’This is the parish that holds the spirit of Cornwall,’ said Grand Bard Merv Davey, Telynor an Weryn, in his address to fellow bards, visiting dignitaries and members of the public at Gorsedh Kernow’s annual bardic ceremony, held this year in a rain-soaked St Keverne on Saturday.

’It was from this parish some 500 years ago that Michael Joseph the Smith led the Cornish host to London in protest at the destruction of our way of life. Throughout the centuries the people of Cornwall have asserted their distinct identity and heritage.’

Mr Davey stood alongside delegates from the Welsh and Breton Gorseddau and reminded the crowds who had managed to squeeze into St Keverne church of the importance of retaining the border between Cornwall and the rest of Britain.

’The spirit of Michael Joseph and St Keverne are seen in our success with the recognition of the Cornish language, our national minority status and the devolution deal for Cornwall Council,’ said the Grand Bard, ’but the time has come now to campaign to keep our land whole.’

Urging his audience to recognise Cornwall as a place apart with its own political history and cultural heritage the Grand Bard  insisted that to place parts of Cornwall into Devon for the purpose of Parliamentary constituencies would be a serious denial of history. 

He called on Cornwall’s MPs to support Gorsedh Kernow’s call to ‘Keep Cornwall whole.’