New Forest Commoners push for recognition as minority group
Their ancient farming techniques involving horses, ponies, donkeys and pigs have helped shape the 219 square miles of Hampshire heathland.
Now, the more than 700 long-term residents of the historic lands are asking the Government to officially declare them a 'national minority' and a people in their own right – a status previously granted to the Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and Cornish.
They say doing so will give them protection similar to that enjoyed by the Maori in New Zealand and give them a stronger voice within the local government to ensure their traditions do not get 'lost forever'.
Among the unique traditions associated with the historic group are the free-roaming of pigs during 'pannage' season, the round-up of the area's famous ponies and the point to point horse race on Boxing Day – where riders are given a start and finish point but allowed to choose their own course.
The Commoners said they were pushing now to secure their future in the midst of an forthcoming devolution of power as a result of local government reorganisation.
National minority status would mean government departments and public bodies must consider the rights of the Commoners when making decisions.
Andrew Parry-Norton, chairman of the Commoners' Defence Association, explained there are 720 people with the unique rights to graze livestock on the Hampshire land, but that most are in their 70s.
He said receiving the status would give them 'protection' as they will 'get to have a say' in decisions made about the forest.
Mr Parry-Norton added: 'The Commoners are a small minority group but we have a huge impact on the forest and everything that comes with it.
'We are facing uncertain times with funding, with local government reorganisation, I think now is the right time to try.'
However, Mr Parry-Norton was clear that the group does not have aspirations of New Forest independence, unlike other national minorities.
The responsibilities for the UK to protect national minorities are defined by the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, a treaty signed in 1995.
This means if the Commoners were granted protection, the UK would be responsible for ensuring they had the conditions necessary to 'maintain and develop their culture' and to preserve 'traditions and cultural heritage'.
The UK would also have a responsibility not to allow policies which encourage cultural assimilation 'against their will'.
Mr Parry-Norton's wife Sarah told The Telegraph: 'It's very important that the people of the New Forest still retain a voice.'
She said the status of 'national minority' would offer protection 'very much like' the Maori.
'They wouldn't dream of doing anything to [Maori] land without consulting them,' she said. 'It's just to make sure we don't get lost forever.'
The rights of Commoners are protected and regulated by the ancient Verderers Court which meets once a month to discuss ongoing issues in the New Forest, but a declaration of minority would ensure their influence continues.
Brice Stratford, a writer and historian who sits on the board of the New Forest National Park Authority, started the process.
He said: 'The year 1016 is the first hard evidence of the Commoners' way of life existing, there is an unbroken lineage right through to today, the idea we might lose this is terrifying to me.'
So far the Commoners' Defence Association, working with Mr Stratford, have got a letter of recognition from New Forest district council and confirmation from the Commoners themselves that they self-identify with that term.
The group is now gathering more evidence in order to persuade the Government to back their claim.
In 2022, the Ulster Scots became the most recent recognised national minority within the UK, following the Cornish in 2014 and before that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For Cornwall, it was a nine-year process to achieve the legal recognition.
After the Cornish were granted national minority status in 2014, their council established a Cornish National Minority Working Group, who they say are responsible for 'promoting and celebrating' their status.
