Sir Tim Smit’s intemperate denunciation of Cornish people as “tossers” for looking back to the good old days helps to highlight a number of things about contemporary Cornwall (Eden Project co-founder under fire for rant about Cornish people, 16 February).
First, we should understand why many look back to a time before tourism and mass immigration made affording a decent home, or a home at all, beyond the reach of many Cornish people. The Cornish are now a minority in Cornwall, and are more likely to experience unemployment, low wages and poor health than non-Cornish residents.
