LAST month I announced that I will not be seeking re-election in 2025, and this week I stepped down as leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cornwall Council.

This will be my final column, and I am enormously grateful to have had the privilege of sharing my thoughts with you over the past few years. I am proud that during this time, I have successfully campaigned for changes to the laws around holiday accommodation, and for the creation of a Cornwall Climate Commission. The new laws will provide more affordable homes for local people, and the Climate Commission will create a plan for every household and business in Cornwall to reduce their energy bills and their environmental impact. But many challenges remain:

Years of Conservative austerity damaged vital services, especially those delivered by councils. Many of these short-sighted cuts actually created greater costs in the long run. But despite promising “change”, Labour seems to be taking us further in the wrong direction.

Keir Starmer’s six new “milestones” sound promising, but under Tony Blair’s Labour Government, too much focus on narrow targets often caused other important issues to be neglected.

Starmer’s target to reduce waiting times for hospital operations will inevitably take resources away from mental health services, GPs and social care. A better approach would look at all aspects of healthcare equally, recognising that prevention and early intervention save money and lives.

The pledge to recruit more police is another example. Without investment in youth work or rehabilitation, the root causes of crime remain unaddressed. These services are just as vital as enforcement in creating safer communities.

On the environment, Labour’s has watered down its target for electricity, which will now be only 95% green by 2030, and it ignores the need to help every individual household afford the heat pumps and solar panels which will reduce their bills and emissions. Is this the “change” people voted for?

And on the biggest political change of all, Labour is failing to act: Last week, the House of Commons narrowly voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat proposal to introduce Proportional Representation so that the number of seats awarded to each party matches the share of votes cast. But whilst 59 of her colleagues supported it, South East Cornwall’s Anna Gelderd was one of 295 Labour MPs who failed to vote either way. Prime Minister Keir Starmer then said he would not allow the proposal to be discussed any further. Now more than ever, Cornwall needs political representatives who will stand up and be counted, so I am proud to hand over the reins of the Liberal Democrat group to Cllr Leigh Frost. I know he will always put Cornwall ahead of party politics.

Colin Martin, Liberal Democrat