THERE is growing dissatisfaction among councillors at the amount of time being taken up at Cornwall Council meetings with matters which don’t directly affect Cornish residents.

This view was shared many times during a lengthy debate concerning whether heads of committees should be referred to as ‘chairman’ or ‘chair’.

It was raised again during a motion brought by Reform UK councillors calling for the council leader to write to the government opposing its plan to reduce trials by jury.

An Independent councillor said the council was “wasting time on writing letters” when he believed he was elected to address issues directly for the residents in his division.

Justice Secretary David Lammy announced plans in late 2025 to significantly reduce trials by jury for “either-way” offences – such as theft, ABH and some drug cases – with likely sentences under three years, moving them to new “swift courts” with judge-only decisions to tackle massive court backlogs.

A motion – ‘Cornwall Council says it values trial by jury’ – was proposed by Reform councillor Kevin Towill and seconded by fellow Reform member Cllr Louise Blackman. It was supported by six other Reform councillors, one Liberal Democrat and a Cornish Independent Non-aligned Group member.

Cllr Towill argued that trial by jury is a cornerstone of justice across England and Wales, safeguarding open justice, public confidence and community participation in the rule of law.

He added that the civic duty of jurors from across Cornwall that helps ensure fairness and legitimacy in serious criminal proceedings.

His motion called for Cornwall Council leader Cllr Leigh Frost to write to the Home Secretary condemning the government’s plans to “massively restrict the ancient right to trial by jury”.

The motion also called for the leader to write to the Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and Cornwall’s MPs urging the safeguarding of jury trials.

An ongoing argument among some councillors that motions discussed at full council should reflect issues which are more pertinent to Cornish residents came up during debate.

Independent councillor James Ball said during the meeting: “As much as there is pressure on the justice system, I’m a little bit shocked that we’re wasting time yet again on writing letters.

“That was not what I was elected to do. I was elected to address issues directly for my residents. We’re wasting time – I won’t be supporting this motion.”

Cllr Towill responded: “It’s easy to dismiss this as a letter being written, but I do feel that with our opposition to digital ID we stood up along with many other authorities in the country and the message got through.

“It was a grassroots thing where we showed our opposition and we’re doing much the same thing here. We’re saying ‘no, not in our name’.”

Cornwall Council became the first local authority in the country to agree to write to the Labour government saying ‘no’ to its bid to introduce mandatory digital ID last November. The government has since made a U-turn on the plans.

Councillors voted in favour of writing in opposition to the government’s trial by jury plans.