Reform UK appoint all-white male cabinet at Lancashire County Council

Plus: What it was like inside County Hall the first time Reform politicians stepped foot in the council chamber (apart from the ones who were previously Tories, of course)

Good morning and welcome to the weekend edition of The Lancashire Lead.

We’ve given Luke a well earned breather over the last few days and so it’s Ed and Jamie taking you through the Bank Holiday weekend.

During the local elections campaign and post-results we committed to keeping a watchful eye on what Reform are up to in Lancashire.

So it’s only right as the first full council meeting took place of the newly Reform controlled Lancashire County Council we were there.

Jamie spent Thursday afternoon seeing the new leader formally sworn in, along with what’s been described as ‘the most unrepresentative cabinet in Lancashire’s political history’, and the continued line of how Reform are still ‘taking a look at everything’ before committing to any policies or decisions. How long we’ll continue to hear this line, we shall see. Jamie’s full report from County Hall is available for subscribers to The Lancashire Lead to enjoy.

Council leader defends all-white, all-male cabinet appointments

By Paul Faulkner, Local Democracy Reporter & The Lancashire Lead

The leader of Lancashire County Council has defended appointing an all-white all-male cabinet.

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.

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.

New LCC leader Stephen Atkinson, who was previously leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council Pic: The Lancashire Lead

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.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after the meeting, County Cllr Atkinson defended what he said was the outcome of a process designed to ensure the right people got the top jobs.

“We had an academic, who is one of our councillors, forensically analyse people’s skills and CVs and blindly put [forward] the people who were the best qualified or best experienced for the roles.

“I’m sure, as we get to know people in the group, that we can revisit that if we’ve got opportunities – but we are absolutely clear we want the best people to do the job,” he said.

Preston Central West county councillor and Preston Labour leader Matthew Brown branded it ‘one of the most unrepresentative cabinet’s in Lancashire’s history’ in a post on X after the meeting.

The new cabinet is listed below:

County Councillor Simon Evans, deputy leader and cabinet member for Children and Families (county councillor for Skelmersdale Central)

County Councillor Graham Dalton, cabinet member for Adult Social Care (county councillor for Lancaster Rural North)

County Councillor David Dwyer, cabinet member for I.T. & Data (county councillor for Fylde South)

County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport (county councillor for Clitheroe)

County Councillor Daniel Matchett, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing (county councillor for Whitworth & Bacup)

County Councillor Ged Mirfin, cabinet member for Resources, HR and Property (county councillor for Ribble Valley North East)

County Councillor Brian Moore, cabinet member for Economic Development and Growth (county councillor for Morecambe South)

County Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities (county councillor for Fylde East)

County Councillor Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills (county councillor for Wyre Rural Central)

The appointments being made by Reform come at a time when the focus on diversity and inclusion appears to be falling away - and not just from the political sector, but from businesses and many other organisations. It’s a topic our National Editor

Natalie Morris

reflects on in the Weekend Edition of

The Lead

. Which also features the weekly #ReformWatch feature, keeping a close eye on what Reform is up to across the UK

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Inside the first Lancashire County Council meeting under Reform

The view inside County Hall during the first meeting since the local elections Pic: The Lancashire Lead

By Jamie Lopez, reporting from County Hall in Preston

Thursday’s Lancashire County Council meeting was the first with the new Reform administration and attracted far more media interest than these affairs usually do.