Labour 'reeling from shock' of losing council

Mark Clifford said losing so many Labour councillors was "very disappointing"

The new leader of the Labour group on Lancashire County Council believes County Hall is in for a "very bumpy road" under the new Reform UK-led authority.

Mark Clifford was speaking after his party lost 27 seats in the recent council elections, including that of the previous leader, Matthew Tomlinson.

Reform UK took 53 seats while the Conservatives were left with eight, down by 40 seats.

"The results actually came as a huge shock for myself," said Clifford, who retained Clayton with Whittle seat by just 91 votes over his Reform UK rival.

'Holding to account'

Reform announced on Monday that councillor Stephen Atkinson will be their new leader, and his role as council leader will be ratified on 22 May, at a full council meeting.

Clifford said: "Many of the things that have been said by Reform cannot be done at a local level, its purely the job for the government."

He said Labour "will be holding them to account" on "every decision".

"I am waiting to see what they can do at Lancashire, we need to see what their policies are locally," he said.

"I imagine it will be a very bumpy road."

Clifford said the Reform councillors were "a whole new group of people" who would have to develop a "group dynamic" as they started to work together.

"They're going to have to take things very carefully or they will find they are going to make some huge mistakes," he said.

Clifford added that he did not feel his own party's performance was down to any failure on a local level.

"There seems to be an issue around messaging.

"We have done some fantastic things that the public just haven't realised and that's been a real shame actually, because we just lost so many great councillors and it was a very disappointing result."

How long Lancashire County Council will continue in its current form is unclear, as the government has ordered the existing 15 councils in the county to reorganise themselves into fewer authorities.

"Whilst there was a rush for local government reorganisation Lancashire is not in the priority group," Clifford said.

"I do believe, personally, we're now at the back of the queue.

"So we will wait and see what happens next.

"But the Labour Party will be there to fight, whatever election comes along, whatever local government reorganisation takes place."

Former Conservative Stephen Atkinson, the Reform UK leader of the authority, said on Monday that his party would "be looking to focus our policies on what is most important to residents so we can make a real difference".

He added: "I'm also very much looking forward to working with officers as we build a better future for our county."