FILM OF DICK COLE: MEBYON KERNOW LEADER
This short film shows Councillor Dick Cole, leader of the progressive Cornish party, Mebyon Kernow, explaining his political background.
Mebyon Kernow (MK) are really quite an extraordinary party, with seven County councillors, and eighteen town and parish councillors. In the 2007 elections more than 10000 people voted for MK, and they performed significantly better than the Labour Party. Cornwall is a county with very particular economic and social problems, related to economic under-development, unemployment, a housing crisis for local people exacerbated by second homes, the distorting effect of tourism, and a surprisingly bad drug problem, not unconnected with smuggling.
Yet the ruling Liberal Democrats have no answers to any of these issues, and worse, they are colluding in plans to create a Cornish unitary authority that will strip away a layer of local democracy, and disenfranchise local communities that need a voice in solving the problems they face. MK has also been the only political party which has actively and consistently opposed Cornwall County Council’s plans for a single unitary authority, while maintaining the fight for a proper democratic settlement for Cornwall.
MK councillors collected over 2,000 signatures on the official FBU petition against Liberal Democrat plans to end 24 hour cover at Camborne and Falmouth Fire Stations. MK has also supported efforts to reopen South Crofty Tin Mine and MK councillors ran a petition in the local area in support of the mining plans, vital to bringing proper jobs to the area. Mebyon Kernow argues that Cornwall needs it own Assembly and a Cornish Development Agency to generate sustainable economic development. Economic planning that doesn’t distinguish between Cornwall and Devon fails to counter the tendency of development to concentrate in South Devon.
But in addition to ths admirable local campaigning, Mebyon Kernow have solid left wing policies. Including the abolition of third world debt, and withdrawal from NATO. They believe that “effective public intervention is needed to combat poverty, tackle social deprivation and fight for the disadvantaged. We will strive to build strong inclusive communities with free and equal access to well-funded education, healthcare and welfare services, run for the benefit of everyone.”
(The only thing I don’t understand is that they say they are “Mebyon Kernow the party of Cornwall,” but my Welsh speaking relations tell me Mebyon Kernow translates as “Sons of Cornwall”, and Party of Cornwall would be Plaid Kernow, or something like that)
The Communist Party was heavily involved in the development of the language issue in the 50’s and 1960’s. However MK is not Communist or Socialist…..but unlike some nationalist strands not ultra rightwing
I believe MK could offer a real progressive alternative to a resurgent Tory party as Lib Dem vote in South West collapses
Comment by Harry — 6 May, 2008 @ 9:30 am
MK were the Sons of Cornwall back when they were founded in about 1950. At some more recent point it was decided that their Sawsnek subtitle should be gender neutral.
Comment by Splintered Sunrise — 6 May, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
The first time I ever voted, when I was a wee lad, I almost voted MK but switched to Labour at the last minuite. The Lib’s won any how.
I all ways got the impression that MK was an odd mix of people, they have some very good left-leaning polices. However the whole Cornish identity thing can be a mixed bag, it has the potencial to be progressive but it also has the potencial to be reactionary. There’s a strong homes for locals feeling that is genreally anti-posh second homer’s rather then anti-imigrant. However, I know that there is some anti-eastern europen feeling that is expressed as ‘there not cornish’ nastieness.
Still got my black and white cornish flag somewere.
Comment by Joseph Kisolo — 6 May, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
Freedom for Cornwall but not for Tibet?
Very silly Andy given that Tibet is a nation long oppressed by China but Cornwall is but a county disadvantaged by an overly centralised British state.
Comment by Mike — 6 May, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
What would be silly Mike, would be your approach of:
i) substituting slogans for concrete analysis
ii) arguing against straw man positions that are different from what people are actually argguing.
Comment by Andy Newman — 6 May, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
I regard the whole “we are Celts” thing, be it in Scotland, Wales or Cornwall, as nothing less than unbridled racism.
I’m always surprised that the Left backs it so - but then the Left backs anything that puts the “English” (whoever or whatever they are) in the wrong.
Comment by Marua — 6 May, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
Concrete analysis Andy? A concrete analysis of your position on Tibet simply exposes you as backing the reactionary capitalist rulers in Beijing while opposing the right of the Tibetan nation to determine their own fate.
As for this Celtic crap that the leaders of MK spout it is rubbish. My Grandfather left Cornwall, back in the 1890s, for economic reasons. Had he stayed there he would have been condemned to low paid work on the farms of north Cornwall or worse. No amount of drivel about Celtic this and Celtic that makes any difference to such economic class realities.
Comment by Mike — 6 May, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
err Mike,
It is tose economic realities that lead MK to support a Cornish development agency, and sustainable economic development, which would be aided by a Cornish assembly.
