The new Reform UK group leader at Staffordshire County Council has presided over his first public cabinet meeting since being elected by fellow members.
Martin Murray, who has been serving as acting council leader since December, has now been elected permanent leader of the Reform UK group at County Buildings. Fellow cabinet member Hayley Coles has been appointed deputy group leader.
He is expected to be formally confirmed as leader of Staffordshire County Council at a full council meeting on Thursday 26 March. Until then, he continues to serve as acting leader.
Speaking at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, held on Wednesday 18 March, the day after his election was announced, he said:
“I am honoured to have been elected as Reform group leader. We are grateful for the trust our members have placed in us and we will repay that trust by getting on with the job at hand.
“The leader of the council will be officially confirmed at full council on 26th March. Until then I will continue to act as leader.
“We are here to serve Staffordshire and we will keep taking decisions that support residents, communities and local businesses, driving efficiency and value for money at every step. Most residents look at this council and they don’t see the committees or papers, they see what changes on their street, at their children’s schools and in their communities.
“They see whether roads get fixed, whether they feel safe and supported, or if their town is moving forward. That is why we have set out a clear strategic direction and we will keep on delivering through practical decisions and practical results.”
The county council has been without a permanent leader for more than three months following the resignation of former Reform UK member Ian Cooper, who now sits as an independent councillor. He was expelled from the party after failing to disclose a social media account and has faced allegations over racist social media posts.
Councillor Chris Large had been due to become the authority’s new leader earlier this year, but stood down just days after the announcement following a family bereavement. He is also now an independent councillor. He previously hit the headlines after allegations that a TikTok account bearing his name made or endorsed racist comments. He said he had not been personally responsible for the activity, which he condemned, and that a large number of people had access to the account.
Anti-racism protesters have been gathering outside County Buildings on full council meeting days since December, calling for Councillors Cooper, Large and Peter Mason to resign from the authority.
Councillor Mason, who remains cabinet member for strategic highways, apologised in November for his “choice of words” on controversial social media posts made in 2023 and 2024, before he was elected to the authority.
Protesters were also present outside County Buildings before Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
Conservative opposition group leader Philip White, speaking on Tuesday 17 March following Councillor Murray’s appointment as Reform UK group leader, said:
“After 100 days of chaos caused by racism scandals we are about to appoint our third council leader since December.
Staffordshire has huge challenges including roads in the worst state we have ever seen and growing demand for social care and special educational needs, so we need Reform to move on from their internal issues to focusing on running the council.
“Councillor Murray has the opportunity to draw a line under these scandals and show he takes these issues seriously by removing Peter Mason from his cabinet. For the good of all of Staffordshire we hope he will act to take the county in a better direction”.
