New alliance to lead Cornwall

A NEW political alliance has been formed to lead Cornwall's new local authority through difficult times.

The Conservatives and independent councillors will be working together at the newly formed Cornwall Council which has taken over from the now-defunct county and district councils.

Conservative councillor Alec Robertson was elected leader of the council yesterday at its first meeting and told the packed house at County Hall: "This isn't the time for jaw-jaw – it's a time for war-war."

The new cabinet is made up of six Conservatives and four independents. It includes independent councillors Graeme Hicks and Mark Kaczmarek, both previously fierce critics of council policy, now in leading positions on the executive.

The Liberal Democrats, who were in charge at County Hall for four years until the elections earlier this month, are now officially in opposition – absent from the executive and without a single chairmanship of the council's scrutiny committees.

The three members of Mebyon Kernow are not officially in the Conservative and independent alliance or with the Liberal Democrat opposition but will be "working with anybody and everybody" for the policies they support.

On being elected leader, Coun Robertson said: "It's a great honour and a great responsibility and I will do my best to be a good leader for the whole council and not just for one part of it. This reflects the will of the people in Cornwall and that hasn't always been the case in this place."

The former county council repeatedly came under fire over its handling of issues such as Newquay Airport, fire cover in the county and the introduction of the unitary authority itself, which was opposed by many.

The new leader said the three things at the top of his agenda were protecting and supporting front-line services, a "war on waste" and a commitment to openness and transparency.

"This isn't the time for jaw-jaw – it's a time for war-war. We have to have a war on waste and we have a culture of secrecy to defeat," he said.

A former Royal Navy lieutenant and pub landlord, Coun Robertson is now looking to the future after the turbulent past of Cornwall County Council.

"We have an army of first-class officers who are just as committed to doing their best for Cornwall as we all are," he said. "It's time to draw a line under the past. We need to work together and prove to the people who put us here that we are up to doing the job they elected us to do."

He said a full audit was now being carried out on the state of the finances of Cornwall Council and the results would be made fully public.

Coun Robertson was the only candidate put forward for leader – his ascension to power was approved by the Conservatives and independents but the Liberal Democrats abstained from the vote.

He was nominated by former Tory chief Jim Currie and seconded by leader of the independent group Neil Burden.

After the meeting, Coun Burden said: "The independents felt that as the Cornish people had elected a hung council, we should honour that and work in a coalition. The Liberal Democrats decided to go into opposition. If we're going to make progress and positive changes, we have to have a majority of members singing from the same hymn sheet."

Doris Ansari stepped down from four years as chairman of the council to take her place as leader of the Liberal Democrats. Pat Harvey (Ind) former leader of Restormel, was voted in as new chairman with John Dyer (Con) as vice-chairman.

Coun Ansari said after yesterday's meeting: "The Conservatives and independents suggested a rainbow coalition of all parties but if we did that, who would be holding the new administration to account?"

She said she would welcome the results of the financial audit now being carried out.

The cost of introducing the new unitary authority was first set at just over £19 million but is now thought to be around £60 million, with millions of pounds of savings expected over the next few years through the centralisation process.

Coun Ansari said: "If we are a genuinely new authority, then we have to say we are not going to keep looking back.

"I'm looking forward to ensuring that we have a first-class authority that delivers excellent services."

Independent councillors Graeme Hicks and Mark Kaczmarek were the most vociferous critics of the old administration, speaking out furiously against the council's decision to publish a magazine, bottled water costs, the handling of Newquay Airport and the proposed logo for the new council, which has since been scrapped.

Both men are now in the cabinet, with Coun Hicks taking responsibility for highways and Coun Kaczmarek housing.

Coun Hicks said: "There are going to be some really difficult decisions in the future but we can't shy away from them."

Coun Kaczmarek said: "We're in a great position to make real changes – from where we are now, the only way is up."