Mebyon Kernow facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Sons of Cornwall Mebyon Kernow

Abbreviation	MK
Leader	Dick Cole
Founder	Helena Sanders
Founded	6 January 1951
Headquarters	Lanhainsworth Fraddon Hill Fraddon St Columb Cornwall TR9 6PQ
Youth wing	Kernow Rydh
Ideology	Cornish nationalism Separatism Regionalism Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	European Free Alliance
Colours	Old gold
Cornwall Council	3 / 87
House of Commons (Cornwall seats)	0 / 6
Camborne Town Council	7 / 18
Website
www.mebyonkernow.org

Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall (which means Sons of Cornwall in the Cornish language) is a political party in Cornwall, a region in southwestern Britain. It focuses on Cornish nationalism, meaning it supports the idea that Cornwall is a unique place with its own identity. The party is considered to be on the centre-left of politics.

Currently, Mebyon Kernow (often called MK) has three elected councillors on the Cornwall Council. They also have several councillors serving in town and parish councils across Cornwall.

MK started as a group that wanted to influence decisions in 1951. This was after Cornish identity became stronger in the early 1900s. Helena Charles was the first leader. Famous writer Daphne du Maurier was also an early member.

In the 1970s, MK became a full political party. Since then, they have put forward candidates in elections for the UK Parliament and local government in Cornwall. The party faced some challenges in the 1980s but became strong again in the 1990s.

Mebyon Kernow believes Cornwall has a special identity, including its own language and culture. They want Cornwall to have more control over its own affairs, like a Cornish Assembly. They also support public services like education and healthcare. The party cares about protecting the environment and wanted the UK to stay in the European Union.

MK is part of the European Free Alliance, a group of political parties from different parts of Europe. They also have strong connections with parties like Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Scottish National Party.

History of Mebyon Kernow

How the Party Started (1950s)

Before Mebyon Kernow was formed, people in Cornwall felt a stronger sense of their Cornish identity. This was helped by efforts to bring back the Cornish language. In the past, politics in Cornwall was mostly controlled by the Liberal and Conservative parties.

Mebyon Kernow began as a group that aimed to influence decisions on January 6, 1951. Thirteen people attended the first meeting in Redruth. Helena Charles was chosen as the first leader.

The group had several goals:

To look into local problems and try to fix them.
To support the Cornish language and its literature.
To encourage the study of Cornish history from a Cornish point of view.
To help people understand that Cornwall is one of the six Celtic nations.
To share their ideas through articles and letters.
To organize events that celebrate Cornish-Celtic culture.
To work with other groups that wanted to protect Cornwall's character.

By September 1951, MK decided they wanted Cornwall to have its own government for local matters.

In its early years, MK focused on cultural activities. They also spoke out against people moving into Cornwall from other parts of the UK. In 1953, Helena Charles won a seat on a local council, but she lost it in 1955. Charles later resigned as chairman in 1956. Major Cecil Beer took over and helped the party grow steadily.

Daphne du Maurier, a famous novelist, was an early member of MK.

Daphne du Maurier, a well-known supporter of Mebyon Kernow.

Growing Stronger (1960s–1970s)

In the 1950s and 1960s, MK was more of a small group than a full political party. People could even be members of MK and other political parties at the same time. By 1962, the party had seventy members.

MK became more popular in the 1960s. They campaigned against new housing developments in Cornwall that were meant for people moving from London. Some people called the party "racialist" for this, but MK denied it. They suggested investing more in local industries and creating a Cornish University.

By 1965, MK had 700 members, growing to 1,000 by early 1968. In April 1967, Colin Murley was elected to the Cornwall County Council for MK. He campaigned against the new housing plans. The party became the main group supporting Cornish nationalism.

In 1968, the party started its own magazine called Cornish Nation. Later that year, Leonard Truran became the new chairman.

By the 1970s, MK became a more organized political party. In 1967, members voted to run candidates in elections for the UK Parliament. This meant that people who were members of other parties started to leave MK.

MK ran candidates in the 1970, 1974, 1979, and 1983 general elections. They also ran in the 1979 European Parliament election, getting 5.9% of the votes in the Cornwall & West Plymouth area.

After the death of Robert Dunstone in 1973, E.G. Retallack Hooper became the party's Honorary President. He was a founding member of MK and a writer in the Cornish language.

The party faced some disagreements in the 1970s. Some members wanted full independence for Cornwall. These disagreements led to some members leaving to form another group called the Cornish Nationalist Party in 1975.

During the 1970s, MK held protests to support Cornwall's fishing industry and against job losses and nuclear waste. After the split in 1975, many new, younger members joined the party.

Challenges in the 1980s

The party struggled in the 1980s and was almost gone by 1990. More disagreements led to some members resigning in 1980. This included Leonard Truran, who had been the party secretary.

The party's focus shifted, which confused voters. Its magazines, like Cornish Nation, also declined. Between 1983 and 1989, the party had several different leaders.

