A councillor has resigned from the ruling Conservative group on Cornwall Council saying he refuses to keep his residents in the dark. Cllr John Conway, who represents Launceston South, announced his resignation last night (Monday, July 22) following a disciplinary meeting.

Cllr Conway hit the headlines last month after calling his boss, Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor, a "dictator". He said Cllr Taylor removed him from taking part in an economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee meeting because he disagreed with former MP Steve Double's wife becoming its chairman.

In a statement issued yesterday, Cllr Conway said: "This evening the Conservative group on Cornwall Council held a disciplinary meeting. I made it abundantly clear that I would continue to support resolutions which benefit Launceston."

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He added: "I also refused to keep my residents in the dark and would keep them informed of relevant information via the press and other means. I have therefore resigned from the Conservative group on Cornwall Council.

"The people of Launceston deserve to know what is happening and as your Cornwall councillor I will continue to work to ensure that Launceston continues to get at least its share of any cake."

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Cllr Taylor has responded to her colleague's resignation from the Tory group she heads. “I am disappointed that Cllr John Conway’s values no longer align with the Conservative group and that he has chosen to leave our group. It will be for the people of his division, who elected him as a Conservative, under our Cornwall Conservative Manifesto, to judge him accordingly come the next local elections,” she said.

Cllr Conway told CornwallLive last month he suspected other members of the Tory group are preparing to jump ship - and that was before the dreadful General Election result for the party across the country. He said: "I'm not the only Tory at present unhappy about things. There are several who have got various different gripes."

Cllr Conway told us he is reluctant to join another group at present as he was elected on a Tory ticket, but he may now sit as a "non aligned" councillor.

His resignation now means the Conservative administration only has a majority of one, with 44 sitting Conservatives - the number needed for a majority party. The other parties combined - Independent, Liberal Democrats, Mebyon Kernow, Labour and Greens - now have 43 seats.

Cllr Conway's resignation follows that of Cllr Steve Arthur, who stood down from the council's Conservative group last December, stating the Tory administration had done "f*** all" since coming to power in Cornwall in 2021.

Cllr Arthur, who now sits on the council as a Stand Alone Conservative for Perranporth, said a decision by the council's strategic planning committee to allow a solar farm to be built on 33 fields near Summercourt was the final straw.

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Last week Tory councillor Richard Williams-Pears stepped down as the council's portfolio holder for transport, to be replaced in the role in the ruling Cabinet by Cllr Connor Donnithorne, who failed in his attempt to become the Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth at the election earlier this month - but now gets a pay rise with the promotion.

Cllr Williams-Pears said: “It has been an honour to serve on the Cabinet for more than three years, but now feels the right time to step down and I do so knowing that Connor will continue to provide the focus on the role our residents deserve.”

Cllr Donnithorne previously held the role during a period when the council controversially increased tariffs in its car parks across Cornwall.