THE Mayor of Bude/Stratton Town Council, Peter Moores, will receive a contingent from the 'Keep Cornwall Whole' campaign, in the Triangle, Bude, on Saturday, October 9, at 11am.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend. The visit to Bude is part of a coast-to-coast parade through Cornwall's border communities, beginning at Morwenstow and concluding on Sunday, October 10 at a Respect The Tamar rally on Jubilee Green, Saltash, at 2pm.

The Keep Cornwall Whole campaign has been set up by Adam Killeya, Mayor of Saltash, in response to the threat that parts of Cornwall, possibly the Bude area, will be split off and joined with parts of Devon to form a new parliamentary constituency.

A bill is currently before parliament that would set new rules for constituency size. This would almost certainly mean that at least one 'cross-border' seat between Cornwall and Devon is created.

The bill seeks to legislate for a referendum on the alternative vote system and to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600. It also wants all constituencies to be within five per cent of the average constituency size.

Keep Cornwall Whole is seeking an amendment to the bill which would respect the border between Cornwall and Devon — a border which has remained virtually unchanged for over 1,000 years.

The cross-party campaign, which recently met with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to put its case, is supported by a range of people from across Cornwall and Devon, including:

? All six Cornish MPs;

? Cornwall Council (unanimously);

? Dozens of towns and parishes in Cornwall and Devon;

? Dozens of voluntary organisations;

? Thousands of residents.

A campaign spokes­person said: "We would like as many people as possible to attend the event in Bude to demonstrate that people living both sides of the border wish to see it maintained. Cornwall needs its own MPs and Devon needs its own MPs.

"We have different needs, different economies and indeed, different histories. Our 1,000 year old border should not be erased at the stroke of a civil servants pen."

They will also be met by Mayor of Launceston in Launceston Square at 1pm and they will be in Callington at the town hall for 3pm.

Convenor Cllr Adam Killeya, Mayor of Saltash, said: "This rally will strongly make the case against a cross-border constituency, with speeches from a wide range of political figures and civic figureheads. But there will also be music, making it a real celebration of Cornwall and its distinctiveness. Please come along and add you voice to the fight to protect Cornwall's historic border."