Dick Cole (politician)

Cole grew up in Cornwall on the edge of the Goss Moor and was educated at Treviglas School, Newquay and University of Wales, Lampeter.Dick Cole, [http://mebyonkernow.blogspot.com/2009/08/media-coverage-and-oops.html Media coverage and ...oops!], dated 20 August 2009 at mebyonkernow.blogspot.com

Before becoming party leader in 1997, Cole had been Mebyon Kernow's press officer for the previous five years. Previous to that he had also campaigned for Plaid Cymru whilst at University in Wales.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

In 1999, he was elected as a member of the borough council of Restormel, representing St Enoder, retaining his seat until the council was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes.[http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/south-west-european-elections South West European Elections] at ukpollingreport.co.uk

In the 2005 general election, he stood for parliament in North Cornwall and gained 1351 votes, coming fifth of six candidates standing.

In 2009, a new unitary authority called Cornwall Council was formed.[http://www.mebyonkernow.org/?q=node/102 102] at mebyonkernow.org On 4 June 2009, Cole contested both the local and European Parliament elections held in Cornwall on that day. In the European Parliament election, he headed the Mebyon Kernow party list for the South West England constituency. In the Cornwall Council election held on the same day, he fought the St Enoder electoral division, achieving a 78 per cent of the vote, comfortably beating the Conservative and Lib Dem candidates into second and third places respectively.{{Cite web|url=https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=98&RPID=567638|title=Election results for St Enoder, 4 June 2009|date=4 June 2009|website=democracy.cornwall.gov.uk}}

In 2010 Cole was Mebyon Kernow's prospective parliamentary candidate for the newly formed St Austell and Newquay constituency in the United Kingdom general election. He gained 2,007 votes (4.2% of votes cast), placing him in fourth position.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e36.stm|title=BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | St Austell & Newquay|website=news.bbc.co.uk}}

In 2015 Cole again stood as Mebyon Kernow's parliamentary candidate for the St Austell and Newquay constituency in the United Kingdom general election. He gained 2,063 votes (4.1% of votes cast) placing him in last position (out of 6 candidates). Although he increased his vote total, his percentage of the votes cast declined by 0.1%.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mebyonkernow.org/articles/article.php?id=80|title=The result in St Austell and Newquay|first=Mebyon Kernow-The Party for|last=Cornwall|website=www.mebyonkernow.org}}

He lives in Fraddon, in Mid-Cornwall, where he is a member of St Enoder parish council, a governor of Summercourt Primary School, and a trustee of the Fraddon Millennium Green and the Indian Queens Pit.[http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgDeclarationSubmission.aspx?UID=1915&HID=86&FID=0 Register of Interests for Dick Cole], published on Friday, 21 August 2009, online at cornwall.gov.uk

In Cornwall Council, Cole leads the Mebyon Kernow political group, chairs the Planning Policy Advisory Panel, and represents the council in the Local Government Association's County Councils Network Special Interest Group.[http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1915 Dick Cole] at democracy.cornwall.gov.uk

He has been outspoken on issues regarding the incinerator in St Dennis and the plans to build thousands of new homes through the development of an eco-town. He has also led a delegation to 10 Downing Street to present 50,000 signatures from Cornwall in support of calls for a referendum on the creation of a Cornish Assembly.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/mebyon-kernow-leader-dick-cole-560994|title=Mebyon Kernow leader Dick Cole marks 20 years in the role|last=Whitehouse|first=Richard|date=2017-10-01|website=cornwalllive|access-date=2019-09-20}}

• Mebyon Kernow and Cornish nationalism (with Bernard Deacon and Garry Tregidga) (Cardiff: Welsh Academic Press, 2003, {{ISBN|1-86057-075-5}} )

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{{Portal|Cornwall}}

• [http://mebyonkernow.blogspot.com/ Dick Cole's blog]

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Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:Restormel

Category:Archaeologists from Cornwall

Category:Cornish people

Category:Alumni of the University of Wales, Lampeter

Category:Mebyon Kernow politicians

Category:Members of Cornwall Council

Category:Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom

Category:21st-century English politicians

Category:20th-century English politicians

Category:Bards of Gorsedh Kernow

Category:British political candidates