Reform UK has slammed moves by other political groups to stop it taking control of Cornwall Council. In last week’s Cornwall Council election, Reform secured 32.2 per cent of the votes cast, electing 28 councillors from across Cornwall and making the party the largest group on Cornwall Council.

However, not enough councillors were elected to give Reform control of the council. For outright control, a majority of 44 councillors of the 87 representing the divisions across Cornwall are needed. Reform says it has now learned of “backroom alliances” being formed between Liberal Democrats and certain Independent councillors in a “cynical attempt” to exclude Nigel Farage’s party representatives from negotiations.

Reform’s newly elected Torpoint councillor and the party’s county organiser Rob Parsonage said: “On May 1 the people of Cornwall voted for serious change. From a standing start, Reform UK are now the largest party on Cornwall Council.

“These self-serving backroom deals are a total stitch-up. Opposition parties are clearly trying to build a coalition of stagnation to undermine the democratic will of Cornish voters. Unsurprisingly, this is being led by the Liberal Democrats, who have a tendency of attempting to deny the democratic will of the people.

“Reform UK respects the democratic process and rejects the cynicism of old-style politics. We stand ready to work with those who will help us deliver the change that Cornwall voted for.”

The Liberal Democrats gained 13 seats and gave Reform a run for their money with 26 elected councillors. The Independent group lost six seats, ending up with 16 councillors, while the Conservatives performed poorly, ending up with just seven seats. Just a few months ago they held the majority at the council with 44 councillors. Labour now has four seats, with the Greens and Mebyon Kernow both on three. The overall turnout for the Cornwall Council election was 37.21 per cent.

The Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Leigh Frost, told us during Friday night’s election count in Bodmin that his party’s politics was “diametrically opposed” to that of Reform. “Reform stand for one thing and we very clearly stand for another,” he said. On being asked if the Lib Dems would work with Reform, Cllr Frost added: “I don’t think that’s likely.”

He added this week, (Tuesday, May 6): “Obviously we’ve spoken to other groups, but not really about an alliance. Reform are the largest group, albeit by just two seats, so they deserve the chance to form an administration. If they do, they do. If they don’t, then we’ll have to have further conversations. It’s all about ensuring for the next four years there’s an administration that will look after the people of Cornwall in a secure and stable way.”

The Independent group’s leader at the last council, Loic Rich, also said he couldn’t see the Independent group getting into bed with Reform. “My gut feeling is that wouldn’t happen. I can’t speak for anybody else in the group, but I don’t see it happening.”

The Labour and Cooperative Party’s leader at the council, Kate Ewert, said that her group would be looking at coalition building across Cornwall. “We have said categorically that we will not go into any agreement with the Reform party. That is not what we were elected to do. People voted for us, not for Reform, so that’s not the right thing to do.

“I think it’s worth remembering that while Reform has 28 seats on the council, there are 59 other seats where people did not vote for Reform to represent them. So the democratic will of the people of Cornwall is not to have a Reform-led council.”

The Conservatives, who lost 39 seats at the election, said they would not form an alliance with any other group. Their new leader Connor Donnithorne said: “We’re ready and willing to play our part in the council through the committee system to make sure we hold the incoming administration to account, whichever administration it is.

“It’s important that we hear the message loudly and clearly that was sent to us. We had a bad night and it would be wrong for us to shape any coalition talks. To do anything else would simply say that we haven’t learned our lesson.”