MK did not run candidates in the 1987 general election. During this time, the party focused on stopping the creation of a large "South West England" region. They also campaigned against building a nuclear power station in Luxulyan. This led to the formation of the Cornish Anti-Nuclear Alliance, which held large protests.

MK also strongly opposed plans to build 40,000 new homes in Cornwall. They formed a group called Cornish Alternatives to the Structure Plan in 1987. Even with these campaigns, public support for the party was lower than before.

In 1988, MK started the Campaign for a Cornish Constituency. This campaign wanted Cornwall to have its own special area for European Parliament elections. It gained support from local councils and MPs and received national attention.

New Beginnings (1990s)

In 1989, the leader of MK resigned. The party was close to breaking up, but in April 1990, members decided to keep it going. Loveday Jenkin, the daughter of former leader Richard Jenkin, was elected as the new leader. Leonard Truran, who had left the party, rejoined and helped to re-energize it.

MK did not run in the 1992 general election. Instead, they focused on getting a Cornish European Parliament area and a single council for Cornwall. They also wanted Cornwall to be recognized as a European region.

In 1996, MK published 'Cornwall 2000 – The Way Ahead', their most detailed plan yet. They campaigned hard in the 1997 general election but received only a small number of votes.

MK activists were very involved in the 500th anniversary of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. This included a march that followed the path of the rebels. After the march, participants asked for a Cornish Development Agency, a Cornish European Parliament seat, a university campus in Cornwall, and a Cornish curriculum for schools.

On October 4, 1997, Dick Cole became the new leader of MK. One of his first actions was to start the Cornish Millennium Convention in 1998. This happened at the same time as protests against the closure of South Crofty, Cornwall's last tin mine.

In 1999, over 95% of members voted to change the party's name to Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall. This was to move away from the old name "Sons of Cornwall." MK ran 25 candidates in the 1999 local elections, which was their highest number ever.

Campaign for a Cornish Assembly

On March 5, 2000, MK started a petition for a Cornish Assembly. This was a plan for Cornwall to have its own government. The petition said that Cornwall is a special region with its own culture and history. It stated that a Cornish assembly would be best for the people of Cornwall.

Three months later, the Cornish Constitutional Convention was held to work towards this assembly. Within 15 months, MK's petition gathered over 50,000 signatures. This was more than 10% of all voters in Cornwall. A group, including Dick Cole and MP Andrew George, presented the petition to the Prime Minister's office in London on December 12, 2001.

Early 21st Century (2001–2009)

Before the 2004 European Parliament election, MK worked with the Green Party of England and Wales. MK agreed not to run its own candidates in the European election. In return, the Green Party supported MK candidates in the 2005 general election. This partnership was not continued for the 2009 European Parliament election.

In August 2008, MK supported a legal challenge. This challenge was about the UK government not including the Cornish in a special agreement for protecting national minorities. However, the group trying to raise money for this legal action did not reach its goal, and the plan was stopped.

Unitary Authority (2009–Present)

In 2009, the old Cornwall County Council was replaced by a new single council called Cornwall Council. In the first election for this new council, three MK candidates were elected: Andrew Long, Stuart Cullimore, and Dick Cole.

In August 2010, another councillor joined the MK group. In November 2011, former party leader Loveday Jenkin was elected in a special election. By September 2012, MK had six councillors on Cornwall Council.

Mebyon Kernow ran candidates in every seat in Cornwall in the 2010 general election.

In 2011, the party gained attention because of the "Devonwall" issue. This was a plan to create a parliamentary area that would be partly in Cornwall and partly in Devon. MK strongly opposed this idea. They said the government was disrespecting Cornwall. The plan was later stopped, which MK welcomed.

In the 2013 Cornwall Council election, the party won three seats. They held these seats in the 2017 Cornwall Council election.

MK decided not to run candidates in the 2014 European elections. They felt the system made it hard for them to win seats. They did run in all six Cornish areas in the 2015 general election.

Before the 2016 referendum on the European Union, MK supported the UK staying in the EU. Cornwall voted to leave the EU. After the vote, MK said they would continue to campaign for a Cornish Assembly.

MK did not run candidates in the 2017 general election due to lack of money and resources. They also did not run in the 2019 European Parliament election. However, their leaders supported the Green Party because of their shared goals.

In June 2018, Mebyon Kernow released an updated plan called "Towards a National Assembly of Cornwall."

Mebyon Kernow did not run any candidates in the 2024 general election. After the election, the party asked Cornwall's new MPs to work together to get more power for Cornwall.

What Mebyon Kernow Believes In

MK supports Cornish nationalism. They see Cornwall as a separate nation, not just a county of England. They highlight Cornwall's unique Celtic culture and language. They also point to the River Tamar as a natural border that has been there for a very long time. The party's leaders see themselves as Cornish first, then British.

They want a "fully devolved, democratically elected" Cornish National Assembly. This would be created by a special law in Parliament. They also want a Cornish Civil Service. MK believes this would give Cornwall more control over things like health services, creating a "Cornish NHS."

