It’s a deal! After more than a year of “negotiations” the “Celtic Heritage – Cornwall-Wales Collaboration Agreement” is signed, meaning, er, not very much at all, really…

Posted By on 17 July 2023

By Julia Penhaligon

It started as a “strategic alliance” in February 2022 and has blossomed into a full-scale “collaboration agreement.”  And that, really, is about as much as you need to know.

Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor began her odyssey by declaring that Cornwall was the UK’s “fifth nation” and that as a result of a supersoaraway devolution deal she would soon be able to phone other world leaders and have cosy chats on first-name terms.

But all the talk of Cornwall and Wales taking common positions on things like housing seems to have gone the same way as so much other talk.

Wales is cracking down on second homes.  Cornwall isn’t.  Not many signs of “collaboration” there.

Wales is poised to make a lot of money out of floating offshore windfarms.  Cornwall isn’t.  Not many signs of “collaboration” there, either.

But thank goodness for the “Celtic Heritage” bit.  Lots of people in Wales speak Welsh.  Not many people in Cornwall speak Cornish.

But there are similarities between the languages, and so that might form the basis of a photo-opportunity.

That new deal in detail:

  • “Representatives of Cornwall Council and the Welsh Government will meet at least four times a year to share best practice and to develop solutions to areas of mutual challenge.”

And, er, that’s it.

“Future meetings will be held virtually to minimise the financial and carbon impact of the arrangement,” says County Hall’s slightly over-excited press release.

Councillor Taylor said: “Cornwall has a proud Celtic heritage, and we have so many cultural links to Wales that it seemed clear to me that strengthening our ties would be of huge benefit for us both.

“I was delighted to find that the First Minister shared my enthusiasm for this, and we have been able to come to an agreement to formalise this relationship.

“Affordable and sustainable housing, the need to achieve net-zero and ways of growing thriving rural economies are key areas for both Cornwall and Wales, and to be able to share our knowledge with each other is good news for us all.

“It is also great for us from a cultural perspective too. I know we can learn from the way the Welsh language has been successfully grown in recent years, and I am looking forward to sharing the ways in which we both celebrate our rich and ancient culture.

“This is good news for Cornwall and for Wales, and I am delighted we have taken this real step forward.”

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We share many historical, cultural and linguistic ties with Cornwall, and our economies, landscape and our people have many shared characteristics. These commonalities enable us to learn from each other in areas which affect our populations, especially in the areas of focus in today’s agreement.

“I look forward to working more closely together, building on our strong relationship, sharing best practice and exploring other areas we can work together on in the future.”

The deal makes zero contribution to plugging the hole in Cornwall's GDP caused by Brexit because we were allowed to trade with Wales before 2022.

The press release also says nothing about how much Cornwall Council officer-time has been spent negotiating this piece of history.  But hey, who cares?

Peace in our time.  Live long and prosper.  And maybe move to Wales.

juliapenhaligon@cornwallreports.co.uk

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This article has 2 comments

  2. Alelujuia brothers and sisters (or should that be sisters and brothers) in the name of inclusivity?

    Weem saved because our fiendishly clever and astute Cornwall Council Leader tells us tis so as weem tying the knot with our Celtic cousins over in Welsh Wales and all will be well as the milk and honey of Kremlin Kernow largesse flows throughout our land.

    Has Councillor Taylor finally lost the plot in a similar manner to her predecessors with regard to devolution which is another damp squib?

    Enthusiasm is a very dangerous word in the context of such nebulous affairs, failing to address the stark fact that despite vaporising serious sums of money in setting up an arms length property developer in a time of growing recession in the property sector (bad timing, bad luck or arguably congenital incompetence) Cornwalls housing situation visibly worsens day by day.

    Our rural economy is being systematically gutted on the altar of excess tourism which added to the unsustainable importation of others from elsewhere (much faster than they can naturally be assimilated) who can actually afford the unaffordable houses at the root of our current woes is creating unforeseen insoluble consequences that impact on us aborigines who suffer in virtual silence while the Kremlin compiles secret list of the vexatious who have the temerity to ask awkward questions.

    I could continue… But!!!

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