February 2026

The influence of money on our politics

26 April 2026 – Posted by News
Comment from Cllr Dick Cole – Leader of Mebyon Kernow

The scandal of disgraced peer Peter Mandelson’s alleged misconduct in public office and his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein have highlighted, once again, how the super-rich can wield political influence through their wealth. One campaigning organisation, Transparency International UK has described Mandelson’s fall as the “most dramatic illustration yet of a political culture that has become dangerously comfortable in the orbit of the mega-rich.” Transparency International UK has stated that, in the 2024 General Election, political parties spent a record £92 million and…

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A tribute to Chris Dunkerley

12 February 2026 – Posted by News, Press Release

Everyone at Mebyon Kernow is extremely saddened to learn that prominent Cornish-Australian Chris Dunkerley has passed away. Chris was active in the Cornish Association of South Australia and the Cornish Association of New South Wales, as well as the Celtic Council of Australia. He also learnt the Cornish language and was barded by proxy at Poldhu in 1988, and took the bardic name Kevrenor “builder of links.” In Australia, he worked in the public sector and was a Liberal activist with…

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Cornish and the new BBC Royal Charter

12 February 2026 – Posted by News, Press Release
Comment from Cllr Dick Cole – Leader of Mebyon Kernow

The Cornish Language has been all over the news again, thanks to Tesco putting up Welsh language signage in their Helston store! It must be acknowledged that there are many similarities between Cornwall and Wales with our shared Celtic heritage, but I have no idea as to how the error could have happened. That said, it has provided another wonderful opportunity to publicise Cornish following the fantastic news that the UK Government had agreed that protection for the language to be…

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MK demands Cornish tick-box on 2031 Census

12 February 2026 – Posted by News, Press Release

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has responded to an ONS (Office for National Statistics) consultation relating to the 2031 Census, in which we have demanded a Cornish nationality tick-box. The representation was as follows: The Cornish and the 2031 Census National minority status On 24th April 2014, the Cornish were recognised as a national minority by the UK Government through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCPNM). The Framework Convention is a significant…

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Cornwall needs a Cornish Police Force

12 February 2026 – Posted by News, Opinion
Comment from Cllr Dick Cole – Leader of Mebyon Kernow

On Monday 26th January, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood launched Labour’s latest plan for policing, which was set out in a document titled “From Local to National.” The UK Government is planning, in its own words, to “radically reform the structure of policing” by “significantly reducing the number of police forces,” and it is about to set up a “review of police force structures.” They have stated that this will examine their “optimal configuration … and the best approach to implementation”…

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