THE Duchy has voted and Reform is the word of the week.

There was friction in the air as votes were counted for a new Cornwall Council line-up, with a change from dark to light blue taking place.

The ruling Conservative administration was, in a word, “decimated” - losing 40 seats.

This left space for Reform UK to make good on its leader for Nigel Farage’s claim back in February, when he held a divisive conference in Cornwall, that Reform UK would storm the council at the May 1 election. The party, which previously only had one sitting Reform councillor, will now have 28 councillors at Lys Kernow / County Hall in Truro.

It was also a good day for the Liberal Democrats who gained 13 seats, bringing the party’s total to 26 councillors.

The Independent group ended up with 16 councillors, while the Conservatives ended the day with just seven seats.

Labour has four seats, with the Greens and Mebyon Kernow both on three.

There was a tense atmosphere at the counts this time around as change felt imminent. Our reporters were on the ground speaking to candidates and victors as the results came rolling in thick and fast.

Newquay mayor Cllr Drew Creek was elected onto Cornwall Council representing the Green Party.

He won a close fought battle with Reform UK candidate David Ellis after securing 498 votes, just seven more than his closest opponent.

Cllr Creek said: “We ran our campaign focusing on youth, sensible financial management of assets and care for the environment but overall, this campaign for us is about hope not fear. Clearly hope has won the day.

“I want to thank the residents of Trenance and look forward to working with them for the benefit of the town.”

Former Conservative Kevin Towill has been re-elected to represent Newquay Porth and Tretherras but this time as a Reform UK councillor.

He secured 704 votes with Conservative candidate Olly Monk, the former Trenance Cornwall councillor and Cabinet member for housing, coming in third with 386 votes.

Cllr Towill said: “I’m delighted to represent the Tretherras and Porth ward which will be my third term and my first term as part of this Reform wave. The campaign has been closely fought and it’s been a fair fight.

“The hard work starts now after the election because there are some difficult decisions to make as Cornwall Council is frankly in a mess.”

Reform UK candidate Rowland O’Connor ousted Independent Paul Wills to win the St Columb Major, St Mawgan and St Wenn seat after securing 546 votes.

Mr Wills came in third after gaining 412 votes.

He said: “Fundamentally, we want to serve the people of Cornwall and as a priority we want to address this huge debt that’s been racked up over the last term of £1.3-billion. There’s not a lot you can do when you’re paying £147,000 a day in interest with moving forward public services and we need to address that.”

Newly-elected Saltash Tamar County Councillor, Keith Johnson, believes the Reform party have made quite a statement, not just locally, but nationally.

“What a day, not just here, but around the country,” he said. “I am looking forward to the day Nigel Farage steps into No.10 - and I think we’re on our way.”

Keith Johnson - who polled 596 votes - defeated former county councillor, Sheila Lennox-Boyd (419) and Sarah Martin (550) in a decent three-way race for the division.

Long-serving Conservative councillor Jane Pascoe retained her Liskeard South & Dobwalls, but she was quick to praise fellow Liskeard councillor Nick Craker, who lost his Liskeard Central seat by 12 votes to Reform UK’s Kevin Grey.

She said: “I am really pleased that the residents had the faith in me to return me for a third term. It’s been a tough day and my colleague in Liskeard central will be hugely missed as he worked so hard.

“Nick and I worked so much in tandem, he will be missed and he achieved some wonderful things.

“I will work tirelessly as I always do. It’s going to be really odd down there, I don’t know if there is enough experience coming down, so it’s going to be very difficult.

“I have lots of projects still to do within Liskeard and we need to keep the town thriving.”

Retained Looe councillor Jim Candy admitted it had been a ‘tough day’ and ‘very sad’ to see a number of his Liberal Democrat colleagues work so hard but not get past the finishing post.

He continued: “People are angry. They don’t know what Reform stand for and Reform itself doesn’t know what it stands for. I think it’s going to be very interesting on Cornwall Council seeing some people who don’t know what it means to be an elected councillor. Without their mentors to look after them it’s going to be a difficult time.”

“Tory rebel” and latterly Independent John Conway lost his Launceston South seat to Lib Dem candidate Damon Dennis, while Adam Paynter, the independent candidate for Launceston North and North Petherwin, and Adrian Parsons, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Altarnun and Stoke Climsland both retained their seats.

