The group leader of the Liberal Democrats on Cornwall Council has today (Friday, November 15) announced his intention to leave the county.

Colin Martin, Cornwall councillor for Lostwithiel and Lanreath reached out on social media to inform residents of his decision to move away from the area making him ineligible to stand for Cornwall Council elections due in May next year.

A move to London is planned for the councillor who was also the Liberal Democrat candidate for the general election in July in South East Cornwall. He will join his wife Kate, who has secured a new position in the capital.

He said: “For the past eight years, I have made the choice to serve my community… I am proud of what I have achieved… But these achievements have had a cost. A thousand individual choices to attend a meeting or spend time campaigning have meant sacrificing time with my family.

“Now my wife has been offered a more senior role in education. She will be based in London, and this time I have made the choice to put family first and move there with her.”

Originally from Wakefield in Yorkshire, Colin moved to Cornwall in 2005 and was elected as a Cornwall councillor for Lostwithiel in 2017 gaining support after negotiating a deal between the community centre and Post Office Ltd for an outreach service when the town’s post office closed. He previously worked alongside former South East Cornwall MP Colin Breed as a case worker.

Cllr Colin Martin marching in support of the Tamar Toll Action Group and more than 300 protesters across the Tamar Bridge
Cllr Colin Martin leading the march in 2023 over the Tamar Bridge in support of the Tamar Toll Action Group with more than 300 protesters and his faithful dog Bruce. ( )

Among his achievements, he sites Cornwall Council declaring a housing emergency in 2021, leading to cross-party talks and agreeing a package of measures to control the spread of second homes and holiday rentals. Most of these measures have now become law for the whole of England.

He also proposed a Cornwall Climate Commission which has been set up and will give Cornwall an independent assessment of progress towards net zero and our preparedness for extreme weather.

Chair of the Lib Dem group on Cornwall Council, Hilary Frank said: “Colin’s departure marks the end of an extraordinary chapter of service and dedication to Cornwall. Colin has been a tireless, fearless champion for the community, delivering real results on issues ranging from affordable housing to climate action.

“As the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Cornwall Council, Colin has led with sharp intellect and an unwavering commitment to excellence in policy scrutiny, ensuring that decisions made at County Hall are in the best interests of Cornwall’s residents.

“While we are sad to see him step down, we respect his decision to prioritise his family and wish them all the best for the future. His leadership and vision will be greatly missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire those of us working to make Cornwall a better place for all.”

Chair of Safe38, James Millidge said: “We are very sad to hear of the news that Councillor Martin will be standing down at the next election.

“Colin has been an avid campaigner for safety improvements on the A38 and has been influential in helping the A38 to be prioritised for investment. There is still much work to do on this to ensure average speed cameras are delivered as as soon as possible for the Carkeel to Trerulefoot section.

Cllr Colin Martin with member of Safe38 campaign group looking for improvements to the section of the A38 in SE Cornwall. (Picture: Safe38)
Cllr Colin Martin with member of Safe38 campaign group looking for improvements to the section of the A38 in SE Cornwall. (Picture: Safe38) ( )

“The committee will miss his attendance out our monthly meetings and we wish the very best for his future.”

Scott Slavin, Vice Chair of Tamar Toll Action Group adds: “As one of the earliest members of local government to recognise the importance of our campaign for change on the way the Tamar Crossings are funded, TTAG as a group are grateful to Cllr Colin Martin for his engagement with us and the efforts he made to centralise it at the heart of Lib Dem Policy in the South West.

“It is, at least in part, his early recognition of the importance of this issue that has led other parties, and members of local and national government, to have to accept that it is an issue that requires a long term resolution, particularly for the people and businesses of South East Cornwall.

“TTAG would therefore like to thank Cllr Colin Martin for his support and wish him and his family all the best for their new lives in London.”

Colin’s time on Cornwall Council hasn’t been entirely without controversy. In January last year, the councillor was reprimanded for tweets criticising a council cabinet member and found to have breached the council’s code of conduct. He was ordered to apologise but failed to do so and was censured by the council’s standards committee.

A politician through and through, his leaving statement didn’t spare a dig at the newly elected MP Anna Gelderd, saying: “On 22nd May, Rishi Sunak made two very questionable choices: First he walked outside without an umbrella; then he decided to call the election which led to a landslide Labour victory.

“On that very same day, my wife was offered a job running a special school back in Cornwall. Had I won the election, we would soon have been living apart again, but that was a price we were still willing to pay in order for me to serve South East Cornwall in Parliament.

“But the voters made a different choice. They chose to give their backing to a Labour candidate who promised “change”. Four months later, it is clear that whenever she has been asked to choose between doing what’s right for Cornwall, or following Labour party orders, she has put her party first.”

He closed his statement saying: “I respect the choices that others have made… I offer my sincere apologies to those who will feel I am letting them down now, but I hope they will understand and respect my choice too.”