Mebyon Kernow Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Mebyon Kernow (Cornish for "Sons of Cornwall," often abbrivated MK) is a political party in the United Kingdom. The main objective of MK is to reestablishing self-governance in Cornwall, the southwesternmost county of England.MK was founded on January 6, 1951 at a meeting held in Redruth. Helena Charles was elected the party's first chair. At the first meeting, MK adopting the following objectives:
- To study local conditions and attempt to remedy any that may be prejudicial to the best interests of Cornwall by the creation of public opinion or other means.
- To foster the Cornish Language and Literature.
- To encourage the study of Cornish history from a Cornish point of view.
- By self knowledge to further the acceptance of the idea of the Celtic character of Cornwall, one of the six Celtic Nations.
- To publish pamphlets, broadsheets, articles and letters in the Press whenever possible, putting forward the foregoing aims.
- To arrange concerts and entertainments with a Cornish-Celtic flavour through which these aims can be further advanced.
- To cooperate with all societies concerned with preserving the character of Cornwall.
In 1979, in the first elections to the European Parliament, Mebyon Kernow were able to attract almost ten percent of the vote in the Cornwall seat. This reflected a decade of steady growth for the party. MK continues to contest parliamentary seats with little electoral success, and also local government seats with more success. In the 2001 general election, MK polled 3,199 votes, or 1.3 percent of the Cornish vote (up from 0.7 percent in 1997)
They currently describe their philosophy as based on being: "Cornish, Green, Left of Centre, Decentralist."
