Loveday Jenkin

Councillor Loveday Jenkin
Leader of Mebyon Kernow
In office 1990–1997
Preceded by	Loveday Carlyon
Succeeded by	Dick Cole
Personal details
Nationality	British
Political party	Mebyon Kernow
Occupation	Councillor

Loveday Jenkin is a Cornish nationalist politician.

Jenkin is the daughter of Richard and Ann Jenkin, key figures in Cornish nationalist political party Mebyon Kernow. She studied plant bioscience at Cardiff University and the University of Cambridge, and worked at a local conservation charity.

In 1990, she was elected as leader of Mebyon Kernow, then at a low ebb. She served until 1997, focusing on reviving the party's electoral performance. She stood as the party's candidate for Cornwall and West Plymouth at the 1994 European election, taking 1.5% of the vote. Soon after, she was elected to Kerrier District Council, representing the Crowan district. She subsequently stood, unsuccessfully, for Parliament on a number of occasions.

At the 2010 general election, she stood in Camborne and Redruth, taking 775 votes, coming 5th. out of seven candidates.

At the 2015 general election, she again stood in Camborne and Redruth, taking 897 votes, giving her the last place of 6 candidates standing, but increasing her vote total and also her percentage of votes cast (+0.2%).

She was elected to Cornwall Council in a 2011 by-election, representing the Wendron district.

Jenkin is a lecturer at the Camborne School of Mines, where she has undertaken studies into Japanese knotweed, She is also a bard of the Gorsedh Kernow, has served as Cornwall's Great Trees Officer, and chairs the Cornish Language Fellowship. Jenkin has two children, who were brought up speaking Cornish as their first language.