- South Crofty to close! August, 1997
The 3000 year tradition of tin mining in Cornwall looks like it will end soon with the announced closure of the last mine in Cornwall, South Crofty. This further blow to Cornish industry and employment comes on the top of other job losses across Cornwall.

LATEST:February, 1998:
: VALE - Cornish Mining after Milennia! South Crofty now to close on March 6th!

NOTE: Closure at South Crofty has come on top of a catalogue of economic and social blows to Cornwall over the past year:
Closure of St. Ivel Creamery, St. Erth - 300 job losses
'Down-sizing' of ECLP, St. Austell - 300 job losses
Closure of Finns Shoes, Penzance - 140 job losses
Closure of Abru Aluminium, Launceston - 170 job losses
engineering firms in Camborne, 100 job losses
Ministry of Agriculture has to be moved out of Cornwall - 20 job losses
Closure of 4 hospitals

Cornish Campaign for Development Agency (CDA):October: A Redruth-Camborne group have been arguing the case for a Cornish Development Agency to bring jobs to Cornwall. The group is now looking to expand their research into many aspects of the Cornish economy, looking at issues such as sustainability, inward investment, etc. Interested persons can contact them or purchase cipy of the CDA report (Stg 1.50p) through: Ian Williams, 6 Rose Row, Redruth.

Department of the Environment, Transport & The Regions - Planning - Project Descriptions on Land Use Planning Research 1997/8

'Highlights' of this Report are: Planning policy should be defined at the regional level; Regional policy should cover housing, employment and transport; Brownfield sites may decrease in number over the next few years (The minister verbally acknowledged outside this document that Greenfield sites are likely to be in future mix for planning guidance); Business and housing planning should be integrated; The business community should be involved in the preparation of plans (but no mention of local communities); Local Authority success in involving the business community will be reviewed under one of the projects; Planning for competiveness; Use of residential land and house prices as a planning tool will be reviewed.

Comment by Loveday Jenkin:
Res yw bydh war an dra-ma. An governans a gris bos an Soth-West a Bow Sows(ha Kernow heb mar) an 'Ranndir' rag an Towlenn-ma. Ytho y fydh pub evirans gres yn Bristol (po Keresk, po Aberplymm) ny fydh nerth-vith gesys yn Kernow rag evira tra-vith! An nessa kamm a vydh dhe skattya konsel kernow dhe ves ha gorra nebes an ranndiryow warbarth avel 'konsel unneg'.

'We need to be careful about this. The government believes that the 'Region' is the South-west of England(including Cornwall, of course) for this plan. So every strategic decision will be made in Bristol (or Exeter or Plymouth) there won't be any decision making power left in Cornwall at all! The next step will be the removal o Cornwall Council and the combining of district councils into 'unitary authorities'. Loveday

February, 1998 - This news via constituents of Chris Smith, the Heritage Secretary, who received a letter from Robin Cook dated 30.12.97. It says; " Since you wrote to me you will have received a copy of Ron Davies letter to me of 18 November, advocating UK signature and ratification without delay ( at least in the case of the Welsh language)."
"I see advantage to UK signature, which would send a positive signal to those new council of Europe member states who are required to become party to the Charter as a condition of their membership. However, as Ron goes on to say, both Mo Mowlam and Donald Dewar will wish to give the nature and timing of UK signature and ratification of the Charter careful thought and the position will be clearer once we have their views."
I would assume that Jack Straw would bear responsibility for Cornwall in this area as 'Home' secretary as we don't have our own secretary of State. All the Cornish MP's have had this information. Andrew George ( Lib Dem, St. Ives) is the most likely to do something with it as he used some Cornish in his maiden speech in the Commons. Hopefully the UK is gearing up to sign it, but I would doubt by March, unless they're trying to sneak it in through the back door. (If you haven't already got the Treaty you can download it off the Council of Europe page.

Recently Ron Davies, the Welsh Secretary, has recommended to Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, that the UK sign the above Charter and ratify it without delay, at least with regard to Welsh. Robin Cook agrees with this. It would be good if people could write to Robin Cook, Jack Straw the 'Home' Secretary and to Chris Smith, the Sec. of State for Culture fully supporting this and that Cornish will be ( naturally) included in this. They can all be contacted at:
House of Commons,
London SW1 1AA
England - UK.

UP TO DATE PARTY NEWS
Dateline November, 1997

MEBYON KERNOW ELECT NEW CHAIRMAN
Dick Cole has been unanimously elected the new Chairman of Mebyon Kernow, and takes over the leadership of the party from Cllr. Dr. Loveday Jenkin. Speaking at this year's AGM, he paid tribute to Dr. Loveday Jenkin and all his predecessors as Chairman of Mebyon Kernow, which included Helena Sanders and Len Truran who had both died during the last year.