The working group set out a number of priorities for maintaining Cornish culture, including having the Cornish language Kernewek taught in primary schools.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Police warn of mass arrests if Palestine Action protest goes ahead
Police are warning of mass arrests if a protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action goes ahead on Saturday. Hundreds of people are expected to turn out for the demonstration, which is understood to be planned for London. However, the Metropolitan Police said "anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested." "We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system," said a spokesperson. The organisers, a pressure group called Defend Our Juries, denied their protest will try to overwhelm the police and justice system. "If we are allowed to protest peacefully and freely, then that is no bother to anyone," said the group in a statement. 1:29 Palestine Action was banned under terrorism laws after two aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on 20 June. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the vandalism of the planes was "disgraceful" and accused the group of a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage". The ban means membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. More than 200 people supporting the group were arrested at Defend Our Juries protests across the UK last month, many of whom held placards with the message: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Downing Street has urged people not to attend this weekend's protest. It comes after around 40 people gathered outside Labour HQ on Monday to protest the party's stance on Gaza. They were watched by a small group of police officers as they chanted phrases including: "Shame on Keir Starmer, shame on the Labour Party, shame on David Lammy." Separately, the Board of Deputies of British Jews has also confirmed it will protest this weekend, with community organisations marching through central London to Downing Street on Sunday. They are calling for the government not to recognise the state of Palestine without all hostages taken by Hamas being released. Last week, Sir Keir Starmer said he planned to recognise Palestine by the UN General Assembly meeting in September, unless Israel met certain conditions including agreeing a ceasefire and improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Government needs to get a grip': Southport residents say they STILL fear anti-migrant riots one year on from violence... and they aren't alone
Tearful Southport locals are living in fear there could be a repeat of the anti-migrant riots and have told Labour to get a grip on immigration. Violent scenes that shamed Britain last year were sparked by misinformation on social media following the triple stabbing murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9. Now, more than 12 months later, terrified residents are pointing the finger at Sir Keir Starmer for being too weak and have told the Daily Mail the PM has not done enough to prevent further disorder. One elderly lady, standing just yards from the mosque on Sussex Road where most of the violence occurred, broke down when asked what she remembers. 'I'm sorry,' she says, 'I'm sorry. It's just too painful.' She is not the only one still feeling the effects of the July 30 disorder last year which left many local people fearing for their lives as a large crowd gathered on the street. Janet McCormick, 62, remembers the riot well, living just doors away from the centre of it. Like many people interviewed, her eyes glaze over as she recalls the events of that night. 'It was a terrible time,' she says. 'The rioters were right outside my home, lighting fires and throwing bricks. 'It was terrifying for people living around here. No-one was sure what was going to happen and the police appeared to be outnumbered. 'It was a horrible thing to witness. I was angry last year at people for being so stupid that they believed every rumour they heard. 'I kept telling them they were being racist, that they should think for themselves but you could see what was driving them on. 'Sadly I do not think the Government has done enough to prevent another riot, not here but I can see it happening in other parts of the country. 'I think people think we should have someone waiting on the shore for the boats to arrive and have the power to send them straight back. 'People can't understand why that is not happening. It's no use telling us about human rights because this is affecting everyone. 'Illegal immigration is killing this country. It is putting a vast strain on the NHS and welfare and schools because too many people are coming into the country and we can't cope. 'I keep reading about how much money we are paying the French to stop asylum seekers crossing the Channel but the boats are still coming. 'Somebody has to address the problem. I don't want to see or read about another riot like we had in Southport but the Government must get a grip.' Businesswoman Kimberley Parker, 37, runs pet groomers Glad Wags just down from the mosque. Liberal in her views, she blamed the riot on 'bigotry and ignorance' and was particularly upset that the rioters targeted a hard-working Asian family who run a local shop doors away from her own. 'The thugs who raided their shop went for the alcohol and cigarettes and got away with more than £10,000,' she says. 'I was just very disappointed in my fellow human beings. The only good thing is that the riot brought his all closer together in Southport, especially around here. 'That was the one big positive to come out of it all. 'But the hard truth is that people will read and accept lies as the truth and I suppose that is because they want to. 'And we have to accept that people are now angry for all sorts of reasons and one of them I think is because they don't see the Government as very strong. It bends too easily. 'On the one hand we are getting misinformation from social media about the dangers of illegal immigration and on the other we are not getting enough information from the Government over how many immigrants are arriving here and what they intend to do about it. 'I don't think Starmer is being proactive enough. 'We need to sort out what is going on. For example, a lot of the people coming across on boats are losing their passports so they cannot be deported because no-one knows where they came from. 'That should be sorted immediately. If you don't have a passport you should be unable to claim asylum and that should be the hard and fast rule. 