A Cornwall Council member has resigned from the Independent group of councillors on the local authority, saying she no longer wants to be associated with the group.

Cllr Dulcie Tudor, who represents the Threemilestone and Chacewater division, said that she believes the Independent group “has become little more than Lib Dem-lite”.

Following the last election in May 2025 when the Conservatives lost control of the council, the Independent group formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats largely to stop the Reform UK group forming an administration.

Her resignation reduces the Independent group to 15 members and puts the ruling Liberal Democrat-Independent coalition in greater jeopardy.

Announcing her resignation from the Independents to sit as a non-aligned councillor, Cllr Tudor said: “I believe the group has become little more than Lib Dem-lite really and there’s a number of Lib Dem policies that I really fundamentally disagree with, including the party’s position on gender identity.

“I’m also disappointed that cabinet members, despite promising to govern differently, have adopted an even more officer-led, less collegiate approach than the previous [Conservative] administration. At least they were honest about the way they operated.”

The council’s Lib Dem leader, Cllr Leigh Frost, said he didn’t agree with her comment: “In this administration we have brought in individual decision days to give greater transparency on decision making.

“Members right across the chamber are directly involved in the council’s decision making in a way that has never happened previously through scrutiny and audit. The one comment I hear from members often is that it is much more collegiate than before, but I guess you can’t please everybody.”

Cllr Tudor added: “I oppose the disproportionate amount of time that’s spent on all the resources devoted to pursuing the Cornwall fifth nation policy despite several public consultations now suggesting that most people aren’t bothered about that. They just want to pay their bills.”

She also condemned the council’s “dogged adherence” to net zero planning policies, which she said is leading to more large-scale solar farms on productive farming land “and doing nothing to reduce our energy bills”.

Cllr Tudor was also critical of attempts to scrutinise the council’s spending and decision-making on SEND (special educational needs and disability) provision which she said are “too often dismissed as unkind or bigoted rather than being debated on their merits”.

Her resignation from the Independent group means that she is no longer a member of any committees. Cllr Tudor said she will continue to represent the people of Threemilestone and Chacewater and “hold the council to account” at cabinet and main council meetings.