THE Cornish have been celebrating after being officially classed as a national minority. A government announcement last week saw the Cornish join the Scots, Welsh and Irish as official members of the UK's Celtic minorities — a move that was welcomed by many after many years of campaigning for the recognition. Cornwall Councillor for Callington Andrew Long said: 'It is excellent news that Central Government has finally accepted something that the European Union has known for years and the Cornish have known for centuries. Although the timing of this announcement, just a month before the elections, could be considered by some as more electioneering than real policy, we still must be pleased that this decision has been made. 'This will not bring new money to Cornwall in the first instance, but it will protect the language and culture and put it on a more formal footing to allow it to grow.'