It is a historic day for the Cornish people as they have been granted minority status under European rules for the protection of national minorities. For many people this may come as a surprise but for the Cornish and those that have a knowledge of Cornish history, this is long overdue. Throughout Cornwall the Celtic names and culture are still all pervading. While the population of Cornwall is now more mixed than ever, the Cornish identity remains strong and Cornish expats (many leaving to find work unavailable in Cornwall) are also as proud of their identity than ever. St Piran's flag, the distinctive black and white flag, once reserved for special occasions now flies throughout the county and on the cars of the expats. Traditional Cornish events such as Padstow Obby Oss and Helston Flora Day are as strongly attended as ever.
In the 2011 census, 73,200, stated that they have Cornish national identity. Considering there was no box to tick and people had to write it in themselves, that was a substantial figure.
Promoting the Cornish identity should not be seen as being anti English in any way. We live in a multi cultural society and we should celebrate our differences as well as the cultural bonds that make us all British, whatever our background. See the BBC website for more details