‘Betrayal of assurances’ on St Piran’s flag – Tyler
The LORD TYLER, CBE. DL
House of Lords
I have written to Yvette Cooper MP, Minister of State (Housing & Planning), Department for Communities and Local Government, saying I understand that the review of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 suggests that the Cornish national flag – the cross of St Piran – should not be treated as a national flag, and a flag pole flying it would therefore require explicit planning consent.
I hope that her civil servants in the department have briefed her that this requirement would be a direct betrayal of the assurances given to me by her Ministerial predecessor, Keith Hill. During correspondence with me in November and December 2004, he assured me that
“It is therefore entirely a matter for the relevant local planning authority to determine whether St Piran’s flag should be permitted and whether they consider it is necessary to take action” (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister letter dated 20th December 2004).
In any case, as I am sure she will agree, there is no rational case for this persecution of the long established symbol of Cornwall: It is patently absurd that exemptions are not only made for St David of Wales, St Andrew of Scotland and St George of England but for every other national flag in the alphabet –from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
She cannot expect people here in Cornwall to accept this discrimination, and it is totally unreasonable to impose the responsibility on our local authorities to enforce it.
I appreciate that these regulations were prepared and introduced by the previous Conservative Government, who must have been blind to their significance, but their continuation without Keith Hill’s explicit assurance in relation to the Cornish flag would be as ridiculous as it would be insulting.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Surely, Yvette Cooper and her department wouldn’t assume that flying the Cornish flag is dangerous? :wink:
As mentioned earlier, the stupid issue of "what flag can I fly" has greater implications than just in Cornwall. It has resulted in the Devon authorities deliberately flying the Devon flag to contravene the so called "rules".
Guidelines issued by Planning Minister, Yvette Cooper confirm that planning permission is required to fly anything other than a 'national' flag from a flag pole.
So that's that then . It is our National Flag, therefore it is legal to fly it.
It is written in law that we are our own Nation. Case closed.
CALLING A CORNISH CELT 'ENGLISH' MERELY SHOWED HER LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
Remarks such as this do her no favours. To call a Cornish Celt 'English' merely shows her lack of understanding of the Cornish and their history.
The upheavals that brought about the destruction of the Cornish monasteries from 1536 through to 1545 also brought an end to the formal scholarship that had sustained the Cornish cultural identity. The smashing and looting of colleges like Glasney and Crantock must have played a significant part in fermenting opposition to forthcoming and cultural 'reforms'.
Apart from being sorely missed centres of indigenous cultural excellence, many would have seen these institutions as being a bridge to the Celtic past, a link to a time before the present imperial overlords achieved ascendancy, back even to the Christianised paganism of their forefathers.
When religious processions and pilgrimages were banned, commissioners were sent out to smash all symbols of Cornish Catholicism. Fresh from bloodily suppressing the Catholics of Ireland, the henchman of Cranmer (author of the Book of Common Prayer) William Body relished his task in Cornwall. After desecrating religious shrines at Helston, Body was stabbed by William Kylter and finished off by Pascoe Trevian. Immediate retribution followed.
In a community-wide reprisal similar to that carried out in Nazi occupied Europe, 28 Cornishmen were rounded-up and many were hung, drawn and quartered.
Martin Geoffrey, the priest of St Keverne, was taken to London. After he had been hacked to pieces his head was impaled on a staff on London Bridge as a warning to those who might resist English cultural imperialism. Such indiscriminate barbarity only served to ferment even greater resentment in Cornwall.
This was followed by plans to impose the English language Book of Common Prayer, the burning of Cornish literature and a continuation of punishment for anyone speaking Cornish. So it goes on. Very little Cornish history is taught in Cornish schools although we hear about 1066 and all that.
Forgive the near wiping out of a culture and identity? Easy to say isn't it?
The flag of St Piran is the flag of Cornwall and not the imposed flag of St George.
Having 'forced' the Government to recognise and fund the Cornish language, our fight goes on to get the Cornish race written into the Charter of the Framework Protection of National Minorities.
Just to update you all:
I have received a letter from Matthew Taylor, my MP who informs that he is writing to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister about the issue
I have received an email from Yvette Cooper's Office who say they are looking into the issue
No reply from Carrick Council yet
Emails of support continue from around the world and the issue has fetured in a Breton newspaper
Thanks one & all !
I am becoming aware of the fact that as well as geographically close, the Cornish share a lot with the Bretons. I have read in fact that there was large scale migration of Cornish to Brittany many years ago. Certainly there seems to be a lot in common.
As an exiled Cornishman, I would struggle financially to retire to the land of my ancestors and birth.
So my plan is to settle in Brittany if the Bretons would welcome me (I am sure they would).
I would not intend to be one of the "little englanders" speaking Franglais, sipping fwench wine and nibbling croissants.
I'll spend a bit of time reading up on the links to help me prepare for my (hopeful) move.
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