On money matters, MK is on the left-of-centre. They are against "austerity politics," which means cutting public spending. They want to fight poverty and ensure everyone has free and equal access to education, health, and welfare. They also want to stop tax avoidance. They are against selling off public services like the NHS and want to bring railways and utilities back under public control. MK often points out that Cornwall has lower wages and higher unemployment than the rest of the UK.

The party cares about the environment. They want strong environmental rules and a "Green New Deal for Cornwall." This plan aims to create jobs in environmental industries. They support reducing waste and building fewer second homes in Cornwall. They also want to stop the Trident nuclear weapons program.

MK wants to change how elections work in the UK to make them fairer. They also want to get rid of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament.

MK supported the UK staying in the European Union.

Cornwall is part of the South West England region for some government purposes. MK believes this region is too big and not natural. They want to break it up and have a Cornish Regional Development Agency instead.

The party supports making Saint Piran's Day, Cornwall's patron saint day on March 5, a public holiday. They also want to create a Cornish University.

Mebyon Kernow is a member of the European Free Alliance. They have close ties with Plaid Cymru in Wales.

How the Party is Organized

MK is managed by a 20-member National Executive. This group includes the party leaders, people who speak for the party on different topics, and local party representatives. Dick Cole is the current leader. The party has a youth group for members under 30 called Kernow X.

Party Leaders

Leader		Years
1	Helena Charles	1951–1957
2	Cecil Beer	1957–1960
3	Robert Dunstone	1960–1968
4	Leonard Truran	1968–1973
5	Richard Jenkin	1973–1983
6	Julyan Drew	1983–1985
7	Pedyr Prior	1985–1986
8	Loveday Carlyon	1985–1989
9	Loveday Jenkin	1990–1997
9	Dick Cole	1997–present

Honorary Presidents

Honorary presidents	Years
Robert Dunstone	1968–1973
E. G. Retallack Hooper	1973–1998
Richard Jenkin	1998–2002
Ann Trevenen Jenkin	2011–2024

Election Results

Mebyon Kernow has never won a seat in the UK Parliament or the European Parliament.

Cornwall Council Elections

MK has had representatives on Cornwall Council since it started in 2009.

Year	Candidates	Votes	Share of votes	Seats
2005	18	9,421	3.7%	0 / 82
2009	33	7,290	4.3%	3 / 123
2013	26	6,824	4.8%	4 / 123
2017	19	5,344	4.0%	4 / 123
2021	19	8,897	5.0%	5 / 87
2025	18	6,524	4.0%	3 / 87

2009 Election

In April 2009, MK leader Dick Cole left his job to become the full-time leader of Mebyon Kernow. He also ran for election to the new Cornwall Council.

On May 12, 2009, Dick Cole announced that 33 candidates would run for the party in the Cornwall Council elections on June 4, 2009. This was the most candidates the party had ever put forward for a council election.

Mebyon Kernow won three seats out of 123. Andrew Long was elected in Callington, Stuart Cullimore in Camborne South, and Dick Cole in St Enoder.

2021 Election

In the 2021 election, Mebyon Kernow had 19 candidates. They gained one seat, even though the total number of seats on the council was reduced. They received 5% of the votes overall.

Town and Parish Councils

Mebyon Kernow also has members on many town and parish councils across Cornwall. In 2022, Zoe Fox, an MK councillor, became the Mayor of Camborne. In 2024, they had 24 parish councillors, which was their highest number ever.

UK General Elections

Year	Candidates	Votes	Share of votes	Seats
1983	2	1,151	1.2%	0 / 5
1987	Did not stand			0 / 5
1992	Did not stand			0 / 5
1997	4	1,906	0.8%	0 / 5
2001	3	3,199	1.3%	0 / 5
2005	4	3,552	1.7%	0 / 5
2010	6	5,379	1.9%	0 / 6
2015	6	5,675	1.9%	0 / 6
2017	Did not stand			0 / 6
2019	1	1,660	0.50%	0 / 6
2024	Did not stand			0 / 6

In the 2010 general election, Mebyon Kernow ran candidates in all six areas of Cornwall. Their best result was in St Austell & Newquay, where they came fourth. They received 1.9% of the total votes.

European Parliament Elections

In the first elections to the European Parliament in 1979, Mebyon Kernow's candidate Richard Jenkin received more than five percent of the votes in the Cornwall area.

Year	Candidate	Votes	Share of votes	Position
1979	Richard Jenkin	10,205	5.9%	4th
1984	Did not contest
1989	Colin Lawry	4,224	1.9%	6th
1994	Loveday Jenkin	3,315	1.5%	7th

In 2009, Mebyon Kernow received 14,922 votes in the European elections. This put them ahead of the Labour Party in Cornwall.

Since 2009, MK has not run candidates in European Parliament elections. This is because it is difficult to win a seat in a large area that includes voters outside Cornwall.