Press Office

All welcome at “national minority” event

New County Hall in Truro

It is less than two weeks to the tenth anniversary of the recognition of the Cornish as a “national minority” by the UK Government and Mebyon Kernow will be holding an event on Saturday 20th April, at which party members will issue a challenge to central government to deliver on its promises from 2014. Speaking about the event, MK leader Cllr Dick Cole has said: “Recognition was a landmark decision with Westminster promising that the Cornish would be afforded the “same…

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NATIONAL MINORITY STATUS – TEN YEARS ON …

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the recognition of the Cornish as a national minority, MK leader Cllr Dick Cole critiques what has actually happened over the last decade. On 24th April 2014, the UK Government announced that the Cornish would be recognised through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The official government press release stated that “the decision to recognise the unique identity of the Cornish, now affords them the same…

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Ann Trevenen Jenkin (1930-2024)

Everyone in Mebyon Kernow is saddened to hear of the death of Ann Trevenen Jenkin, who was the last-surviving member of the twenty-strong group who met at the Oates Temperance Hotel in Redruth, on 6th January 1951, to found our party. She has also been MK’s Honorary President for the last two decades An absolute giant of the Cornish cultural scene, she was active within a large number of cultural and language groups, becoming the first female Grand Bard of Gorsedh…

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MK’s “national minority” challenge on St Piran’s Day

Cllr Dick Cole

As people across Cornwall and further afield celebrate St Piran’s Day, Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall has issued a challenge to Westminster political parties and their parliamentary candidates. The challenge relates to the upcoming tenth anniversary of the Cornish being recognised as a national minority. In a statement issued today, MK Cllr Dick Cole said: “The recognition of the Cornish in 2014 was a landmark ruling and the UK Government made it clear that the Cornish would be afforded…

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Happy St Piran’s Day

The 5th March is an important part of the Cornish calendar and we hope that everyone will be doing something today to mark Cornwall’s national identity. Year on year, we are seeing a fantastic growth in the number of events staged to remember St Piran and it is great that our saint’s day has become such wonderful celebration of all things Cornish. It is something to be really proud of. But we think that it is also important that we work…

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Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cornwall

The Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2003. The list of states which have ratified the treaty numbers more than 180, and that now includes the United Kingdom. Intangible cultural heritage is defined as “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and know-how transmitted from generation to generation within communities.” The Convention has five indicative categories: (a) oral traditions and expressions, (b) performing arts,(c) social practices, rituals and festive…

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