THE public gallery at Lys Kernow / County Hall was the most packed I’ve ever seen it for today’s first Cornwall Council meeting since the election, writes LDRS reporter Lee Trewhela.

It was a bit like feeding time at the zoo but with all eyes on Reform rather than the lions.

What would their councillors do and say? The answer was not a lot but they did it in a way to make their mark. Abstaining throughout, they also pushed back on council process during one agenda item concerning equality and diversity.

Their group leader, Cllr Rob Parsonage, revealed after the meeting that they have approached the Local Government Association (LGA) to arbitrate after the largest party on the council claimed it had been denied “any meaningful representation on council committees, including our reasonable request for a single chair position on a scrutiny committee. This blatant exclusion ensures Reform UK has no ability to influence decisions or deliver the change our voters demanded”.

He added that Reform councillors abstaining from many of the votes was because they are new to the roles and didn’t know the members nominated for the leading council positions and it was the “appropriate way forward”.

As the new council assembled there was a sense of unease in the chamber and a palpable feeling of nerves among many of the councillors, many of whom have never partaken in any form of council meeting before. For those of us used to the familiarity of the Conservative Cabinet sitting on the right of the chamber, it took a moment to get used to this totally new formation.

The Cabinet seats were left empty throughout the meeting, which was barely an hour long – new councillors are in for a shock when the unerring tedium of six-hour meetings kicks in. The ruling Lib Dem / Independent coalition chose its Cabinet during a meeting earlier this morning.

Its members have now been revealed as Cllr Jim McKenna (Independent), Cllr Hilary Frank (Lib Dem), Cllr Tim Dwelly (Independent), Cllr Sarah Preece (Lib Dem), Cllr Loic Rich (Independent), Cllr Peter La Broy (Independent), Cllr Dan Rogerson (Lib Dem) and Cllr Thalia Marrington (Lib Dem). Their portfolios have yet to be confirmed.

The first item on the agenda was the election of Cornwall Council’s new chair and vice-chair to replace outgoing Conservatives Pauline Giles and Jordan Rowse, two of just seven Tories to keep their seats. Whatever your politics, it’s impossible to deny how well the pair have handled the roles in recent years.

Lib Dem stalwart Rob Nolan, who represents Truro Boscawen & Redannick, was the only councillor nominated as chair. Cllr Nolan was first elected to Cornwall Council in 2009, sat on the now defunct Carrick District Council and has twice been Mayor of Truro. He was duly elected with 61 votes in favour. There were 22 abstentions by Reform councillors (three Reform councillors were absent from the meeting).

Another long-standing councillor, John Thomas MBE – an Independent who represents Lanner, Stithians & Gwennap – was elected vice-chair. This time there were 58 in favour with 24 abstentions.

There then followed the slightly meatier proposition of voting in the new leader to replace the Conservatives’ Linda Taylor, who held the role for the past four years until the Tories were given a drubbing at the May 1 election and she retired. Lib Dem group leader Leigh Frost was the only nomination. He was voted in by 53 votes, with 25 abstentions; Mebyon Kernow’s three councillors joined Reform in not partaking.

In his election speech, Cllr Frost said: “One and all – it’s more than just words. It’s the guiding principle of Cornwall and it is how I intend to lead; together for everyone.” He said the last administration hadn’t worked together, listened or put Cornwall first. “Too often it has been about party politics rather than doing what is right for our communities.

“We’re standing on a platform of practical, clear priorities – more affordable homes for local people, cutting waste and getting back to basics, reducing the council debt where we can because every penny counts; to ensure we do the best we can to protect our environment and investing in the infrastructure we need – roads, housing and services – to unlock Cornwall’s potential.

“We’re in tough times – no one can pretend otherwise – but I truly believe by working together, not just as councillors but with our communities, we can get through it and, more than that, we can build something better.”

Reform entered the fray on the 14th item on the agenda – mandatory member training. Pretty straightforward you would think, but Independent councillor Dulcie Tudor asked for the matter to be deferred for “more nuanced discussion” as “there is a view among some members that some of the elements of this mandatory training should be voluntary. I’m talking about arguably subjective issues where as individuals we have the right to have our own personal views and I’m highlighting the climate and equality and diversity training modules in particular.

“Our own interpretation of these issues is a matter for our own conscience. It is not for the council to define our views for us. It should definitely not be the case therefore that these issues fall under compulsory training on pain of disciplinary action.”

She added: “In this first week we’ve already seen how the Supreme Court’s clarification of the law around sex and gender has meant that the EDI [Equality, Diversity and Inclusion] forms we were all asked to fill out have now been withdrawn, revised and reissued after some of us brought attention to the fact that the council was leaving itself open to legal challenge.”

Reform leader Cllr Parsonage then spoke in the chamber for the first time, which he said was “rather daunting”. Agreeing with Cllr Tudor, he said: “There are areas in here where there is more of a blame culture and a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” He suggested the mandatory training model should go back to the council’s standards committee to be looked at further.

The move to defer the matter was lost by 39 votes against, 36 for and four abstaining. That brought chapter one of the new-look Cornwall Council to an end.