Cornish Nationalist Party

The Cornish Nationalist Party (CNP) was a pro-secession political party that split from Mebyon Kernow on May 28, 1975.

Related Topics:
Political party - Mebyon Kernow - May 28 - 1975

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The split was down to the same debate that was occuring in most of the "Celtic Nationalist" groups within the UK at the time (eg. SNP, Plaid Cymru), whether to be a centre-left party appealing to the electorate on a social-democrat line, or whether to appeal emotionally on a right-wing cultural-nationalistic line. Another subject of the split was whether to embrace devolution as a first step to full independence (or as the sole step if this was what the electorate wished) or for it to be "all or nothing"). The CNP essentially represented the party's right wing, who were not willing to accept that economic arguments were more likely to win votes than cultural.

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The CNP worked to preserve the identity of Cornwall and improve its economy, and encouraged links with Cornish people overseas and with other regions which have distinct identities. It also gave support to Unified Cornish, the language of the Cornish revival in modern times, and commemorated Thomas Flamank, a leader of the Cornish Rebellion in 1497, at an annual ceremony at Bodmin on 27th June each year.

Related Topics:
Cornwall - Unified Cornish - Thomas Flamank - Cornish Rebellion - 1497 - Bodmin - 27th June

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The CNP published a quarterly journal, The Cornish Banner (An Baner Kernewek).

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