A PEACEFUL protest is being organised by the lady Bards of Gorsedh Kernow in relation to the proposed ‘Devonwall’ constituency plans at Polson Bridge on Sunday, October 30.

The bards have chosen Polson Bridge as the place for this peaceful demonstration as it is the bridge over the Tamar where Michael Joseph An Gof and Thomas Flamank led the Cornish army into England in 1497.

All are invited and a bus has already been organised for the day with people of all ages and vocations attending.

Kernow Matters to You (KMTY) said: “Following enquiries from other groups who are worried about what is happening to Cornwall at the hands of Westminster, all are now invited to join us. We welcome folks from wherever.

“This is a peaceful event. We don’t need the violence seen elsewhere. Bring your Piran flags, pasties, whistles, banners and singing voices as we need to make a clear statement to Westminster here!”

It seems that their protest, which has seen them send a fact-filled dossier to the leader of every political party represented in the House of Commons as well as to many members of the House of Lords, the Duchy of Cornwall and to Prince Charles himself as well as the Council of Europe and the United Nations, is gathering pace.

Plaid Cymru’s MP, Jonathan Edwards has sent an Early Day Motion (EDM) to the House of Commons backing plans for Cornwall to stay as an independent constituency.

The EDM, numbered 487, said: “That this House notes that the Boundary Commission for England’s review of parliamentary constituencies has recommended the creation of a cross-Tamar Devonwall seat which would link parts of Cornwall with land in the neighbouring English county of Devon; recalls that the Boundary Commission has made this recommendation because the review is being guided by the parliamentary voting system and Constituencies Act (the Act), which was agreed in 2011 and did not recognise Cornwall as a distinct political unit; further notes that in 2014 the government recognised the Cornish as a national minority through the framework convention for the protection of national minorities and announced that, ‘The decision to recognise the unique identity of the Cornish, now affords them the same status... as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish;’ believes that the act and the creation of a Devonwall seat are in conflict with the Framework Convention; and therefore calls for an amendment to the act so that future parliamentary constituencies for Cornwall lie entirely within the historic boundaries of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

KMTY have also issued a cry to the six Cornish MPs, including North Cornwall’s Conservative MP, Scott Mann, to sign the EDM and if not, give clear reasons why and to prominent leaders in the House of Commons.

To find out more about KMTY’s protest at Polson Bridge, please contact [email protected].