THE number of people who identify as English in Cornwall has been revealed – and some local residents have had their say on it.

Today (April 23) is St George's Day – a celebration of England’s patron saint and the country’s history.

It has been revealed however that nationally, the number of people identifying as English has broadly fallen over the last decade – in Cornwall, 42 per cent of people said they identified as English in 2023.

This statistic has fallen by nine per cent since June 2016, before the Brexit referendum according to the latest population survey from the Office for National Statistics.

A number of people have since responded to this statistic, saying “Kernow is not England and will never be England.”

One person said: “Born in Lostwithiel in 1953 from Cornish parents, never been English and never will be.”

Another added: “In spite of some comments to the contrary, Cornwall is part of England. If they want to be independent, let them fend for themselves.”

One person commented: ”I do love that most of the people arguing that "Cornwall is part of England" aren't Cornish. I don't think it's fit for you to comment if you weren't born and raised here. It's a long standing cultural opinion that generations of Cornish families stand by. I don't visit London and throw around opinions that I have literally no knowledge on, or think ‘how can I make London more like Cornwall?’ If you like it here and you've moved here, fine. But don't come in and start arguing with the locals and trying to change things.”

Another said: “Cornish never English and very very proud. We are part of the British Isles which makes me British. First and foremost Cornish birthplace and heritage the country of Kernow.”

However, the Centre for English Identity and Politics at the University of Southampton, said the findings from the population survey should be approached with caution – as many people only select one response, despite having "multiple identities".

Respondents could select as many options as they like from British, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or ‘other’.

In Cornwall, 35 per cent of respondents said they identified as British – below the national average of 57 per cent.