KERNOW/CORNWALL: INTER-CELTIC PARTICIPATION AT MK CONFERENCE

Inter-Celtic participation was to the fore at the nationalist's political conference this year in Kernow/Cornwall, last weekend (22nd November 2008). Mebyon Kernow - the Party for Cornwall (MK) played host to representatives from nationalist political parties Plaid(Cymru/Wales) and Unvaniez Demokratel Breizh/Union Democratique Bretonne (UDB).

Plaid's Steffan Lewis and UDB's Gwendal Rioual were both invited to speak at the conference about the experience of their own parties in Cymru and Breizh over the last few year. Mr Lewis, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Islwyn said that MK should «keep the faith» and continue fighting for a Cornish Assembly. He said:

«You have had confirmation of the ignorance and arrogance of the British government on matters relating to Cornwall with them forcing a unitary authority on Cornwall despite massive opposition.

»The abolition of the South West Regional Assembly offers the best opportunity for a Cornish Assembly and the UK government can never be forgiven for failing the people of Cornwall by not taking this course of action.«

Mr Rioual, who is the President of Les Jeunes de l'UDB (The Youth of UDB), also spoke about the important role of young people in the UDB political movement and the successes that his party have experienced with elected representatives in the Breton regional council for the first time, including the deputy leadership of the Council.

The address MK Party Leader, Dick Cole, gave to Conference, was described by the press as one of his most forthright speeches of recent years. In his speech Councilor Cole condemned the unionist Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrats political parties for refusing to support devolution for Cornwall and instead opting for a single tier unitary authority

Cllr. Cole emphasized the need for the Party to look to the future and in particular getting a large number of councilors elected at the new unitary authority elections in 2009, saying:

»Our priority must be to look forward. It is right that we condemn the unitary shambles and remind one and all of who is responsible and of their arrogant disregard for the people of Cornwall.

«But we also have to get out there and show the people of Cornwall that there is an alternative to all those undistinguished politicians that cannot be trusted to defend Cornish interests.

»We have to take them on at the ballot box, we have to defeat them and put Cornish nationalists at the heart of local government in Cornwall."

MK's conference was the last annual political conference this year of the main nationalist political parties in the Celtic countries.

(voir le site) www.plaidcymru.org (voir le site)

(Article prepared for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League 26/11/08