THE Reform UK Party has held onto its St Columb Minor and Colan Cornwall Council seat following a by-election held on Thursday.

Heinz Glanville was elected after securing 408 votes in the by-election, which was triggered following the resignation of Reform UK councillor Christine Parsonage in October 2025 due to “ongoing medical reasons.”

Independent John Fitter finished second with 325 votes, Liberal Democrat Geoff Brown third with 296 votes, Frances Williamson from the Green Party in fourth with 173 votes and Conservative Mark Formosa in sixth with 73 votes. The Labour Party’s Stuart Hind was seventh with nine votes and Independent Nigel May received three votes. The turnout was 28 per cent.

Mrs Parsonage’s short tenure as the Colan and St Columb Minor Cornwall councillor was mired in controversy, as she faced criticism from other councillors for living more than 40 miles away from her division and having poor attendance at Newquay Town Council meetings. Residents and fellow councillors will not be able to criticise Mr Glanville for living too far away to represent his constituents as he was born and raised in St Columb Minor.

Mr Glanville said: “I am truly humbled and deeply grateful to have been elected as the councillor for St Columb Minor and Colan.

“Winning people’s trust means everything to me, and I want to start by thanking those who made this possible.

“My sincere thanks go to the Cornwall Council election team. Their professionalism and hard work ensured the process ran smoothly and fairly – a credit to local democracy.

“I also want to acknowledge the other candidates. I have the utmost respect for everyone who put themselves forward to serve our community. Above all, my heartfelt gratitude is to the residents. Whether they voted for me or not, their participation strengthens our area, and I am committed to working hard for every single person in these wards.

“This role is about representing all of us, and I will always put the whole community first. None of this would have been possible without my family, and especially my wonderful wife. Her unwavering support has carried me through every step of this journey.

“Family values, to me, are the bedrock of strong communities – they teach us care, resilience, and the importance of standing together.

“These are the principles I will bring to County Hall as I strive to be a real asset to our area, listening to people’s views and speaking up for what matters to them.

“I stood on priorities that I know resonate with so many local people. Holding the council to account on how their money is spent, prioritising local families for housing, regenerating our town centres, and creating jobs and opportunities for our own residents.

“These are not just campaign promises. hey are commitments I intend to deliver with determination and focus. Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism. Together, we can build an even brighter future for St Columb Minor and Colan. I am here to serve everyone, so please do get in touch.”

Mr Fitter has signalled the by-election defeat is probably the end of his political career.

The former St Columb Minor and Colan Cornwall councillor said: “I congratulate the new member wish him every success in dealing with the myriad of problems and issues that will now fall into his lap, having not been dealt with by the former reform member who resigned after seven months in the post.

“On the assumption that there will not be another by election in this division then my days of campaigning for a seat on Cornwall Council are now over, but I am not going away and I have every intension of helping, with others and the new Cornwall councillor for the area, in holding the local authority to account over the way they have mismanaged the whole sad affair of the Paradise Cove building site and the cliff falls resulting in among other things in the closing of the steps to the cove.

“The community will not rest until the council get a grip on this situation and bring forward a timed route map to getting the steps reopened and restoring this area of Porth from the disaster zone that they the local authority have allowed it to become.”

A fellow Reform UK councillor is now calling for the former Reform members who left the party earlier this year to allow by-elections in their divisions as a result of the St Columb Minor result.

Cllr Richard Barker, who represents St Newlyn East, Goonhavern and Cubert, has written to Cllr Rob Parsonage, calling for him and fellow members of his Cornish Independent Non-aligned Group to allow voters to have their say again in as they did not vote for them in their current political guise.

Cllr Barker says in his letter: “As leader of your group [Cllr O’Connor is actually the leader] I think it’s clear from the results today in St Columb Minor and Colan division that the electorate has maintained their confidence in Reform UK and elected an excellent local candidate in Cllr Heinz Glanville replacing Christine Parsonage.

“In my acceptance speech in May 2025 I said Reform UK needed to become the party of principal. I challenge YOU today and the Cornish Independent Group to renew your mandates, our voters want their votes back and their wards.

“While legally you are not required to do so, morally and politically you are! I challenge you to find winning majorities in your divisions.

“Voters deserve transparency, honesty and trust. I appeal to you to give voters the confidence and moral growth and leadership in politics they desperately deserve.”