As the political parties standing in the General Election publish their manifestos, it is the intention of Mebyon Kernow to review what they have to say about devolution for Cornwall, obligations to the Cornish national minority / Cornwall as set out in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and fair funding for public services to the west of the Tamar.

The first manifesto to be published has come from the Liberal Democrats. It is 117 pages long.

Cornwall is not mentioned once.

Some extracts from document about federalism and devolution are as follows:

“Transfer greater powers away from Westminster and Whitehall, introduce a written constitution for a federal United Kingdom with strong voices for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and oppose a second Scottish independence referendum and independence.”

“Reform the UK and strengthen our family of nations around the principles of federalism, working in cooperation and partnership, including by: Creating a United Kingdom Council of Ministers to bring together the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with regional leaders across England. Removing the ability for the UK Parliament to unilaterally change the powers of the devolved parliaments or pass laws in their areas of responsibility. Creating a Joint Climate Council of the Nations to tackle the climate emergency by helping to foster innovation and encourage collaborative action …”

“Support the creation of a UK Constitutional Convention, with the aim of drafting a new Federal Constitution that sets out the powers of the government at each tier, founded on the principles of democratic engagement, liberal values and respect for diverse identities, underpinned by a fair distribution of resources based on respective needs. The Convention will establish an inclusive approach for determining the structure of government in England.”

The manifesto also includes a commitment to greater powers for the Welsh Parliament.