Mebyon Kernow facts for kids

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 X
Ideology	Regionalism Cornish nationalism Civic nationalism Social democracy Environmentalism Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	European Free Alliance
Colours	Old gold, black and white
Cornwall Council	5 / 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, in southwestern Britain. It is often called MK for short. The party believes Cornwall is a special place with its own unique identity. It works to protect and promote Cornish culture and interests.

MK started as a group in 1951. It became a full political party later on. Its main goal is to get more power for Cornwall to make its own decisions. This idea is called devolution. The party has elected members on Cornwall Council and in many towns and parishes across Cornwall.

History of Mebyon Kernow

How the Party Started (1950s)

Before MK was founded, many people in Cornwall felt a stronger sense of their Cornish identity. This was partly because the Cornish language was being brought back to life. In the past, Cornwall's politics were mostly run by the Liberal and Conservative parties.

Mebyon Kernow began as a "pressure group" on January 6, 1951. A pressure group tries to influence decisions without being a political party. Thirteen people attended the first meeting in Redruth. Helena Charles was chosen as the first leader.

MK had several goals. These included:

• Helping the Cornish language and literature.
• Encouraging the study of Cornish history.
• Promoting the idea that Cornwall is a Celtic nation.
• Working with other groups to keep Cornwall's unique character.

By September 1951, MK decided it wanted Cornwall to have "self-government" for its local matters. This meant Cornwall would have more control over its own affairs within the United Kingdom.

In its early years, MK focused on cultural activities. They made Cornish calendars and campaigned against too many people moving into Cornwall from other parts of the UK. In 1953, Helena Charles won a seat on a local council. She was the first MK member to be elected.

Daphne du Maurier, a famous writer, was an early supporter of Mebyon Kernow.

Growing Stronger (1960s–1970s)

For a long time, MK was more of a small group than a full political party. In the 1960s, MK became more popular. They campaigned against large housing developments in Cornwall that were meant for people moving from London. This campaign helped the party grow.

In April 1967, Colin Murley was elected to Cornwall County Council for MK. This was an important step. By the 1970s, MK decided to become a proper political party and started to run candidates in national elections.

MK candidates ran in elections for the House of Commons and the European Parliament. They wanted to give Cornish people a voice in these bigger political bodies.

Challenges and Revival (1980s–1990s)

The 1980s were a tough time for Mebyon Kernow. The party faced some internal disagreements and lost members. However, they continued to campaign on important local issues. They spoke out against building a nuclear power station in Luxulyan. They also strongly opposed plans to build many new homes in Cornwall.

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 a lot of support across Cornwall.

In 1990, the party was close to giving up, but members decided to keep going. Loveday Jenkin, whose father was a former leader, became the new leader. The party started to focus on getting a "unitary authority" for Cornwall. This would mean one main council for the whole area. They also wanted Cornwall to be recognized as a European region.

In 1997, Dick Cole became the leader of MK. He is still the leader today. In 1999, the party officially changed its name to Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall. This helped to make it clear that the party was for all people in Cornwall, not just those with old Cornish family roots.

Campaign for a Cornish Assembly

In 2000, MK launched a big campaign for a Cornish Assembly. This would be like a local parliament for Cornwall, allowing it to make more of its own laws. They collected over 50,000 signatures on a petition, which was more than 10% of all voters in Cornwall. This petition was presented to the Prime Minister in London.

Mebyon Kernow's petition for a Cornish Assembly.

Recent Years (2001–Present)

In 2009, the old Cornwall County Council was replaced by a new, single council called Cornwall Council. This new council is a "unitary authority." In the first election for this new council, three MK candidates were elected. More councillors joined the MK group later on.

Mebyon Kernow has continued to campaign for Cornwall's interests. A big issue was the "Devonwall" proposal in 2011. This plan would have created a parliamentary area that included parts of both Cornwall and Devon. MK strongly opposed this, saying it would break Cornwall's special identity. The plan was eventually stopped.

The party has continued to run candidates in local and national elections. They often work with other parties that share similar goals, like the Green Party. MK also supported the UK staying in the European Union before the 2016 referendum.

What Mebyon Kernow Believes In

MK is a party that supports Cornish nationalism. This means they see Cornwall as a distinct nation, not just a county of England. They believe Cornwall has a unique Celtic culture and its own Cornish language. They point to the River Tamar as Cornwall's historic border, which has been mostly unchanged since 936 AD.

The party's leaders feel they are both Cornish and British, but Cornish first. They want a special curriculum for Cornish schools and more investment in the Cornish language.

A Cornish Assembly

A main goal for MK is to create a "fully devolved, democratically elected" Cornish Assembly. This would be a local parliament for Cornwall. It would be set up by a special law from the UK Parliament. This Assembly would have powers over things like health services, creating a "Cornish NHS."

Economy and Environment

MK is a "centre-left" party when it comes to money and jobs. They are against "austerity politics," which means cutting public spending. They want free and equal access to education, health, and welfare services. They also want to tackle tax avoidance. MK opposes the selling off of public services like the NHS and wants to bring railways and utilities back under public control. They often highlight that Cornwall has lower wages and higher unemployment than other parts of the UK.

The party cares a lot about the environment. They want strong rules to protect nature and a "Green New Deal for Cornwall." This plan aims to create jobs in green industries. They also want to limit the building of second homes in Cornwall.

Other Policies

MK supports changing how UK elections work to make them fairer. They would also get rid of the House of Lords, which is the second chamber of the UK Parliament.

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

Mebyon Kernow is part of the European Free Alliance. This is a group of political parties from different parts of Europe that want more self-government for their regions. MK also has strong connections with Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Scottish National Party in Scotland.

How Mebyon Kernow is Organized

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

Party Leaders Over Time

• Helena Charles (1951–1957)
• Cecil Beer (1957–1960)
• Robert Dunstone (1960–1968)
• Leonard Truran (1968–1973)
• Richard Jenkin (1973–1983)
• Julyan Drew (1983–1985)
• Pedyr Prior (1985–1986)
• Loveday Carlyon (1986–1989)
• Loveday Jenkin (1990–1997)
• Dick Cole (1997–present)

Election Results

Mebyon Kernow has never won a seat in the UK Parliament (House of Commons) or the European Parliament. However, they have had success in local elections in Cornwall.

Cornwall Council Elections

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

In the 2009 Cornwall Council elections, MK ran 33 candidates, which was their largest number ever. They won three seats. In the 2021 election, they gained a seat, even though the total number of seats on the council was reduced.

Town and Parish Councils

Mebyon Kernow also has many members on town and parish councils across Cornwall. In 2022, a Mebyon Kernow councillor, Zoe Fox, became the Mayor of Camborne. By 2024, they had 24 councillors in these local councils, which is their highest number yet.

UK General Elections

MK has run candidates in UK general elections, but has not won any seats.

In the 2010 general election, MK ran candidates in all six areas of Cornwall. They got 1.9% of the votes overall.

European Parliament Elections

MK has also run candidates in elections for the European Parliament.

In the 1979 European Parliament election, MK's candidate got more than 5% of the votes in Cornwall. In the 2009 European elections, MK got 14,922 votes. 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's hard to win a seat in such a large area that includes places outside Cornwall.

See also

In Spanish: Mebyon Kernow para niños

• Cornish nationalism
• List of topics related to Cornwall
• Cornish Nationalist Party, an early splinter of MK (1975), often confused with it.
• Plaid Cymru
• Scottish National Party
• Unvaniezh Demokratel Breizh