FIVE Cornish MPs have condemned a Reform-backed amendment to Labour’s new elections Bill, which would make it a criminal offence to publish election material in Cornish.

This would mean that Mebyon Kernow would also not be allowed to use its own party name on election materials – as it is in Cornish.

An amendment to the Representation of the People Bill tabled by MP Richard Tice, and backed by all Reform MPs, would permit election material to be published only in English or Welsh.

Publishing campaign material in any other language would become a criminal offence, carrying a penalty of up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine.

Candidates who use the Irish language, Scottish Gaelic as well as Cornish in their election material would also face prison time.

Labour MPs Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth), MP for St Austell and Newquay Noah Law, MP for Truro and Falmouth Jayne Kirkham, MP for South East Cornwall Anna Gelderd and MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire (Lib Dem), in a joint statement said: “As five of the MPs representing Cornwall, we fundamentally disagree.

“This is a direct attack on Cornish language, identity, and culture. We Cornish MPs are exceptionally proud that in January 2026, the Government officially recognised Kernewek under Part III of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

“As a result, Kernewek now has the same status as all other Celtic languages across the UK, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The inclusion of Welsh, and not Kernewek, in Reform’s ill-intentioned amendment is demonstrative of their complete lack of understanding of Cornwall’s unique identity and heritage.

“We will wholeheartedly oppose this amendment in Parliament.”

Mr Law added: “This shows Reform UK's ignorance to the cultural and linguistic heritage of Cornwall and that they are even more part of a distant, elite home counties establishment than the people they claim to oppose.

“It also shows how amateurish their approach to governing the country would be, given that no one in the Reform Party seemed to notice this most basic of errors. Maybe there were other, more lucrative priorities on their mind.”

Cornish nationalist party Mebyon Kernow says it does not support any amendments to specify which languages can or cannot be used on election leaflets. Mebyon Kernow stated inhabitants of the UK should be able to read about party policies in the language that they speak.

Speaking on behalf of Mebyon Kernow Cllr Loveday Jenkin said: “It is ludicrous that Reform UK are seeking to outlaw and criminalise the use of Celtic languages such as Cornish, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, as well as Romani, on election materials.

“I also find it extremely worrying that Reform MPs have such little respect for the Cornish language and the national minority status of the Cornish people. Instead of supporting one of the UK’s historic Celtic languages, they want to send anyone using Cornish on an election leaflet to jail. Madness!

“The clause is so daft that it would even ban Mebyon Kernow activists from campaigning as we would not be allowed to use our party name on election materials – as it is in Cornish!”

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.