Conservatives take control of Cornwall Council

The Conservatives have taken control of Cornwall Council after winning a majority of seats in the local elections.

It will be the first time that the unitary council has had a single party in control since it was formed in 2009 with all previous administrations being made up of coalitions.

Linda Taylor, Conservative group leader, said that it was "the start of a big new adventure for Cornwall".

After winning her seat in St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay she said: "The people of Cornwall have made a momentous decision. They have voted for a Conservative administration.

"For the first time ever Cornwall will have a party that is in control."

She added: "I want to thank the people of Cornwall who have listened to our plan and the policies we put forward and policies they want for Cornwall. We have got some real serious decisions to make in the next few months."

Cllr Taylor added: "We will start to deliver on our plan. Tomorrow is the start of a new, big adventure for Cornwall.

"We will be working with our six Cornish MPs to make sure we deliver exactly what the people of Cornwall want. I am looking forward to the challenge and working with other candidates who have been selected."

She added: "We will make Cornwall a much better place to live and work."

County Hall has been controlled by a Lib Dem/Independent coalition for the last four years but in recent general elections the Lib Dems had seen support decline while the Conservatives and Labour bolstered their votes.

And as results started to trickle in at the three count centres across Cornwall it was the candidates in blue who were looking most confident.

Changes to electoral boundaries and the reduction of councillors from 123 to 87 had given this election an element of the unknown with several seats seeing sitting councillors up against each other.

By the end of the count the Conservatives had secured 47 seats and 37% of the vote securing the majority that Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted to see by the time the G7 summit rolls into Cornwall next month.

The Liberal Democrats meanwhile had secured just 13 seats and 19% of the vote and saw Cabinet members Geoff Brown (Newquay Central) and Rob Rotchell (Camelford & Boscastle) lose out to Conservatives.

Lib Dem group leader Malcolm Brown also lost his seat in St Austell Bethel and Holmbush with Conservative candidate Jordan Rowse the victor.

In addition former Lib Dem MP Dan Rogerson saw his bid to return to politics fail as he lost out to Conservative newcomer John Conway by the slimmest of margins – three votes.

However former St Ives MP Andrew George will be returning to politics after winning in Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval and Heamoor.

He said that it was important that the council and councillors work together to get the best for Cornwall.

The former cabinet members to have retained their seats were leader of the council Julian German, deputy leader Adam Paynter, Rob Nolan, Tim Dwelly, Andrew Mitchell and Edwina Hannaford.

There were a few more surprises among the results including veteran independent councillor Mark Kaczmarek losing out in Redruth Central, Carharrack & St Day to Conservative Connor Donnithorne.

Mebyon Kernow gained an extra seat and will have five councillors in County Hall but the number of Independent councillors had reduced to 15 and their group leader Carolyn Rule was one of the casualties.

The Green Party will have a councillor in the new council after Tamsyn Widdon won in Penryn.

And the Labour Party also increased the size of their group with five councillors having previously had four.

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