Mebyon Kernow

Not to be confused with Cornish Nationalist Party.

Sons of Cornwall
Mebyon Kernow
AbbreviationMK
LeaderDick Cole
FounderHelena Sanders
Founded6 January 1951
HeadquartersLanhainsworth
Fraddon Hill
Fraddon
St Columb
Cornwall
TR9 6PQ
Youth wingKernow X
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left
European affiliationEuropean Free Alliance
Colours   
Old gold, black and white
Cornwall Council[2][3]
5 / 87
House of Commons (Cornwall seats)
0 / 6
Camborne Town Council[4]
7 / 18
Website
www.mebyonkernow.org

Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall ([mɛbjɔn kərnou], MK; Cornish for Sons of Cornwall)[5] is a Cornish nationalist, centre-left political party in Cornwall, in southwestern Britain. It currently has five elected councillors on Cornwall Council,[6] and several town and parish councillors across Cornwall.[7][8]

Influenced by the growth of Cornish nationalism in the first half of the twentieth century, Mebyon Kernow formed as a pressure group in 1951. Helena Charles was its first chair, while the novelist Daphne du Maurier was another early member. In 1953 Charles won a seat on a local council, but lost it in 1955. Support for MK grew in the 1960s in opposition to growing migration into Cornwall from parts of England. In the 1970s, MK became a fully-fledged political party, and since then it has fielded candidates in elections to the House of Commons and the European Parliament, as well as local government in Cornwall. Infighting during the 1980s decimated the party but it revived in the 1990s.

Ideologically positioned on the centre-left of British politics, the central tenet of Mebyon Kernow's platform is Cornish nationalism. It emphasises a distinct Cornish identity, including the Cornish language and elements of Cornish culture. It campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly. Economically, it is social democratic, calling for continued public ownership of education and healthcare and the renationalisation of railways. It also calls for greater environmental protection and continued UK membership of the European Union.

The party is a member of the European Free Alliance and has close links with Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party and the Breton Democratic Union.[9][10] Several former Cornish MPs have been supporters of MK, including Andrew George (Liberal Democrat), Peter Bessell (Liberal Party), John Pardoe (Liberal Party), David Mudd (Conservative), and David Penhaligon (Liberal Party).[11] George was himself a member of MK in his youth.[12]

  1. ^ Frans Schrijver (2006). Regionalism After Regionalisation: Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 261–290. ISBN 978-90-5629-428-1.
  2. ^ Cornwall council (7 May 2021). "Political breakdown of the Council - Cornwall Council". Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  3. ^ Nicholas Whyte (10 May 2005). "The 2005 Local Government Elections in Northern Ireland". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Councillors". Camborne Town Council. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  5. ^ Dunkerley, Chris (3 December 2010). "Mebyon Kernow – 60 Years on – and still looking good!". Cornwall24.net. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  6. ^ Cornwall. "Cornwall Councillors". www.mebyonkernow.org. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  7. ^ "City, Town and Parish Councillors – Our Team". Mebyon Kernow. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Our Team". Mebyon Kernow. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Mebyon Kernow history Archived 18 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Mebyonkernow.org.
  12. ^ Watts, Andrew (3 June 2017). "Duchy original: Cornish national consciousness gets stronger by the year". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.