ONE of Cornwall’s six Conservative MPs who all lost their seats at the July 2024 general election has announced he will be standing for a Cornwall Council seat on May 1.

Derek Thomas lost to Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George who stole back the St Ives constituency seat last year.

Mr Thomas has announced he will be standing as a councillor for the Long Rock, Marazion and St Erth division, which includes Goldsithney, Perranuthnoe, Rosudgeon and a number of other communities, in the upcoming council elections.

He was the Conservative MP for the area for nine years before he was unseated by the previous incumbent, Mr George, at last July’s general election. Mr George had been the MP for west Cornwall from 1997 to 2015.

Speaking on social media, Mr Thomas said: “It was a great honour and privilege to do that job and I believe in public service. I believe in trying to fix things and helping people, and working with others to help people, which is why I’m keen to stand and to be elected.”

Since July, he has returned to his building business. Mr Thomas trained as a Cornish mason and says he has enjoyed returning to working on “buildings old and new”, but “in my heart” wants to serve his local community.

He added he wanted to “see what we can do to make things better, but also to challenge how money is spent, to challenge how services are delivered and making sure people can access services that Cornwall Council both has a duty to offer but also should want to offer to every citizen no matter where they live or what their circumstances are”.

Mr Thomas is the second ousted Tory MP to announce he is standing as a Cornwall councillor. Steve Double, who lost his St Austell and Newquay seat after nine years to Labour’s Noah Law, is standing as the Conservative candidate for the St Mewan and Grampound division.

He said last month: “Many people have urged me to stand for council, and I feel it would be a waste not to once again put my experience to work for the people of Cornwall. I am offering the residents of St Mewan and Grampound the opportunity to elect an effective and proven leader who will fight for their interests.”