History
The origins of MK
Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall was founded on Saturday 6th January 1951 at the Oates Temperance Hotel in Redruth.
There were thirteen people present at the meeting and a further six sent apologies. Helena Charles was elected the first Chairman (1951-1956). The second Chairman was Major Cecil Beer (1957-1960).
The new organisation had an extremely strong focus on Cornish identity and culture, but it was also openly political. By September 1951, the Party had officially committed itself to further Cornwall’s “right to self-government in domestic affairs in a federated United Kingdom”.
1960s
In the 1960s, under the leadership of Robert Dunstone (1960-1968), Mebyon Kernow pushed many initiatives.
These included campaigns for a Cornish Assembly, a Cornish University, a Cornish Industrial Board or Development Agency; support for traditional Cornish industries; as well as opposition to railway closures and opposition to the amalgamation of the Cornwall and Devonshire police forces.
In its early days, the organisation operated as a pressure group and members of other political parties could also be members of MK.
But in 1965 Mebyon Kernow put forward official local election candidates for the first time and, in 1967, Colin Murley won MK’s first seat on Cornwall County Council at St Day and Lanner.
1970s
In the 1970s, Mebyon Kernow under the leadership of Len Truran (1968–1973) and Richard Jenkin (1973–1983) became a fully-fledged political party, with members of other political groupings no longer able to hold dual membership.
It was also in the early 1970s that MK led a series of campaigns to protect the territorial integrity of Cornwall, which included opposing the creation of a Tamarside authority in 1970-1971 and the South West Economic Planning Council economic region.
MK also presented important evidence to the Crowther (later Kilbrandon) Commission on devolution, demanding Cornish self-government. Later in the decade, in 1978 and 1979, MK held its own rallies at Penzance and Falmouth in support of the Cornish fishing industry.
MK also fought parliamentary seats for the first time and, in 1979, Richard Jenkin secured over 10,000 votes in an election to the European Parliament.
1980s
In this decade, under the chairmanship of Julyan Drew (1983-1985), Pedyr Prior (1985-1986) and Loveday Carlyon (1986-1989), many MK activists channelled their enthusiasms into a range of single issue campaigns and pressure groups.
They organised protest rallies and demonstrations about the rise in employment, were instrumental in the formation of the Cornwall Anti-Nuclear Alliance which campaigned against the proposed nuclear power station at Luxulyan, and took a leading role in the fight against the poll tax.
MK fought less elections as the 1980s progressed. But MK’s most successful local election candidate, Colin Lawry (Newlyn), was elected to Penwith District Council in 1982 and Cornwall County Council in 1985 – serving until 2002.
1990s
As the 1990s progressed, under the chairmanship of Loveday Jenkin (1990-1997), MK put forward four candidates for the 1997 General Election (John Bolitho, Ruth Lewarne, Paul Dunbar and Davyth Hicks).
MK also fought an increased number of local elections with some successes. Councillors elected onto district councils included John Bolitho (Bude), Tom Tremewan (Perranporth), Loveday Jenkin (Crowan) and Dick Cole (St Enoder).
MK’s longest-serving leader Dick Cole was elected to the role in 1997.
2000s
In the first decade of the 21st century, MK fought more elections than ever before.
As well as General Elections in 2001 and 2005, a number of new councillors were elected onto district councils. These included Phil Rendle (Penzance), Helene Cullimore (Camborne), Audrey Metcalfe (Illogan South), Jane Acton (Porthleven), John Chapman (Bodmin), Stuart Cullimore (Camborne), Andrew Long (Callington) and Matt Luke (Treverbyn).
On St Piran’s Day 2000, Mebyon Kernow launched a “Declaration for a Cornish Assembly” which was supported by over 50,000 people – more than 10% of the Cornish electorate. But sadly this was ignored by Westminster and instead of winning devolution, we had the centralisation of local government imposed on Cornwall.
2010s onwards…
In the last few years, MK twice put forward a full slates of General Election candidates (2010 and 2015) and since 2009 MK has had an active group of councillors on the unitary authority, which has included Michael Bunney (St Mewan and Grampound), Dick Cole (St Dennis and St Enoder), Stuart Cullimore (Camborne), Andrew Long (Callington and St Dominic), Loveday Jenkin (Crowan, Sithney and Wendron), Neil Plummer (Stithians), Tamsin Williams (Penzance) and Matt Luke (Penwithick and Boscoppa).
In 2014, MK published detailed proposals for a Cornish Assembly in “Towards a National Assembly of Cornwall.”
MK members are also continuing to campaign on a wide spectrum of issues of great importance to Cornwall. The list is long.
MK is still making the case for devolution to Cornwall, it is campaigning for fair funding for Cornwall and to protect public services, it is opposing further changes to the Government’s already unsustainable planning system and MK is also supporting efforts to safeguard Cornwall’s environment, and so much more.