Reform leader declares era of 'common sense decisions' and explains why party's 'not racist'

The new Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council says his party’s rise to power at the authority marks “a new dawn”.

- by Paul Faulkner

Stephen Atkinson was speaking as he officially took the helm at County Hall on Thursday afternoon, when councillors of all political colours gathered for the first full meeting since the local elections.

He said Reform’s resounding victory at the polls in Lancashire earlier this month - which saw the party secure 53 of the county council's 84 seats — gave his group “a mandate for change”, on which it intended to deliver.

County Coun Atkinson told the meeting that the party’s guiding principle in Lancashire would be to judge each policy move by asking the question: “Does the decision we are taking make life better for the residents of Lancashire?”

“If the answer is yes, we do it,” he declared, ushering in what he said would be a “common sense” approach.

The new county council leader—who had already been chosen to head up the Reform group last week - was elected by the chamber ‘without objections’, rather than by a formal vote.

The new Reform cabinet was also unveiled at the authority’s annual general meeting - where it quickly became apparent that the top table was to be an all-male line-up. Nine of the broader Reform group are women, but none has made it to cabinet, nor to the group of ‘lead members’ who assist the cabinet portfolio-holders.

Speaking to the Lancashire Post after the meeting, Coun Atkinson defended what he said was the outcome of a process designed to ensure the right people got the top jobs.