There have been further calls for Cornwall to be properly recognised as a nation after the discovery that next year's census papers currently fail to include a 'Cornish' tick box once again.

In a show of unity, all of Cornwall Council's party leaders have now sent a joint letter calling for the government to fully recognise Cornwall's national minority status, some six years after it was granted.

It has been sent to the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office Chloe Smith along with other prominent figures at Westminster.

The letter, signed by council leader Julian German and the authority’s group leaders Linda Taylor (Conservative), Malcolm Brown (Liberal Democrat), Carolyn Rule (Independent), Stephen Barnes (Labour) and Dick Cole (Mebyon Kernow), comes after the Census Order (England and Wales) laid before Parliament on March 2 this year did not include box for people to mark themselves as 'Cornish' in the 2021 census.

Six years ago Cornwall was granted national minority status, acknowledging its history, culture and language and giving the Cornish the same status as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish - all three of which are represented by an identity tick box on the census, where Cornwall is not.

The Census Order is due to be debated in Parliament in the next few weeks, when it is hoped MPs from all parts of the country will support the inclusion of a Cornish tick box.

Cornwall Council leader Julian German said: “We are working closely with Cornwall’s MPs on this matter and we have appealed to the UK government to add a Cornish tick box to the next census.

“This would help central government to meet its obligations through the Framework Convention and show that it is treating the Cornish in the same manner as the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. It would also demonstrate a positive commitment to Cornwall’s national identity and culture.”

Since 2014, when the status was granted, the Cornish Embassy ‘tick box’ bus has been promoting the campaign, as well as giving greater access to learning Cornish face-to-face through technology and in schools.

Last July, the Cornish Minority Working Group hosted the first UK National Minority Summit, bringing together representatives from the UK’s national minorities and in September Cornwall’s archive centre Kresen Kernow opened, housing the world’s largest collection of historic records, books, maps and photographs relating to Cornwall.

Despite these successes, however, there is no stable central government funding for Cornish culture and language.