Council calls for Cornwall to be 'fifth UK nation'

Leigh Frost wants Cornwall to be put officially on a par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Members of a council have voted for Cornwall to be officially recognised as the fifth nation of the United Kingdom, to put it on a par with the other Celtic nations.

Cornwall Council leader Leigh Frost said the proposal would lead to fairer funding, stronger representation and a seat at the table in national decision-making.

Frost said: "We're making this case for better funding and representation, and for a stronger place in the union which we have contributed to for centuries.

"It's time to show what Cornwall is made of."

The proposal, brought forward by council member Dick Cole, leader of local political party Mebyon Kernow, follows the publication of 2025 State of Cornwall report, which set out the challenges and opportunities the county was facing.

Frost said the county was struggling with "low wages, high house prices and a housing crisis that pushes young families out of their home towns".

He also highlighted "a social care system stretched to its limits, public transport that struggles to work for working people, [and] children growing up in poverty while second homes are empty for most of the year".

The proposal passed on Monday by 53 votes to 22, with two abstentions.

However, the majority of Reform UK councillors voted against, citing concerns over possible tax increases and a loss of British identity.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Reform member Rowland O'Connor said: "I identify as Cornish but also as British.

"It feels like I'm being asked to choose one or the other and I refuse to do that."

However, Frost called that argument "a nonsense", adding: "I'm British and I'm very proud to be British, but I'm also proud to be Cornish."

Frost told the BBC that Cornwall had existed longer than England and Cornish people were recognised as a national minority.

The Cornish have been officially recognised as a national minority since 2014.

Frost said the proposal would allow more decisions to be taken in the county and could lead to more tax revenue being kept there too.

The council is planning to write to the prime minister and deputy prime minister, and begin building support among MPs for Cornwall's recognition.