Cornwall Rising 
Angela Hopkinson, CPB Cornwall branch, £2

I HAVE only recently moved to Penzance in Cornwall and I looked to see what progressive material there was. In November 2024 Cornwall Rising was published. It’s a must read.

It covers the historical argument that Cornwall is a nation, part of the Celtic fringe. It has a rich heritage that was central to the Industrial Revolution. Mining produced worldwide supplies of tin and copper. Once the natural resources were taken, the economy reverted to agriculture and more latterly tourism.

It is remote from the centres of power. Only one rail line runs the length of Cornwall, and there is only one city, Truro. Bus services are poor. Wages are low. Large numbers of second homes and holiday lets result in high house prices. The pamphlet makes the case for an assembly with devolved powers as part of a federal Britain.

There are clear class differences in Cornwall and the arguments and examples are found right through this well-researched pamphlet.

There is space given to the Cornish independence movement, in particular Mebyon Kernow. Clearly reference must be made to the duchy which owns land, farms, castles, the coastal foreshore and more. The Communist Party has long argued that Britain should be a republic and the pamphlet backs this up.

On reading you will also see a well-laid out programme for Cornwall. Economic development is a must and people need somewhere to live. We see what powers a Cornish assembly could be given. The privatised water industry comes under scrutiny and readers may not know that Cornwall is one of the wettest regions in Britain but there was nevertheless a hosepipe ban for 13 months in 2022 and 2023.

Of course food and agriculture figure large and an 11-point plan is found — too many to list but they range from energy generation to the public ownership of land, price controls, wages and food production.

A call is made for a Cornish assembly or senedh Kernow. 

This is a great pamphlet which should be read and discussed widely.

For more information, and to buy a copy see: www.rubicund.co.uk.