Background
Cole grew up in Cornwall on the edge of the Goss Moor and was educated at the Treviglas School, Newquay and University of Wales, Lampeter.
Cole grew up in Cornwall on the edge of the Goss Moor and was educated at the Treviglas School, Newquay and University of Wales, Lampeter.
University of Wales.
He lives in Fraddon, a village in Mid-Cornwall. Previous to that he had also campaigned for Plaid Cymru whilst at University in Wales. 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.
On 4 June 2009, Cole contested both 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 2010 Cole was Mebyon Kernow"s prospective parliamentary candidate for the newly formed Street Austell and Newquay constituency in the United Kingdom general election. He gained 2,007 votes (42% of votes cast), placing him in fourth position.
In 2015 Cole again stood as Mebyon Kernow"s parliamentary candidate for the Street Austell and Newquay constituency in the United Kingdom general election.
He gained 2,063 votes (41% 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 0.2%. 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.
Before becoming party leader in 1997, Cole had been Mebyon Kernow"s press officer for the previous five years.
In 1999, he was elected as a member of the borough council of Restormel, representing Street Enoder, retaining his seat until the council was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes. In order to stand at the 2009 elections to it, Cole had to resign his post as an archaeologist working for the County archaeological unit based in Truro, which had become a department of the new unitary council, as employees of a local authority are not allowed to be elected members of it as well as employees. He lives in Fraddon, in Mid-Cornwall, where he is a member of Street Enoder parish council, a governor of Summercourt Primary School, and a trustee of the Fraddon Millennium Green and the Indian Queens Pit.