It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Phil Rendle, who was a long-standing activist for Mebyon Kernow and served as one of our Deputy Leaders in the 2000s.

Phil was heavily involved with the Campaign for a Cornish Assembly in 2000-2001, before representing MK on Penwith District Council between 2002 and 2004. He was later elected to Penzance Town Council. He served on the authority for more than a decade, during which time he was involved with numerous local groups and initiatives. He was Mayor of the town for two years between 2012 and 2014.

Phil was also a Bard of Gorsedh Kernow and he took the bardic name Baneroniethor which translates as Vexillologist, or a person who studies flags – one of his many interests.

Party Leader Cllr Dick Cole said: “Phil was a great and passionate champion for Cornwall. A key member of MK, he worked so hard to campaign for Cornish self-determination and we are so extremely grateful for his years of advocacy for our nation.”

A fuller tribute will be included within the next edition of our Cornish Nation magazine.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/a-tribute-to-former-mk-councillor-phil-rendle/

Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our sister party Plaid Cymru for their victory in today’s elections to Senedd Cymru – winning 43 of the 96 seats in the Parliament.

It marks a truly historic moment for Wales and it is fantastic that Rhun ap Iorwerth is set to become First Minister.

Plaid’s campaign was positive and built on hope, and it is an inspiration to us in Cornwall as we campaign for our own Cornish Parliament / Senedh Kernow.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/keslowena-to-plaid-cymru/

Article by Cllr Dick Cole published in the Cornish Guardian 28th April 2026) and West Briton newspapers (29th April 2026)

MPs started their deliberation on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in July 2025 and, over the last nine months, Cornwall’s representatives in the House of Commons have consistently argued for a meaningful devolution settlement for Cornwall. They have had repeated meetings with Ministers and, I understand, they have received positive feedback from them.

At a meeting of the Public Bill Committee in October, Perran Moon MP reported that: “I have had several conversations with Ministers and am satisfied with the Government’s assurances at this stage that Cornwall will receive a devolution arrangement that allows us to access the highest level of devolution without the requirement to join a mayoral combined authority …”

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed MP) soon after sent a letter to Cornwall Council stating that the “Government is minded on an exceptional basis” to “explore designating the council as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority.” MPs interpreted this to be the beginnings of a decent bespoke deal for Cornwall.

And when Robin Teverson moved an amendment to the legislation in the House of Lords to ensure that the national minority status of the Cornish would safeguard Cornwall as the territory for devolution, Lord Wilson of Sedgefield responded by saying that “discussions are positive and ongoing” and “that is why accepting the noble Lord’s amendments at this stage, before those discussions are concluded, would be premature.”

Various amendments from the House of Lords were presented to MPs last week (21st April) and I remain extremely non-plussed at how the UK Government has yet to make a statement about a democratic settlement for Cornwall.

It was good that Ben Maguire MP attended this most recent debate and made similar points. He told MPs that it was five months since Steve Reed MP had promised to explore a bespoke deal for Cornwall, adding that “the Bill has progressed through both Houses and still we have nothing in writing about that bespoke Cornwall-only deal, or even provisions to allow for one.” He was also correct to point out that “our national minority status in Cornwall has been completely ignored” and could open up the legislation to “potential legal challenges.”

At the end of the debate, the Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities (Miatta Fahnbulleh) responded to the various points raised by parliamentarians. It is inexcusable that she did not address the comments made by Ben Maguire. She said absolutely nothing about Cornwall and the supposedly “positive and ongoing” discussions.

It is time that Westminster actually acted on our calls for more powers for Cornwall.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/thoughts-on-the-latest-devolution-debate/

Politicians on Cornwall’s unitary authority have come together on St Piran’s Day to send a letter to central government demanding a tick-boxes for Cornish nationality and proficiency in the Cornish language on the 2031 census.

The letter was sent to Darren Jones MP, the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, who has responsibility for the UK Statistics Authority.

The leader of the MK Group on Cornwall Council Cllr Dick Cole has commented. “It is to be welcomed that all groups on the unitary authority have come together on St Piran’s Day to sign a letter demanding national recognition on the 2031 census.”

The letter was signed by Council Leader Leigh Frost (Liberal Democrat), deputy leader Adam Paynter (Independent), Dick Cole (Mebyon Kernow), Paul Ashton (Reform UK), Drew Creek (Green), Connor Donnithorne (Conservative), Kate Ewert (Labour) and Rowland O’Connor (Cornish Independent Non-aligned).

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/cornwall-council-demands-cornish-tick-boxes/

On this St Piran’s Day, Mebyon Kernow has written to Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for the new BBC Royal Charter to include commitments to a public sector media for Cornwall and broadcasting in the Cornish language.

The consultation on the review into the BBC Royal Charter lasts until 10th March and comments can be submitted via the consultation page at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation or emails can be sent to enquiries@dcms.gov.uk.

Please join us in making representations to the BBC and DCMS.