In response Mr Conway graciously added: “Many thanks to all who supported me today. Unfortunately, I came second in the Cornwall Council election. I wish Cllr Damon Dennis a successful four years representing Sunny Lanson.

“I was re-elected to Launceston Town Council and will do my best to represent all residents.”

Ruth Gripper, former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth, took the Cornwall Council seat for Mylor, Perranarworthal and Ponsanooth with 1,276 votes – a sizeable majority, with Reform in second place with 531 votes. The sitting candidate, Peter Williams, came third with 428 votes.

Ms Gripper said: “I’m delighted, and relieved. I think it reflects the work we put into our campaign, which is only the start of it. I will now focus on representing the people of my division, whether they voted for me or not.

“We can see from the results more broadly that there’s an appetite for change.”

Hot on the heels of his 500-mile wheelchair odyssey around Cornwall, Steven Webb (Lib Dem) has taken the Cornwall Council seat for Truro Moresk & Trehaverne with 373 votes, in a close-run contest that saw Reform candidate Simon Rodgers coming in second with 344 votes, knocking sitting Conservative councillor Chris Wells into third place with 335.

Cllr Webb said: “What a year – I’m overwhelmed, and very excited. It’s another level of responsibility, and people put their faith and trust in you to help them. It’s your job to improve their lives, and it’s a job I’m proud to take on.”

Rob Nolan, Liberal Democrat councillor for Truro Boscawen and Redannick, held his seat. He remarked: “As job interviews go, this one was pretty gruelling.”

An emotional Dan Rogerson spoke of his delight at taking over from his mother, Pat, for the St Mary’s & St Leonards ward in Bodmin.

The former North Cornwall MP said: “This means a lot to me, especially taking over from mum. She’s done a wonderful job for so many years and I just want to build on that moving forward.

“Whether someone is voting for a town councillor right up to Prime Minister, every vote matters and I will do my best to make a real difference. Bodmin has a number of issues, so the hard work starts from today.”

But it was Labour’s Kate Ewert who was made to wait until the last call of the day, when she comfortably returned to her Rame Peninsula & St Germans division with a votes tally of 1,348.

She said: “It’s not going to be too much different for us as a Labour group. We are used to working in opposition and we are used to fighting our corner and punching above our weight.

“For me, the next four years is about building community and my division has a fantastic community. It’s working with the organisations that we have to make sure that the people who are most vulnerable are protected. A lot of the work I’ve done over the last four years has been about housing, so it will be about continuing the good work of a local councillor.”

The next four years are set to be an interesting one for Cornwall Council, with no party or group holding an overall majority.

Altarnun & Stoke Climsland: Adrian Alan Parsons - Liberal Democrat

Bodmin St Mary's & St Leonard: Daniel John Rogerson - Liberal Democrat

Bodmin St Petroc's: Leigh Lansbury Frost - Liberal Democrat

Bude: Peter John La Broy - Independent

Callington & St Dominic: Andrew Long - Mebyon Kernow

Calstock: Angus Black - Reform UK

Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill: James Michael Alexander Ball - Independent

Camborne Trelowarren: Paul White - Independent

Camborne West & Treswithian: Karen Knight - Reform UK

Camelford & Boscastle: Mark Peter Burnett - Liberal Democrat

Constantine, Mabe & Mawnan: Anna Thomason-Kenyon - Reform UK

Crowan, Sithney & Wendron: Loveday Jenkin - Mebyon Kernow

Falmouth Arwenack: Laurie Magowan - Labour

Falmouth Boslowick: Debra Clegg - Labour

Falmouth Penwerris: Alan Rowe - Labour

Falmouth Trescobeas & Budock: David Saunby - Independent

Feock & Kea: Martyn Alvey - Conservative

Four Lanes, Beacon & Troon: Bruce Craze - Reform UK

Fowey, Tywardreath & Par: Ian Wilson - Reform UK

Gloweth, Malabar & Shortlanesend: Karen La Borde - Green

Gwinear-Gwithian & Hayle East: Rob Heslington - Reform UK

Hayle West: Peter Channon - Reform UK

Helston North: Mike Thomas - Independent

Helston South & Meneage: Nicola Boase - Liberal Democrat

Illogan & Portreath: Cliff Crawford - Reform UK

Land's End: Brian Clemens - Independent

Lanivet, Blisland & Bodmin St Lawrence: Christopher Charles Batters - Liberal Democrat

