2025 Cornwall Council election

2025 Cornwall Council election

← 2021 1 May 2025 (2025-05-01) 2029 →
All 87 seats in the Cornwall Council 44 seats needed for a majority
Leader Linda Taylor Loic Rich Leigh Frost Party Conservative Independent Liberal Democrats Leader's seat St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay Truro Tregolls Bodmin St Petroc's Current seats 43 20 13 Seats needed 1 24 31   Leader Kate Ewert[a] Dick Cole Tamsyn Widdon Party Labour Co-op Mebyon Kernow Green Leader's seat Rame Peninsula & St Germans St Dennis & St Enoder Penryn Current seats 5 5 1 Seats needed 39 39 43
Map showing the composition of Cornwall Council following the 2021 election.
Incumbent Leader Linda Taylor Conservative

The 2025 Cornwall Council election will be held on Thursday 1 May 2025 to elect all 87 councillors to Cornwall Council. It will take place on the same day as other council elections in the United Kingdom.^[1]

At the previous election in 2021 the Conservatives gained majority control of the council.^[2] 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.^[3]

Cornwall Council is a unitary authority which has held elections every four years since its creation in 2009.^[4] In the previous election in 2021, the Conservative Party won a majority of seats, taking over governance of the council^[5] from the previous Liberal Democrat coalition with independent councillors.^[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]

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, Cllr. Steve Arthur, who represents Perranporth, resigned from the Conservative group.^[12] Cllr Arthur, who now sits non-aligned as "Stand Alone Conservative",^[13] stated complaints with the strategic planning committee over the approval of a solar farm within his ward.^[14]

In the last week of July 2024 the Conservatives lost their majority on the council, after Cllr John Conway (Launceston South ward) resigned from the party following a disciplinary meeting^[15] and Cllr Adrian Harvey (St Newlyn East, Cubert and Goonhavern ward) resigned after citing issues with Conservative Leader Linda Taylor’s leadership.^[3]

Following the resignation of Conservative councillor Tara Sherfield-Wong, due to health concerns, a by-election was called on 16th of February 2023.^[16][17]

Long Rock, Marazion & St Erth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Martin	811	45.4	22.0
	Conservative	Will Elliott	503	28.1	8.3
	Green	Catherine Hayes	244	13.6	2.5
	Labour	Nastassia Player	230	12.9	1.2
Majority			308	17.3	4.3
Turnout			1,788	32.4	10.6
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	15.1

Following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Edwina Hannaford, due to "an aggressive form of cancer",^[18] a by-election was called on 27th of February 2024. The poll took place on Thursday 4 April 2024.^[19] The seat was retained by the Liberal Democrats with a reduced vote share, securing 44.8% of the vote.^[20]

Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos and Lanteglos

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jim Candy	604	44.8	16.6
	Conservative	Richard Dorling	414	30.7	0.5
	Labour	Amy Louise Ladd	254	18.9	10.5
	Green	Paul Clark	75	5.6	New
Majority			210	15.5	15.6
Turnout			1353	28.28	13.72
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	16.6

A by-election was called when Jayne Kirkham resigned from the council after being elected as a member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth at the 2024 general election.^[21] The seat was retained by the Labour party with a reduced vote share, securing 43.5% of the vote.^[22]

Falmouth Penwerris

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alan Rowe	337	43.5	20.2
	Liberal Democrats	John Spargo	228	29.4	24.7
	Green	Jackie Walkden	189	24.4	16.1
Majority			109	14.1	30.1
Turnout			775	15.5	21.3
	Labour hold		Swing	20.2