A PROMINENT Newquay councillor has defected from the Conservative Party to become Cornwall Council’s first Reform UK representative.

Tretherras Cornwall councillor Kevin Towill made the announcement at Reform’s party conference, which was held at Carn Brea Leisure Centre on Monday, February 24.

The news was warmly greeted by party leader Nigel Farage

Mr Towill, who represents the Trenance ward at Newquay Town Council, has recently returned to politics after spending more than six months in Derriford Hospital’s neurological rehabilitation unit following the successful removal of a brain tumour earlier this year.

He worked on casework whilst he was recovering in hospital and is now keen to represent Reform at Cornwall Council.

Cllr Towill said: “I’m tired of the political division between the main parties in Cornwall and wants to represent a party “that stands for community and for the people.

“Reform is now attracting people across the political spectrum.

“The Conservative Party’s record in Government was totally unacceptable, the in-fighting was terrible and only Reform offers a clear way ahead.

“I’ve been a Newquay town councillor since 2007 and a Cornwall councillor since 2017, and my message to residents is that with Reform backing me, I am able to serve you better than ever.”

Cllr Towill’s defection comes at a bad time for Cornwall Council’s Conservative administration, which lost its majority last month when Mike McLening resigned from the party and became a member of the Independent group. The council election is on May 1.

The Reform event at a packed leisure centre was certainly eventful with protesters making their presence known in the afternoon.

Many of those present converged on Carn Brea after calls for a peaceful protest on social media.

However, it turned ugly at times as demonstrators – many of whom were masked – tried to stop Reform supporters entering the building, before police moved them to another part of the leisure centre.

Among shouts of “shame on you”, “Nazis”, “refugees are welcome here” and “Cornwall is anti-fascist”, the protesters held up banners with slogans such as “St Piran Was A Refugee”, “Save our NHS, Stop Reform UK” and the to-the-point “Seriously? How Are You Still Listening To This Dickhead?”

Once inside, Nigel Farage stated to be met by a protest as angry as that at Carn Brea was “very, very rare”.

“We get left wing trade union activists – we’re used to that. We’re used to name calling and a few eggs being thrown, but this was very different.

“This was Antifa – a very dangerous American organisation, who’ve spread their tentacles over here and they’re violent. They see violent protest as being acceptable.

“I’ve been told that somebody has already had their tooth knocked out.

“These are very nasty, dangerous people.

“No political protest in Britain should be allowed with people wearing masks. That is completely unacceptable at every level.

“I’m astonished that Antifa have not been banned as an organisation because of their repeated use of violence.

“I have to say I am not happy with the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police because the argument that we don’t intervene until things have gone wrong as opposed to policing being preventative … I’m pretty appalled frankly. I tour the country repeatedly and most police forces would stop that and made sure there was plenty of room for members of the public to come in.

“What’s happening in that hall is a democratic exercise by a peaceful party headed towards an election on May 1 in Cornwall that matters rather a lot.”

Farage ended the night of speakers to the sort of rabid welcome most rock stars would be pleased with. Middle of the road rock stars, that is. Actually, right of the middle of the road rock stars.

He told his supporters that polling in Cornwall suggests that if there was a general election now it would win St Austell and Newquay and South East Cornwall.

He then went on to criticise Cornwall Council and its £1.3bn debt as the conference heard that there are now more than enough Reform candidates to fight for the 87 seats on the council in May.

Other speakers included former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe and right wing political commentator and sometime GB News presenter Matt Goodwin, who, like many of those who preceded him, ended his speech with “I want this country back.”