User:Gwlascarer/MK

Mebyon Kernow (MK; Cornish for Sons of Cornwall) is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.

MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists and politicians from a number of political parties. Its first election win came in 1953, with its members running as independents. In the 1970s it became a fully-fledged political party, and since then it has fielded candidates in elections to Westminster and the European Parliament, as well as local government in Cornwall.

The party is a member of the European Free Alliance and has close links with Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party. It currently has four elected councillors in Cornwall Council and 19 town and parish councillors.

Party leaders

 * Helena Charles (1951–1959)
 * Major Cecil Beer (1959–1970)
 * Len Truran (1970–1973)
 * Richard Jenkin (1973–1991)
 * Loveday Jenkin (1991–1997)
 * Dick Cole (1997–present)

Cornwall Council elections
Includes elections to both the former Cornwall County Council and the new unitary authority created in 2009:

Since the last election, Mebyon Kernow has gained one councillor as a result of a defection from the Independent group.

District council elections
At the time of the district councils' abolition in 2009, there were nine elected district councillors from Mebyon Kernow.