Cornish Democracy Unit (Kernow Demokratieth Unses)
Cornish Democracy is a research unit within the Institute of Cornish Studies. Our purpose is to develop democratic capital within Cornwall, deepen participation, advocate for increased autonomy and develop Cornish institutions.
Authors: Andrew Climo, Garry Tregidga
Explores the process of devolving powers to Cornwall. A seven-point plan is proposed to extend Cornwall’s powers relating to housing, protections for the Cornish language and Cornish national minority, and then examines subsequent steps towards a fully devolved administration.
Key findings:
- Devolvyans rag Kernow is based on earlier research by the Cornish Democracy Unit, including workshops, and seminars, exploring the process of devolving powers to Cornwall
- It proposes a seven-point plan, including a Minister for Cornwall, a new unit of government (called The Cornwall Office), bespoke legislation on the Cornish language and protection of the Cornish national minority, and specific powers to shape improved housing provision for Cornish residents. It also considers future steps towards a fully devolved administration.
- This document was delivered to every MP and Peer, including government ministers, and plays an important role in the campaign for a new deal for Cornwall.
Garry Tregidga and Andrew Climo
Key findings:
- Offered everyone across the Duchy the chance to submit their own 350-word manifesto on future policy and governance in Cornwall, all of which were submitted to the newly elected Cornish MPs
- Key priorities of voters were renewed calls for a Cornish Assembly, action on the Cornish housing crisis and further recognition of Cornish ethnic minority status
- Other themes were support for Cornish arts, music and theatre, community regeneration and environment concerns.
Clare Saunders, Politics at the University of Exeter, Cornwall.
Key findings:
- Camborne, Cornwall, Corbyn rally supporters were disproportionately female (59%) and highly educated (62% have a university degree or higher). Half were in the baby boomer generation (aged 53-71). The most common occupations were socio-cultural professionals (42.9%), managers (15.6%) and service workers (15.3%). 41% had public sector jobs.
- Rally participants were very supportive of Corbyn and the 2017 Labour Party manifesto (apart from the HS2 high speed rail link). The majority were new (47.0%) or non- (30.0) members.
- Many were active in at least some party activities, but non-members were disproportionately engaged in lower intensity activities and high intensity activity was mostly engaged in by new members.
- Only 27 of those surveyed at the rally were not already Labour voters, suggesting that ‘preaching to the converted’ might not be enough to take a swing seat from the Conservative Party.
- The data, and Labour’s failure to win the seat in the 2019 election suggest that Labour should advertise its rallies earlier and open their invitations up to a broader audience in order to convert swing voters.
Jane Wills, Geography at the University of Exeter, Cornwall
Key findings:
- Cornwall’s commitment to devolution came into its own with austerity and has contributed to the growth and development of a number of town and parish councils in the region.
- Cornwall was able to do this because of the relationships that the council had already been starting to build with town and parish councils.
- Many of the town and parish councils that took part in the research are very interested in expanding their roles.
- Having such increased capacity means that the role of parish councillor carries more weight than it might have previously.
Clare Saunders, Politics at the University of Exeter, Cornwall (in collaboration with Brian Doherty, Keele; and academics in 11 other cities across Europe)
Key findings:
- Greta Thunberg has been inspirational to Truro-based global climate strikers.
- The majority of Truro-based climate strikers are aged over 20, and therefore are not actually skipping school but rather showing solidarity.
- Women and the highly educated outnumber men and the less well educated.
- Participants are relative novices to protests (even if they do engage in pro-environmental behaviours), who engaged with the strike in order to pressure politicians and express their views.
- Despite being motivated to pressure politicians, the strikers have little faith in governments (or corporations) to solve climate change and they generally lack trust in political institutions.
- The local media has not been particularly supportive of the Truro climate strikes and tends to overlook the genuine motivations of the majority of participants and over play conflictual elements.
Joanie Willett and John Tredinnick-Rowe, Politics at the University of Exeter, Cornwall.
Key findings:
- Despite the fears that globalisation would remove the distinctiveness between different regions, regional identities are getting stronger in many parts of the world.
- Cornish identity has also been getting stronger and more visible in recent decades, and has become a key underpinning factor in many different aspects of Cornish politics.
- One of the reasons why this has happened is because there is a tight inter-relationship between identities, regionalism, and economic development.
Joanie Willett and Joe Cruxon, Politics at the University of Exeter, Cornwall.
Key findings:
- Town and parish councils have the potential to be a really important way for people to be able to shape their communities, and are a primary access point of democracy.
- Although people know that they exist, unfortunately many people don’t have a very good perception of them, and don’t necessarily feel that they reflect their interests.
- To counter this, Cornwall’s parish councils need to make themselves more accessible to a much wider audience. New technologies such as community mobile phone applications might be one way to do this.