Lanner, Stithians & Gwennap: John Thomas MBE - Independent

Launceston North & North Petherwin: Adam Richard Paynter - Independent

Launceston South: Damon Siegfried Dennis - Liberal Democrat

Liskeard Central: Kevin Ian Grey - Reform UK

Liskeard South & Dobwalls: Jane Pascoe - Conservative

Long Rock, Marazion & St Erth: John Martin - Liberal Democrat

Looe East & Deviock: Mark Gibbons - Independent

Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos & Lanteglos: James Candy - Liberal Democrat

Lostwithiel & Lanreath: Sarah Preece - Liberal Democrat

Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval & Heamoor: Juliet Anna Line - Liberal Democrat

Lynher: James Gale - Reform UK

Mevagissey & St Austell Bay: James Mustoe - Conservative

Mousehole, Newlyn & St Buryan: Thalia Marrington - Liberal Democrat

Mullion & St Keverne: Rory Gow - Liberal Democrat

Mylor, Perranarworthal & Ponsanooth: Ruth Gripper - Liberal Democrat

Newquay Central & Pentire: Joanna Nora Kenny - Liberal Democrat

Newquay Porth & Tretherras: Kevin Towill - Reform UK

Newquay Trenance: Andrew Douglas Creek - Green

Padstow: William James O'Keefe - Liberal Democrat

Penryn: Dean Evans - Green

Penwithick & Boscoppa: James Dion Hanlon - Reform UK

Penzance East: Tim Dwelly - Independent

Penzance Promenade: Jim McKenna - Independent

Perranporth: Louise Blackman - Reform UK

Pool & Tehidy: Susanne Desmonde - Reform UK

Porthleven, Breage & Germoe: Jay Hodgetts - Liberal Democrat

Poundstock: Nicola Chopak - Liberal Democrat

Probus & St Erme: Karen Glasson - Conservative

Rame Peninsula & St Germans: Kathryn Jane Ewert - Labour

Redruth Central, Carharrack & St Day: Connor Donnithorne - Conservative

Redruth North: Roger Tarrant - Reform UK

Redruth South: Sally Harrison - Reform UK

Roche & Bugle: Stephen Paul Trevelyan - Reform UK

Saltash Essa: Hilary Frank - Liberal Democrat

Saltash Tamar: Keith Andrew Johnson - Reform UK

Saltash Trematon & Landrake: Paul Anthony Cador - Reform UK

St Agnes: Pete Mitchell - Liberal Democrat

St Austell Bethel & Holmbush: Jordan Rowse - Conservative

St Austell Central & Gover: Jack Yelland - Reform UK

St Austell Poltair & Mount Charles: Paul Ashton - Reform UK

St Blazey: Pauline Dawn Giles - Conservative

St Cleer & Menheniot: Sean Andrew Smith - Reform UK

St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn: Rowland O'Connor - Reform UK

St Columb Minor & Colan: Christine Morrison Parsonage - Reform UK

St Dennis & St Enoder: Richard Michael Cole - Mebyon Kernow

St Goran, Tregony & the Roseland: Julian German - Independent

St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay: Luke Rogers - Liberal Democrat

St Ives West & Towednack: Andrew Paul Mitchell - Independent

St Mewan & Grampound: Julie Cunningham - Reform UK

St Newlyn East, Cubert & Goonhavern: Richard Barker - Reform UK

St Stephen-In-Brannel: Elaine Kist - Reform UK

St Teath & Tintagel: David Michael Garrigan - Liberal Democrat

Stratton, Kilkhampton & Morwenstow: Faye Elizabeth Emery - Liberal Democrat

Threemilestone & Chacewater: Dulcie Tudor - Independent

Torpoint: Rob Parsonage - Reform UK

Truro Boscawen & Redannick: Robert Nolan - Liberal Democrat

Truro Moresk & Trehaverne: Steven Webb - Liberal Democrat

Truro Tregolls: Loic Rich - Independent

Wadebridge East & St Minver: Rosie Moore - Liberal Democrat

Wadebridge West & St Mabyn: Robin Edward Moorcroft - Independent