The full text of the letter sent to Lisa Nandy by MK Leader Cllr Dick Cole was as follows:

Britain’s Story: The Next Chapter – the BBC Royal Charter Review

On 24th April 2014, the UK Government announced that the Cornish would be recognised as a national minority 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 status … as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

This was a landmark moment for our nation. The Framework Convention is a significant international treaty and sets out numerous obligations. These include support for language and culture, education and the media, the greater visibility of national minorities in public life, the protection of historic territories, and so much more.

We remain disappointed, however, at the speed at which the United Kingdom Government and other public bodies are meeting their obligations to the Cornish and the Cornish language.

This is especially so in terms of broadcasting and we hope that the renewal of the BBC Royal Charter represents an opportunity to ensure a better deal on public sector broadcasting for Cornwall and the Cornish, similar to the provision enjoyed in the other Celtic parts of the UK.

BBC Royal Charter and the Cornish language

When the present BBC Royal Charter was agreed in 2016, it included a commitment to the “regional and minority languages of the United Kingdom,” but we were extremely disappointed the document included a definition of such languages as “Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Ulster Scots.” The Cornish language was explicitly excluded.

We note that the Media Act, finalised in 2024, included a commitment to a “sufficient quantity of audiovisual content that is in, or mainly in, a recognised regional or minority language,” and Cornish was included in its list of languages. Likewise, we were extremely pleased when, in December 2025, the UK Government agreed that Cornish would be covered by Part III of the Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

In the supporting paperwork for the BBC Royal Charter Review, there are multiple references to regional and minority languages. We welcome that the objectives of the Review include, for example, “exploring funding options for … minority language broadcasting” and respecting the “diversity of all communities across the UK … including those in the nations and regions and through minority language broadcasting.” But we remain extremely disappointed that the Cornish language was not mentioned once.

That said, we acknowledge that in a response to a Cornish MP in the House of Commons on 15th January, you stated unequivocally that:

“The Government are very committed to protecting and supporting our minority languages, which are a vital part of the cultural fabric of our country. When we launched the charter review, it was intended to give space to consider how the BBC can best support minority language broadcasting, including Cornish …”

It is our sincere hope that, as the Secretary of State, you will ensure that new BBC Royal Charter will include meaningful commitments to the broadcasting of the Cornish language.

Public sector broadcasting for Cornwall

Article nine of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities states that “persons belonging to a national minority” should not be “discriminated against in their access to the media” and that signatories to the document “shall adopt adequate measures in order to facilitate access to the media for persons belonging to national minorities and in order to promote tolerance and permit cultural pluralism.”

Linked to this, we would point out that Cornwall is the only Celtic nation within the United Kingdom without its own dedicated media service. In terms of television news coverage, Cornwall is lost within a BBC SW construct, while BBC Radio Cornwall is a “local” station in an increasingly weak position in the face of ongoing cuts.

In 2019, Cornwall Council commissioned Denzil Monk and Mandy Berry to produce a report making the case for Cornish public service media – cas rag media gonis poblek Kernewek in Cornish. We would ask that the Secretary of State and everyone involved with the BBC Royal Charter Review to consider and act positively on the content of this report, which can be viewed at: https://www.screencornwall.com/cornish-language

It is our view that if the UK Government is going to meet its obligation to treat the Cornish the “same” as the “UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish,” it needs to ensure broadcasting provision for Cornwall similar to S4C in Wales or BBC ALBA in Scotland.

And it is our sincere hope that, as the Secretary of State, you will ensure that the new BBC Royal Charter will include a Cornish public service media service, that reflects the articles of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Cornwall is a nation of the United Kingdom

As noted previously, the paperwork for the Review states that the BBC is committed to the “diversity of all communities across the UK … including those in the nations and regions …” Cornwall with its own identity, culture and language is one of the historic nations of the UK and this should be properly reflected in the new Royal Charter and the outputs of the BBC.

It is our sincere hope that, as the Secretary of State, you will ensure that Cornish nationhood is recognised in new BBC Royal Charter.

Further engagement

It is our further hope that those representatives of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, engaged with the BBC Royal Charter Review, will visit to Cornwall in the near-future to discuss the representations from MK and other Cornish groups.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/mk-comment-on-bbc-royal-charter-review/

Mebyon Kernow would like to wish one and all a Happy St Piran’s Day!

We sincerely hope that everyone will find the time to do something to celebrate Cornwall’s national identity.

Our national saint’s day is going from strength to strength, with events taking place over multiple days, and it is good to see that communities, the length and breadth of Cornwall, will be holding celebrations featuring the Cornish language, music and dance, and so much more.

Cornwall has such a powerful national identity, which is vitally important to our sense of place and the very well-being of our communities, and it is fantastic that the 5th March is now such an important date in our calendar, when people come together in a positive and inclusive manner to mark our Cornishness.

