Support for Cornish Census Tick Box Spreads Across the South West

A petition calling for a dedicated “Cornish” tick box on the 2031 census has attracted signatures from every part of the South West, with supporters from across Devon and Somerset signing alongside those in Cornwall itself.

The parliamentary petition, which now stands at over 2,000 signatures, is calling on the government to add a “Cornish” option to the national identity question in the next census. Currently, anyone wishing to record their Cornish identity must select the “Other” category and write it in manually, something campaigners say significantly undercounts the true number of people who identify as Cornish.

Why Does It Matter?

The campaign points to the 2021 census as evidence of the problem. Despite there being no dedicated tick box, over 117,000 people across England and Wales still identified as Cornish through write-in responses, including more than 100,000 in Cornwall itself. Campaigners argue the real figure would be considerably higher with a proper tick box option.

The comparison with Wales is striking. In 2001, just 14% of people in Wales wrote in “Welsh” before a dedicated tick box was introduced, a figure that leapt to 67% a decade later. Supporters say Cornwall deserves the same opportunity.

Political Backing

The push for a Cornish tick box has support in Westminster. Labour MP Perran Moon, who represents Camborne and Redruth, raised the issue in the House of Commons, calling the current situation a “farce” and urging the Office for National Statistics to act ahead of the 2031 census. Commons leader Sir Alan Campbell acknowledged the importance of Cornish identity in his response.

Mebyon Kernow, the Party for Cornwall, has also been active, submitting detailed proposals to an ONS consultation on the 2031 census and arguing that the Cornish are not being treated equally with other national groups in the UK. The Cornish were formally recognised as a national minority in 2014 under the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and campaigners say the absence of a census tick box is at odds with that status.

What the Petition Needs

The petition runs until 24th September and needs to reach 10,000 signatures before the government is required to formally respond. 100,000 signatures would trigger a parliamentary debate. With just over 2,000 names so far, there is a long way to go, but the fact that support has spread beyond Cornwall’s borders into Devon and Somerset suggests the issue resonates more widely across the region.

You can sign the petition at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/761116