Overview
- The Liberal Democrat–led council passed the motion 53–22 and has urged residents to sign the petition calling for recognition of Cornwall as a UK nation.
- The petition has nearly 23,000 signatures ahead of its September 11 close, triggering a required government response but short of the 100,000 needed for consideration for a parliamentary debate.
- Council leader Leigh Frost said the campaign seeks decisions made in Cornwall rather than independence, pointing to Cornish language and recognised minority status.
- Reform UK councillors, the largest group on the council, mostly opposed the move, with deputy leader Rowland O’Connor warning it risks social division over identity.
- The government has indicated top-tier powers would require a joint Devon–Cornwall mayor, a plan opposed by Cornwall Council and several Cornish MPs who say the county would lose out.