description "isolation".
The Cornish nation is the best situated in the island of Britain with regard to trade by sea. Pythaes of Massilia, a Greek recorder in 310BC, described the Cornish as being "civilised in their mode of life owing to their contact with foreign merchants".
Cornish people have not merely a "sense" of identity, but the actual identity of being a nation in their own right, in that they are descendants of the very earliest inhabitants of Britain, this recently verified by the latest scientific genetic study of the peoples of Britain.
They say – "In ancient times Cornwall had its own Stannary Parliament."
The Cornish trading system which predates both Greeks and Romans required its own governmental and legislative system which has continued until now, making the Cornish Stannary Parliament effectively the oldest surviving parliament on Earth.
It has long been recognised by successive extant Royal Charters, British governments and European governmental institutions.
They say – "…to create a modern day "Stannary Chamber" made up of the chairmen of all the parish and town councils to perform a scrutiny role…."
The ancient Cornish Stannary Parliament in this modern day is performing an exemplary "scrutiny role" by at the moment revealing and resisting the "actual assimilation" of Cornish people into a non-existent England to the west of the Tamar and, into a false sense of Englishness. The actual assimilation of Cornish people is also being conducted by misinformation by all forms of media, and mis-education by an imposed English state educational system. For George Eustice, a Cornishman, to even suggest such a degradation of the ancient Stannary system as a false "Stannary Chamber" may be seen as a desire on his part to further the "policy of assimilation".
As devolution may be seen to threaten the existence of the Duchy, and therefore the Duke, perhaps the devolutionists may be better employed by supporting Cornwall's own parliament with its irrevocable chartered right to convene, thereby assisting in the continuance of Cornwall's rightful status of one of the four nations of Britain and Cornwall's inclusion in "The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities" with the subsequent benefits and protection deriving from European acceptance.
"The Cornwall Council considers the Cornish to be a national minority under the convention".
It would be refreshing if these MPs would cease to indulge in such comments and support the Cornish people by assisting in their inclusion into the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
All Starbucks and others are doing is making use of that law to limit their tax exposure - which is the right thing to do. Every penny saved is another job created.
But of course, Alexander doesn't see that. He just wants to hike taxes ever higher so he can continue spending.
It simply doesn't occur to him that the real problem is just that: state spending.