And as we say, each and every year, the promotion of Cornish distinctiveness is not something that should be restricted to once a year in March. We should be doing all in our power, each and every day, to promote and enhance our identity and heritage.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/gool-peran-lowen-happy-st-pirans-day/

Article by Cllr Dick Cole published in the Cornish Guardian 11th February 2026) and West Briton newspapers (12th February 2026)

The Cornish Language has been all over the news again, thanks to Tesco putting up Welsh language signage in their Helston store! It must be acknowledged that there are many similarities between Cornwall and Wales with our shared Celtic heritage, but I have no idea as to how the error could have happened. That said, it has provided another wonderful opportunity to publicise Cornish following the fantastic news that the UK Government had agreed that protection for the language to be upgraded from part II to part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

Securing part III status was a great win for Cornish speakers and campaigners, but there is still so much to do to boost support for the language. At this time, I hope that many people will join me in responding to a consultation on the renewal of the BBC Royal Charter, which was recently launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The present Royal Charter has a commitment to broadcasting in the “regional and minority languages of the United Kingdom through its output and services and through partnerships with other organisations.” The problem for Cornish is that the document specifies that the languages covered were “Welsh, Scottish-Gaelic, Irish and Ulster Scots.”

I have viewed the consultation paperwork and it has quite a lot to say about minority languages. For example, it notes that: “The BBC plays a crucial role in supporting the various native languages across the British Isles. The Government recognises the valuable contribution that providers of minority language broadcasting have in our society and the preservation of our national heritage. Sustainable funding is crucial to ensuring that the BBC can continue its support of minority language speakers.”

But I am disappointed because – unlike the other Celtic tongues – Cornish was not specifically mentioned in the document. It is only two years since the UK Government agreed a Media Act, which included a commitment to a “sufficient quantity of audiovisual content that is in, or mainly in, a recognised regional or minority language” and included Cornish in its list of such languages. So why hasn’t Cornish been mentioned in relation to the BBC Charter?

The BBC Charter consultation can be accessed online and it will close on 10th March. It contains many questions but has limited scope to make the case for the Cornish language and a Cornish Public Service Media, so I will soon be writing to Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. I hope many others will as well.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/cornish-and-the-new-bbc-royal-charter/

Article by Cllr Dick Cole published in the Cornish Guardian 11th February 2026) and West Briton newspapers (12th February 2026)

The Cornish Language has been all over the news again, thanks to Tesco putting up Welsh language signage in their Helston store! It must be acknowledged that there are many similarities between Cornwall and Wales with our shared Celtic heritage, but I have no idea as to how the error could have happened. That said, it has provided another wonderful opportunity to publicise Cornish following the fantastic news that the UK Government had agreed that protection for the language to be upgraded from part II to part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

Securing part III status was a great win for Cornish speakers and campaigners, but there is still so much to do to boost support for the language. At this time, I hope that many people will join me in responding to a consultation on the renewal of the BBC Royal Charter, which was recently launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The present Royal Charter has a commitment to broadcasting in the “regional and minority languages of the United Kingdom through its output and services and through partnerships with other organisations.” The problem for Cornish is that the document specifies that the languages covered were “Welsh, Scottish-Gaelic, Irish and Ulster Scots.”

I have viewed the consultation paperwork and it has quite a lot to say about minority languages. For example, it notes that: “The BBC plays a crucial role in supporting the various native languages across the British Isles. The Government recognises the valuable contribution that providers of minority language broadcasting have in our society and the preservation of our national heritage. Sustainable funding is crucial to ensuring that the BBC can continue its support of minority language speakers.”

But I am disappointed because – unlike the other Celtic tongues – Cornish was not specifically mentioned in the document. It is only two years since the UK Government agreed a Media Act, which included a commitment to a “sufficient quantity of audiovisual content that is in, or mainly in, a recognised regional or minority language” and included Cornish in its list of such languages. So why hasn’t Cornish been mentioned in relation to the BBC Charter?

The BBC Charter consultation can be accessed online and it will close on 10th March. It contains many questions but has limited scope to make the case for the Cornish language and a Cornish Public Service Media, so I will soon be writing to Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. I hope many others will as well.

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/cornish-and-the-new-bbc-royal-charter/

Everyone at Mebyon Kernow is extremely saddened to learn that prominent Cornish-Australian Chris Dunkerley has passed away.

Chris was active in the Cornish Association of South Australia and the Cornish Association of New South Wales, as well as the Celtic Council of Australia. He also learnt the Cornish language and was barded by proxy at Poldhu in 1988, and took the bardic name Kevrenor “builder of links.”

In Australia, he worked in the public sector and was a Liberal activist with the Australia Party and the Australian Democrats. He stood six times (unsuccessfully) as a candidate in the NSW state elections.

He was also a strong supporter of MK.

At this sad time, our thoughts are with his wife Joy; his three children Lowenna, Owen and Kerensa; and his grandchildren.

A fuller tribute will appear in the next edition of Cornish Nation magazine [no 99].

https://mebyonkernow.org/news/a-tribute-to-chris-dunkerley/