The fragmentation of the nation state? Regional development, distinctiveness, and the growth of nationalism in Cornish politics

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Stateless nations across the European Union have become increasingly vocal and confident in asserting a desire for autonomy, devolved governance and independence. Meanwhile, identity politics has become a key factor of contemporary European regional development, with utility as a social, economic and governance tool. Culture has become a resource for regional branding to attract inward investment and differentiate in terms of competitiveness. The paper considers whether the utility of identity to regional development might provide an explanation for the growing confidence of European Union stateless nations. We use the case study of Cornwall to explore the correlation, arguing that economic regionalism has provided a space for the articulation of national identities.

Why did Cornwall vote for Brexit? Assessing the implications for EU structural funding programmes

“…Regional identity is encouraged and supported as both for differentiation in the global marketplace (Herrschel, 2010), and as a means of supporting the development of social capital, skills and networks within a region (Willett, 2013). This has meant that over recent decades, regional identification has become stronger across the EU (Hepburn and Elias, 2011; Willett and Tredinnick-Rowe, 2016), which was a contentious issue by Eurosceptics who privileged a more national basis of primary identification.…”

“…Cornwall has direct experience of this, and the EU has been a reliable protector of Cornwall’s national identity, ethnicity and language. Most recently this has been through its recognition as a national minority by the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Willett and Tredinnick-Rowe, 2016). Moreover, Cornwall also has a long history of seeing the nation state as neglective at best, and oppressive at worst, rather than as a means of support (Willett, 2013).…”

“…This places regional identity at odds with national identification within the context of the European agenda. For Cornwall in particular, regionalism has led to a significant growth in the importance of Cornish identity within Cornish civil society (Willett and Tredinnick-Rowe, 2016). However we also see a resistance to that too, and within this project some participants’ national identity played a more significant role in their decision to vote Leave than their Cornish or regional identity.…”

“…If anything, the regionalism of the past few decades becomes another threat to the British or English nationalism threading many participant responses, rendering the nation state more vulnerable, and therefore in need of protection from its bullying (EU) Other. Current regional development policy encourages regions to differentiate themselves within the global marketplace (Herrschel, 2010; Willett and Tredinnick-Rowe, 2016), and vocal regions may be a key means of countering the centripetal effects of contemporary western economies (McCann, 2016; Roberts, 2003). However whilst there are sound operational reasons, it does raise the ongoing challenge between how to structurally and discursively negotiate the changing relationships between regions, nations and supra-national bodies, in ways that are not perceived to enfeeble some of these institutions.…”

The impact of local identities on voting behaviour: a Scouse case study

“…However, as with the study of local identities, the attention paid to Cornishness is largely historical or cultural rather than political or psephological, but with some notable exceptions. Firstly, Willett and Tredinnick-Rowe (2016) note that "economic regionalism has provided a space for the articulation of national identities" in a way that did not exist within the traditional Westminster unitary system. Building on this, Willett et al (2019) explored the reasons that-unlike other Celtic nations-Cornwall voted to leave the European Union (56.5% to 43.5% remain), despite receiving high levels of EU structural funds.…”