Comment by Andy Newman — 6 May, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
and on the same anti celts line no doubt some would oppose the Irish
republic
If MK can offer a progressive way forward….let them join the debate
You never know we might learn something more than sloganising
which we are world champions
Comment by Harry — 6 May, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
A ‘development agency’ — what kind of development and in whose class interests goes unsaid - can only act as a pimp selling ‘Cornish’ workers to the highest bidder. Not that anybody is about to bid very highly given the considerable disdvantages to Cornwall as an economic asset.
Has it occured to you that rather than calling for increased autonomy for Cornwall, all well and good but it cannot answer any of the fundamental problems faced by Cornish workers, that just once you might consider that the answer is a socialist planned economy and a Workers Europe?
Comment by Mike — 7 May, 2008 @ 12:26 am
AAArrgghhh, yes yes yes, the answer is always a socialist planned economy and a worker’s europe, or whatever formulation your own brand of socialism likes to use but that can never be more than empty sloganeering unless you actually engage with issues in the here and now.
Comment by Nick — 7 May, 2008 @ 10:10 am
Depends on HOW you engage with issues. If you do so on the basis of tailing nationalism/populism, as is the stance of the owners of this blog, then you will engage with issues in an unprincipled (for socialists) manner. Sucesses you may have, though very few, but they will be as dust before the breeze.
Comment by Mike — 7 May, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
‘As dust before the breeze’? sweet jesus
Comment by Nick — 7 May, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
The only possible basis for socialists supporting or working with Cornish nationalists could be clear evidence, past and present of oppression/exploitation by an external power of working class and sections of other classes within the boundaries of the county called Cornwall. To anyone with a cursory knowledge of Cornwall, this is not certainly not the case. As with many nationalisms, there is janus-faced ideological baggage i.e. some ‘leftist’ posturing is the order of the day to win over workers to the cause. Likewise, the other face has a distinctly unpleasant anti-outsider undercurrent mixed in with sub-racist Celtic bollocks. More importantly, the fundamental’classlessness’ of Cornish nationalism makes it a mortal enemy of genuine socialists within and beyond Cornwall - not a potential ally.
Comment by Doug — 7 May, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
so not plaid cymru or greens then
Comment by Harry — 7 May, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Plaid or the Greens? Do me a favour, mate, I’m a socialist.
Comment by Doug — 8 May, 2008 @ 10:26 am
I think we all as socialists need to look at things with a wee bit of humility and realise what a marginal political and social force we are rather than instantly dismiss any potential allies with pronouncements from on high simply because they don’t share our analysis. I don’t think anyone here is offering an uncritical endorsement of MK’s politics, having said this they should be recognised as a significant force on the left who have a lot to contribute to the ongoing vital debate about nationality in the british isles and what a post-union ‘britain’ will look like.
Comment by Nick — 8 May, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
I’m sorry, what on earth’s ‘a wee bit of humility’ got to do with it? I’m well aware how marginal the Left is thank you very much. That doesn’t mean we have to scrat around for allies regardless of their social basis, political views or practice and then justify this with some vague and woolly references to ‘radical’ or ‘progressive’ politics. Also, it has nothing to do with sharing our analysis. The potential for local groups like Peoples Voice - working class self-activity which may move in a leftwards direction, is a different ballgame entirely to groups like MK (according to you ‘a significant voice on the Left’, which is an incredible claim). And since when was discussion about nationality and a post-union Britain an ‘ongoing vital debate’? It might be on Planet Newman and amongst the Lefty navel-gazers but it isn’t out there.
Comment by Doug — 8 May, 2008 @ 3:30 pm
MK are very much a left wing, green and decentralist party. They are also a member of the European Free Alliance. They are however not state-nationalists like New Labour or the Tories.
Comment by Philip Hosking — 12 May, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
What exactly is wrong with adapting socialism and socialist analysis to the cultural, historic and environmental conditions of a specific territory and people? Proudhon didn’t seem to think it such a bad idea and even Marx supported the Irish.
Comment by Philip Hosking — 12 May, 2008 @ 8:55 pm
I can’t accept the ‘classlessness’ take on things- I think that right now MK cater for the people of Cornwall on another level, alongside that of nationalism- and that’s a level populated by worries about housing in the face of money being thrown willy-nilly at luxury apartments and such. Falmouth, amongst others, is being gentrified to a disproportionate extent when looked at next to the relative prosperity of local people, and its a dangerous situation that naturally breeds a growing resentment of ‘incomers’ but can also instill a positive nationalist bent to mainstream concerns.
I’d say that ‘the movement’ is, and should aim to be, connected very much with the class divide.
Comment by Owlman — 12 May, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
“I can’t accept the ‘classlessness’ take on things”
Indeed. Society can and should be analysed vertically through the lense of class but also we can take a horizontal approach and consider peoples and territories.
Comment by Philip Hosking — 16 May, 2008 @ 6:01 pm