Reform UK 'recklessness' in Lancashire could ruin lives, new Liberal Democrat leader warns
The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Preston City Council is also to head the party’s contingent on Lancashire County Council.
John Potter has been elected to lead the five Lib Dem members who now sit at County Hall in the wake of this month’s local elections, which saw Reform UK take control of the authority.
He says his party will scrutinise the decisions taken by the new ruling group and try to stave off any bad ones – a prospect which he warns could be life-altering for residents.
County Cllr Potter – who has represented the Preston West division on the county council since 2017 – will take over as group leader from Penwortham West’s David Howarth.
Congratulating the new Reform leader, Stephen Atkinson – who was elected by his party’s 53 members on Monday and is set to be confirmed as county council leader on 22nd May – the new Lib Dem chief said: “I genuinely wish him success over the next few years.”
He added: “My role – and that of my Lib Dem colleagues, is to shine a light on their performance. The new, inexperienced Reform administration will make mistakes – that’s natural.
“My job is to try and stop them from making reckless or incompetent decisions that will hurt the people of Lancashire.
“The consequences of them getting this wrong are dire. Bad decisions by Reform at County Hall could cost lives in our care homes, destroy the life chances of our children, make flooding worse and cause local businesses to shut down.
“Reform are no longer just shouty men heckling from the sidelines – they are responsible for one of the most important organisations in people’s lives in Lancashire,” added County Cllr Potter, who has has been a Preston city councillor since 2010.
He has led the Lib Dem group at the town hall since 2019 – last year taking them to an election victory which saw them become the main opposition to Labour.
His new group on the county council is more than double the size it was after the last county elections in 2021 – since when it has boasted just two members – and is now the largest it has been in more than a decade. It includes the 2017-2021 group leader David Whipp who was re-elected to the Pendle Rural division earlier this month after losing his seat four years ago.
The Lib Dems now have the same number of county councillors as Labour and one more than the Green Party. The Conservatives are the largest opposition group, with eight members, and there are seven independents.