First published in the Cornish Guardian on 21 September 2022.

Politicians in Cornwall are presently debating the merits of a “devolution deal” for Cornwall but, in my view, what is on offer from central government cannot be deemed devolution at all. It is simply about tweaks to local government with an unwanted municipal mayor thrown in.

Speaking for myself, after campaigning on this issue for so long, it continues to extremely saddening that the likely accommodation is so insubstantial. It is also unsatisfactory that Cornwall is not being treated in the same way as the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom – as previously promised by the UK Government.

After all, it was twenty-five years ago this week that the voters of Wales went to the polls to vote for the creation of a National Assembly in a referendum.

I was in the Welsh capital on that election night to participate in a television programme, which was broadcast from Cardiff Castle. It was the first time that I had been invited to take part in a live television debate, but it did not work out as I had anticipated. I was there to comment on the implications of a Yes vote for the rest of the United Kingdom. But as the night went on, and the individual results from the 22 Welsh councils rolled in, it was looking like it would be a no vote, and they did not bother to use me.

It would be accurate to say I was less than happy to have travelled all the way to Wales and not even participated in the debate. But I had been booked into a room at the Park Hotel, where the Yes camp was based and had planned their celebratory party.

When I got there, the mood was dark and sombre, as the campaigners – many of whom had dedicated their lives to the goal of greater self-government for Wales – feared their dream of devolution would not be realised.

I was present when the final result came in – giving the Yes vote a slender win. I will never forget the raw emotion of that night, the explosion of sheer joy when everyone realised that they had indeed won the vote, and I am grateful that I was able to be there.

It was a momentous vote. The National Assembly was opened in 1999 and has grown massively in stature and authority, achieving significant law-making powers. It became a fully-fledged Parliament in 2020.

The campaign for Welsh devolution continues to be an inspiration for me and I just hope that we can replicate their success here in Cornwall.