The Working Group was established by the Council’s Constitution and Governance Committee in June 2015.
The Working Group has been reconstituted as an Outside Body with appointments being made by the Leader. This is in accordance with the Council’s Outside Body Framework.
Members from the Council administration were appointed in June 2025:
Councillor Leigh Frost (Leader)
Councillor Sarah Preece (Cabinet Member)
Councillor Dick Cole (Mebyon Kernow)
Councillor Richard Barker (Reform UK)
Councillor Dean Evans (Green)
Councillor Julian German (Independent)
Councillor Alan Rowe (Labour)
Councillor Jordan Rowse (Conservative)
Councillor Anna Thomason-Kenyon (Cornish Independent Non-Aligned Group) – appointed May 2026
There are also three co-opted members from Gorsedh Kernow:
Ian Saltern
Will Coleman
Jenefer Lowe
How is the Working Group governed?
The terms of reference of the Working Group detail how the Working Group is governed. Main objectives of the Group are to:
Pursue recognition of Cornwall as the UK's Fifth Nation
Lead, promote and celebrate Cornish National Minority Status
Support the development of Cornish as a community language
Strengthen Cornwall’s cultural, economic, and diplomatic ties with fellow Celtic nations and the global Cornish diaspora
Take forward a Strategic Work Plan to address the provisions of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCPNM) and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) and to monitor its implementation
Formulate responses to the Council of Europe in respect of draft UK Government FCPNM compliance reports
Provide supporting information for the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee Opinion on the UK Government’s compliance reports
Act in an advisory role, liaising with the Council of Europe and UK Government in respect of the FCPNM and ECRML
Working Group Documents
Current key documents produced by the Working Group:
- Fifth Nation Members’ Working Group Strategic Work Plan 2025-29
- Fifth Nation Members’ Working Group Terms of Reference
- A Case For Cornish Public Service Media Summary
- Cornwall Council's submission to the UK Government Fifth Cycle Report 2019
- Cornwall Council Submission To Communications Select Committee
- Census 2021 and Cornish National Minority - Letter from Chair to Chloe Smith MP - April 2020
- Cornwall Council's 2021 update to the UK Government Fifth Cycle Report
- Timeline of recognition of Cornish as a national minority under the FCPNM
- The Cornish: A UK National Minority
- Cornish Minority Report 2014