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2025 Cornwall Council election

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2025 Cornwall Council election
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The 2025 Cornwall Council election was held on Thursday 1 May 2025 to elect all 87 councillors to Cornwall Council. It took place on the same day as other council elections across England.[1]

Quick facts All 87 seats on Cornwall Council 44 seats needed for a majority, Turnout ...

The council was under no overall control prior to the election, being run by a Conservative minority administration. Following the election, the council remained under no overall control, with Reform UK, which had no elected councillors at the prior ellection, the largest party but without a controlling majority. A Liberal Democrat and independent administration subsequently formed to run the council after the election.

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Background

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Cornwall Council has been a unitary authority since 2009 and holds elections every four years.[2]

At the previous election in 2021 the Conservatives gained majority control of the council.[3][4] However, in the years between the elections the Conservatives saw several of their members leave the party, leaving the council under no majority control by the end of July 2024.[5] The Conservatives continued to run the council as a minority administration. The Conservative group leader and leader of the council prior to the election was Linda Taylor; she did not stand for re-election in 2025.[6]

Cornwall Council has sought a devolution agreement from the Westminster Government. In 2022 a Level Three Devolution deal, similar to English combined authorities, was offered. This deal would have required a transition from the Leader/Cabinet model, to a Directly-Elected Mayor/Cabinet system.[7] Following decision not to pursue a level three deal, due in part to opposition to a Directly elected mayor for Cornwall, a level two deal was negotiated and passed in late 2023.[8] This deal agreed to devolved powers and additional funding over Adult Education, Green Energy, and Cornish Cultural activities.[9]

Changes 2021–2025

In January 2023, Paul Willis, independent councillor for the St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn ward, aligned himself to the Conservative group.[10][11]

During December 2023, Steve Arthur, elected as a Conservative representing Perranporth, resigned from the Conservative group.[12] He subsequently sat as a "Stand Alone Conservative".[13][14]

In the last week of July 2024 the Conservatives lost their majority on the council, after John Conway (Launceston South ward) resigned from the party following a disciplinary meeting,[15] and Adrian Harvey (St Newlyn East, Cubert and Goonhavern ward) resigned after citing issues with Conservative leader Linda Taylor’s leadership.[5]

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Council composition

More information After 2021 election, Before 2025 election ...
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    Opinion polls

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    Summary

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    In the election the council continued to be under no overall control, with the Conservative's number of seats collapsing to single digits.[17] Cornwall's elections were also notable for having the ward with the lowest winning vote share in the whole country; Steven Webb, the Liberal Democrats candidate, won the Truro Moresk and Trehaverne seat with only 18.9% of the vote.[18]

    Reform UK had no seats on the council prior to the election. It emerged as the largest party after the election, winning 28 of the 87 seats. However, they were unable to find any potential coalition partners willing to work with them. Instead a minority administration of the Liberal Democrats (the second-largest party, with 26 seats) and the independent councillors formed to run the council instead.[19] The Liberal Democrat group leader was Leigh Frost; he was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2025.[20]

    Total candidates

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    Electoral division results

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    Sitting councillors seeking re-election are marked with an asterisk (*).

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    Notes

    1. Acting leader, following Jayne Kirkham being elected as an MP

    References

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