THE mayor has demanded better representation from a Newquay Cornwall councillor to her constituents.

Cllr Drew Creek, on behalf of Newquay Town Council, has written a letter to Reform UK St Columb Minor and Colan representative Christine Parsonage, demanding “Newquay deserves engaged advocates.”

It follows criticism Cllr Parsonage has yet to attend a Newquay Town Council meeting since being elected on May 1. Mrs Parsonage, who lives 40 miles away in Torpoint, told the Newquay Voice she was a paper candidate and did not expect to be elected following the criticism.

Cllr Parsonage added she is too busy to attend town council meetings as she works as a registered nurse but does attend her Cornwall Council committee meetings and replies to correspondence.

Her husband, Rob Parsonage, the leader of the Reform UK group at Cornwall Council, states he will be writing formally to Cllr Creek, who is also the Leader of the Green Party at Cornwall Council and the Trenance Cornwall councillor, to demand that the town council withdraws its letter with “immediate effect.”

He also appealed to the authority to issue an unreserved written apology to Cllr Parsonage for the “unwarranted public humiliation.”

Town councillors said they would like to see Cllr Parsonage give the same level of attendance as that of John Fitter, who previously represented St Columb Minor and Colan. He regularly attended the monthly full town council meetings to provide updates on the issues in the area.

Cllr Creek, the letter to Cllr Christine Parsonage, said: “I write at the formal request of Newquay Town Council, following a resolution passed at our full council meeting on Wednesday, August 6.

“Elected members have unanimously asked me to address your continued absence from all Full Council meetings since your election in May.

“As you know, your predecessor provided valued monthly updates to Newquay Town Council, a vital channel for St Columb Minor and Colan constituents to raise issues. This representation has been absent since May.

“While I appreciate elected members balance multiple commitments, consistent attendance remains fundamental to fulfilling our duty. Meeting dates were provided in advance, and your presence is expected as part of your responsibilities.

“I therefore request your written commitment to attend the next Newquay Town Council full council meeting on Wednesday, October 1 and prioritise attendance at all future meetings.

“Separately, and not as part of the council’s resolution, I must acknowledge the significant community reaction to a subsequent article in the Newquay Voice this week. “It reported claims that you stood as a paper candidate and reside 40 miles from the division. Whether accurate or not, this publicity has understandably compounded public concern about your capacity to actively represent the constituency.

“Newquay deserves engaged advocates. I remain available to discuss how we might support your recommitment.”

Cllr Rob Parsonage, who is the Torpoint Cornwall councillor, has accused the town council of casting aside the principles of public life to score “cheap political points.”

He said: “At the outset, it must be made clear that there is no requirement for a Cornwall councillor to attend a parish or town council meeting. This fact is well known to many of those who nevertheless voted in favour of writing to the Councillor for St Columb Minor and Colan.

“For the Green Party, under the leadership of Cllr Creek, and proposed by Cllr Steve Slade, to unleash their political bias in an attempt to undermine a duly elected councillor who is fulfilling her role is an appalling abuse of power and an affront to the offices they hold on both Newquay Town Council and Cornwall Council.

“They have abandoned the very principles that all elected members should uphold – the seven principles of public life, which are selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

“In this case, they have cast these principles aside to score cheap political points. Such conduct is a disgrace to public life. Personally, I would be ashamed to be associated with such an overt act of humiliation, abuse, and bullying of a hardworking councillor. This is old-style politics – and Reform UK will have none of it.

“This type of behaviour is precisely why so many voters have turned away from the traditional parties. In Cornwall alone, 47,846 voters supported Reform UK at the last election compared to just 6,408 for the Greens. In Newquay specifically, Reform UK received 2,177 votes, while the Greens received only 498. The verdict from the electorate could not be clearer. The Green Party is now attempting to appear relevant by undermining the democratic process and the mandate given to a duly elected councillor.

“I challenge the Leader of the Green Party and his colleagues to speak to the elderly gentleman who recently had his mobility care package delivered personally by his Councillor Christine Parsonage, after she completed a night shift and then spent a further two hours resolving all related issues. That is the standard of service she provides, and it stands in stark contrast to the petty political games played by her detractors.”