'The Government need to work with us to calm our fears. Of course people here are frightened of those from different cultures with backgrounds they don't know about. 'Starmer has to understand that and he has got to have a policy that we understand. 'I do hold liberal views but I do realise you cannot have uncontrolled immigration without it having a knock on effect on every part of out lives. 'I do fear there could be further riots in the country but I hope that there isn't. 'I think that since the riot last year we have become closer in Southport but I think what is going on in the rest of the country is a shambles. 'It appears to me that the Government is spending all its time papering over the cracks instead of facing up to problems and doing something about them.' Roofer Craig Johnson, 37, witnessed the riot at first hand with most of it happening outside his front door. 'I was speechless at first,' he says. 'It was horrific to watch. 'The rioters were pulling down the garden walls and using the bricks to throw at the mosque and at police. 'I was one of those who came out the next day and help re-build the walls around here. 'But I don't think the Government is doing enough to stop another riot happening somewhere else. They are not facing up to the immigration problem. 'If you ask me, the sooner Farage gets in the better. 'What do I think Starmer should do? I think the best thing he could do is resign.' Meanwhile, in Tamworth a year ago a rioting mob descended on the old historic town where they tried to set fire to a Holiday Inn which was housing migrants. Hundreds of people gathered as a group of masked thugs threw a burning bush inside the side entrance, while onlookers filmed, cheered and clinked their beer bottles Adam Goodfellow, 39, a surveyor who stood in Tamworth at last year's General Election for the Workers Party, said: 'I came down here when I heard there was a protest being planned, just to say that these people don't speak for all of Tamworth. 'There were a gang of people shouting at the police and it had been going for a good hour when they started throwing fireworks and it got scary. 'Personally I believe uncontrolled immigration is damaging to working peoples' interests. I also believe that when things aren't going so well, people look for scapegoats and there is a lot of hearsay on social media. 'If there is lawlessness then you need more police whoever is committing the crime. 'A year on and nothing has changed under Labour, people are still massively concerned which is why Reform won every seat at the recent elections. 'The only change at the hotel seems to be permanent security guards on reception which shows there is still a high level of threat and concern.' Claire Mitchell, 51, a Tamworth local and a regular gym-goer, said: 'What happened a year ago was horrific to see. I was ashamed and surprised. I did not think Tamworth was that sort of place. 'I don't believe everything I read on social media. There are people with agendas seeking to sew division. 'I have seen people from the hotel sitting around the lake and passing the time of day like anyone else might. It is not something I get concerned about. 'Fake news is a terrible thing and the riots we saw last year were prompted by that. 'Tamworth is a great place. I was brought up here and it has so much more to offer than the terrible behaviour of a minority. I find it sad that its reputation has been tarnished in this way. 'A year on, I do not think it matters which political party is in power. 'For me, anyone who risks their life getting on a dinghy to cross the sea has got something to run from. 'There will always be some who take advantage of a humanitarian situation but we must not let that blind us.' Retired IT guy and gym-goer Alex Freeman, 72, said: 'Whatever your opinion of the immigration situation, there is no excuse for threatening people's welfare and damaging property and that's what happened last year. 'I don't mind peaceful protest but that was threatening harm to other human beings and that is just wrong. 'I am anti the boats, I think immigration should be controlled and if you do something illegal then you shouldn't end up being given free stuff in a hotel. 'It's difficult. These are obviously desperate people but this country is not so big. 'It annoys me when I see homeless people in this country and then I think these people in the hotels have travelled across multiple countries to get to the UK. 'Why are they doing this? I know France and Germany take a lot in but I don't think they are treated as nicely as we treat them. 'We have limited resources – we have a broken NHS, potholes everywhere and we're constantly being told there is not enough money, so of course people are going to be angry. 'This is a terrible situation. 'I don't have any reason to think the people in the hotel are any different or worse than anyone else. 'I see them doing things we all do – going to the lake, looking at the ducks. If some do naughty stuff then that is rare just as it is rare when one of us commits a crime. 'And I know they are a tiny fraction of overall immigration. They get a lot of attention but they are not the ones breaking our system.' A 36-year-old mother of three, and regular gym goer, said: 'I do feel a little bit unsafe in the dark evenings. I park a bit closer to the entrance because the hotel is full of males and they hang around with nothing to do and it does make you feel on edge. 'I did not agree with the protests. Violence is never the answer but people don't feel listened to so it is difficult. 'Yes, you feel unsafe but I also feel a bit sorry for them. Where are they meant to go? 'I saw more police around now than I did before last year's trouble but I don't know whether that is to keep everyone safe or because something has happened. 'There is a lot of hearsay, a lot of rumours. I hear about women being cat-called but I have never have anything like that happen to me personally so it is a difficult one to judge.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Class warfare is back under this spiteful government – and we will ALL end up paying a ruinous price: LEO MCKINSTRY
The current government is increasingly running not on a desire to improve the country, or out of any kind of political mission - but on sheer spite. Having failed to achieve the elusive economic 'growth' he and his inept Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised before the election, Sir Keir Starmer is now trying to revive his fortunes by stoking class envy.
