Cornwall Council's ruling administration is facing a political crisis today (Friday, July 26) after a second councillor quit the Conservative group in less than a week. The move by Cllr Adrian Harvey means the Tories have now lost their majority.
In a stinging rebuke to the party he has represented since 2017, Cllr Harvey told CornwallLive: "We knew more when the Lib Dems and Independents were in power. We haven't got a clue now what's going on." The councillor for St Newlyn East, Cubert and Goonhavern said his decision to resign from the Tory group was largely down to the leadership of Cllr Linda Taylor. She has defended her position.
Cllr Harvey's decision yesterday (Thursday, July 25) came after Launceston councillor John Conway resigned from the Conservative group on Monday night following a disciplinary hearing called by Cllr Taylor. Cllr Conway hit the headlines last month after calling Cllr Taylor a "dictator". He said she 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 Anne becoming its chairman.
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A third Tory, Perranporth councillor Steve Arthur, quit the group last December stating the Conservative administration had done "f**k all" since coming to power in Cornwall in 2021. Last week he was removed by Cllr Taylor from the economic growth committee after being voted in as its vice-chairman.
He hasn't been told why but he suspects it's because he didn't vote for Conservative Anne Double's bid to be chair for a second time. Independent councillor Tim Dwelly gained the chairmanship on a ticket of asking for closer scrutiny of the council's deal to find a financial partner for the running of Newquay airport.
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Cllr Harvey said: "I didn't like what happened to Steve Arthur last week and I wasn't happy about the way John Conway was treated on Monday. It's a big decision for me to do this - it took me from Monday until today (Thursday) to make up my mind about it. I didn't do it lightly. The way things are going I couldn't stand as a Conservative the next time around. I'm hoping that my ward members will still vote for me."
He had already written a letter to Conservative deputy leader David Harris saying he would have preferred Cllr Connor Donnithorne to stand as leader rather than see the re-election of Cllr Taylor in May. Cllr Donnithorne failed to win the Camborne and Redruth seat in Parliament for the Tories at the General Election on July 4.
"If Connor became leader I think Steve Arthur would have then come back to the Conservative group, I wouldn't have left and the incident with John Conway would have been dropped," said Cllr Harvey. "Connor is a good councillor - he's the smartest one on the Cabinet.
"I'll be honest with you, it's Linda Taylor's leadership I've got a problem with. I've supported her all the way along, but she's putting her buddies in all the chairmanships and vice-chairmanships. She's not a very good man manager."
He added: "As far as I'm concerned, the officers run Cornwall Council not the members. Everything is done now in the Cabinet - there seems to be a lack of democracy. We knew more when the Lib Dems and Independents were in power. We haven't got a clue now what's going on."
Cllr Harvey will now sit in a new group of stand alone Conservatives with Cllrs Arthur and Conway. "I think what will happen now is that Paul Wills, who is currently an Independent Conservative, will join the Conservative group to ensure they still have a majority," he told us.
Cllr Arthur, on hearing of Cllr Harvey's decision, was also critical of the council's leader. "The way Linda Taylor manages people is awful. There's no man management at all. She's [chief executive officer] Kate Kennally's puppet. If there was a secret ballot, she'd be gone I'm sure of it."
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Commenting on being removed as vice-chair of economic growth, Cllr Arthur added: "She obviously doesn't like the democratic process. It's time the elected members take control of the decisions of this council that affect Cornish people."
Cllr Taylor has responded to the criticism levelled at her by her former colleagues, saying she's disappointed by Cllr Harvey's decision and reluctantly accepted his resignation.
"With all political groups, as time goes by, different allegiances and beliefs come in, but we're here carrying on. We are now a minority administration - obviously we will continue to deliver all our plans and hope we can get support from other members when those issues go to full council."
What does she think about Cllr Harvey's suggestion that she might now try and persuade Cllr Wills to join the group to ensure a majority? "I think you need to speak to Cllr Paul Wills, who stands as an Independent. I can't talk on behalf of Cllr Wills."
On the personal criticism aimed at Cllr Taylor's leadership by Harvey and Arthur, she added: "I think anyone who knows me knows I'm a very strong character in my own right. I put the right people into the right positions because they've got the skills to deliver. You have to look at where the loyalty is within the group, but at the same time I recognise that as a leader you're not going to have everybody on board all the time.
"At this moment in time I have the confidence of the group. I'm disappointed they've said that really and they feel the need to make quite personal remarks about me."
One councillor, who wished to remain anonymous, blamed the crisis facing the Tories on an ongoing bid by the council to find a financial partner to take on the running of costly Newquay airport and develop the 650-acre airport estate.
Opposition councillors and business leaders have complained there hasn't been enough transparency in the apparent choice of an American partner and the matter should be discussed by all members.
The councillor told us: "It looks like the airport 'sell-off' is causing very serious splits in the Conservative group. There is much talk of a vote of no confidence in Linda Taylor.
"If they were to pause and rethink the future of the airport this would probably subside. They would be pretty mad to keep going with the plan which seems to have hardly any support and the business community opposes."
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