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The banner, seen in a picture posted by EU Council spokesman Berend Leyts, read “Cornwall for Europe #stilleuropean” and was displayed on a farm building’s wall by anti-Brexit group Cornwall for Europe.
Posting an aerial picture of the banner, Barend Leyts tweeted: “Thanks for a very warm welcome.”
But the tweet sparked the fury of Brexiteers who were prompt to remind the Council official that a majority of Cornwall voters chose to leave the EU in 2016.
Others pointed out that despite Brexit, Cornwall, and the rest of the UK, is indeed still “European” as that prescinds from being a member of the EU.
One person said: “We are indeed still European. As are the Swiss.”
And another: “Yep we are in Europe and are still European. Not unless we have moved geographically and no one told me.”
Someone else joked: “Yes, Cornwall is still in Europe and European.
“They catch on fast there, I see.”
Another Twitter user blasted: “Presumably aimed at uninformed people who thought Brexit meant leaving Europe. Not the EU.”
Another one added: “Imagine being the sort of person who thinks because we opted to leave political control (good) we drifted away from geographical Europe into the Atlantic. We are always neighbours. (Also good).”
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The row came at the end of the G7 Summit in Cornwall.
Brexit remained the most discussed topic at the Summit particularly after French President Emmanuel Macron was reported to suggest that Northern Ireland is not part of the UK.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused the French President and other senior EU figures of talking about Northern Ireland “as if it was some kind of different country to the UK”.
He described such attitudes as “offensive” and called on the EU to show “respect” as such comments caused deep concern within Northern Ireland.
At his closing news conference, Mr Macron strongly denied that he had ever questioned British sovereignty but insisted the UK must honour the commitments which Mr Johnson signed up to in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
“On this topic, everyone should return to reason, and my wish is we succeed, collectively, to put in motion what we all decided upon together several months ago,” he said.
“We should do it in all calm and with mutual respect, and I think that polemics every morning are not helpful.”
The continuing row over the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the agreement – intended to protect the peace process by ensuring there is no return to a hard border with the Republic – overshadowed much of the summit.
Mr Johnson repeated his warning that he could unilaterally delay the latest checks on chilled meats moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland – due to come into force at the end of the month – unless there was a resolution to the dispute.
The EU has previous said that its patience is wearing “very, very thin” and had threatened to launch a trade war unless the UK abides by its treaty obligations.
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