Cornwall’s council leader faces backlash for her comments on a Cornwall-only devolution deal, sparking outrage among political rivals and council members.
Cornwall: The council leader, Linda Taylor, is under fire for her comments about a Cornwall-only devolution deal. Independent councillor Julian German called her remarks “totally bonkers.” He was upset that she described Cornwall as being in a “nationalist wonderland.”
This all started during a council meeting where they voted on sticking to their plan for devolution. The vote was 54 in favor and only 4 against, with 11 abstentions. They want to avoid any combined deals with neighboring areas like Plymouth or Torbay.
Linda Taylor abstained from the vote. Just a few days later, she attended a meeting with other county leaders. German, who is also part of that network, was shocked by her comments during the meeting.
He said she was dismissive of the council’s decision and that it was not a close vote. He felt her comments missed the point of what the council was trying to achieve.
Linda Taylor had previously survived a vote of confidence as leader, but her recent comments have raised eyebrows. German believes her behavior is not what Cornwall needs from its leader.
While Taylor has not commented on the backlash, she did express hope that Cornwall’s MPs would hold the Government accountable for decisions affecting the region.
On the same day as the devolution vote, the council lost its ruling majority when a councillor switched to the Independent group.