He said it is a great honour to have been elected Chairman of MK today. I understand this makes me the ninth Chair of MK. Those of you that know me, I hope, will agree that my heart and soul is in this party. It is certainly my intention to carry on the sterling work done by all my predecessors. Dick also called on the people of Cornwall to step up the campaign for devolution to Cornwall. He said like the Celts of Wales and Scotland - we are a Tory-Free zone at Westminster. But like them - we must fight to win a powerful elected body for ourselves - our own parliament or assembly.

Dick Cole is a 30 year old archaeologist, who lives near Indian Queens where his family have always lived. He has lived in this area all his life, except when studying at university. Leaving school at 16, he worked locally as a farm worker and gardener, before gaining A levels through correspondence courses. He then gained a degree at Lampeter University, where he also did some post-graduate research and university teaching. He has been active in Mebyon Kernow since 1988. In 1992, he was elected the party's joint press and campaigns officer (along with Colin Lawry). He became the party's sole press officer in 1994. Dick has had many roles within the party. He has contested local elections three times, he produced the party manifesto Corwall 2000 - The Way Ahead and he was the campaign coordinator of the election campaigns during 1997, acting as election agents for both John Bolitho and Davyth Hicks. He has also been a member of the Keskerdh Kernow 500 committee which organised this year's march to London to commemorate the events of 1497. Dick is also a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Celtic League, Friends of the Earth, Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek, Plaid Cymru and Survival International.

OFFICERS ELECTED FOR 1997 / 1998

The full list of officers elected to serve the party for the new 12 months -

• Chairman - Dick Cole (Indian Queens)
  
• Vice-chair West - Cllr. Colin Lawry (Penzance)
  
• Vice-chair East - John Bolitho (Bude)
  
• Press and Campaigns Officer - Paul Dunbar (Liskeard)
  
• Treasurer - Graham Symmons (Stithians)
  
• Recruitment Officer - Andrew Purkis (St. Stephen)
  
• Minutes Secretary - Dr. Garry Tregidga (Bugle)
  
• Publications Officer - Conan Trevenen Jenkin (Truro)
  
• Sales Officer - Steve Trudgian (Lostwithiel)
  

MAKE A PLEDGE FOR CORNWALL - A MESSAGE FROM DICK COLE

Every member and supporter of Mebyon Kernow has an important part to play in our campaign for a better deal for Cornwall.
My first act as Chairman of our party at the recent AGM was to call on members to make a pledge to Mebyon Kernow to do something to strengthen our team of dedicated workers; either through becoming an active campaigner for the party or responding to OUR appeal for financial support.

FUNDING MEBYON KERNOW
Unlike the other political parties active in Cornwall, we do not have political masters in London who will subsidise local campaigning, through money from the unions or business interests. Whereas they spent thousands upon thousands of pounds in the recent General Election, we spent only a fraction of that.
The campaigning of the last year has severely reduced party funds and we need YOUR help to refill our 'war-chest', so that we can properly lead campaigns for a Cornish Assembly / Parliament and put forward candidates to local councils and actually win seats.
Please think what you can do. Could you afford to contribute a regular amount to the party on a monthly basis or even give a one-off donation.
Mebyon Kernow and Cornwall needs YOUR HELP.

FIGHTING LOCAL ELECTIONS
Mebyon Kernow will be defending two seats on Penwith District Council in May, 1998 - we also need your help there - to leaflet and canvas, etc. And in May 1999 - there will be district council elections all over Cornwall.
The council elections of 1999 will be our best-ever chance to put more Mebyon Kernow members onto Cornish district councils.
I have spoken to a number of activists and SIXTEEN members have already pledged to stand in these elections. Those of us on the NEC are certainly hoping for many more. DO IT NOW!
If you have made up your mind to make a pledge for Cornwall to help the party or if you want further details about how to support our appeal or to stand for election, then please write to me at Shell Cottage, Moorland Rd, Indian Queens, Cornwall. I thank you all in advance for your support. We must make sure that Mebyon Kernow's voice is heard loud and clear, fighting for a better deal for Cornwall. Thank you.

A THANK YOU FROM LOVEDAY JENKIN
The retiring Chair of Mebyon Kernow, Cllr. Dr. Loveday Jenkin would like to thank all the members who have been so supportive of her efforts as leader of the party, during the last seven years.

MEBYON KERNOW DEMANDS FOR CORNWALL