The leader of the Conservative group at Cornwall Council has questioned the strength of the coalition of Independents, Liberal Democrats and minor parties that are set to lead Cornwall for the next four years.
In a statement released today, Fiona Ferguson, the councillor for the Truro Trehaverne ward, said the group was surprised by the speed at which the agreement was made.
Her statement comes the day after This is Cornwall broke the news of the deal struck at County Hall.
The Conservatives were offered two seats in a 4-4-2 formation coalition but have spurned their place at the table.
The cabinet will be made up of four Independents, four Liberal Democrats and two representatives from minor parties, thought to be Labour and Mebyon Kernow.
Mrs Ferguson said: "The group met today – the first opportunity it had to consider the reduced offer received yesterday morning from the Independent and Liberal Democrats groups to participate in a three way coalition.
"The decision of the group to participate in a coalition of this type, given the high spending associated in the past with this arrangement in Cornwall, is a difficult one.
"In any event, to participate on a token basis rather than by reference to the Conservative's proportion of the seats held by members of the coalition would be unfair.
"To accept a token presence would curtail our ability to speak our minds freely but would not give us significant influence in the administration."
John Pollard, the Independent councillor from Hayle, has been nominated as the man who the coalition will back as leader of Cornwall Council at the authority's first full meeting on Tuesday.
The Independents have 36 seats, following the defection from the Conservative party of Mike Eathorne-Gibbons, which put them on a par with the Liberal Democrats.
Jeremy Rowe, leader of the Liberal Democrats, wrote to all councillors on Wednesday appealing for a coalition of all parties to work together for the good of the county.
But the Conservative group has rejected any advances made to them and unanswered phone calls have prompted the other parties to take control without them.
Mrs Ferguson said of yesterday's decision: "In any event, we understand that, within an hour of the 3pm deadline set by the independents to accept the reduced offer, they and the Liberal Democrats had entered into a different coalition with Labour and Mebyon Kernow.
"We are surprised that this happened so quickly and wonder whether that arrangement is robust.
"We would repeat that we were (and are) prepared to work in a fair and sensible three way coalition.
"However, in the absence of this, the Conservative group will scrutinise, challenge and support the new administration as appropriate and will hold it to account on behalf of the people of Cornwall."
Cornwall Council will meet on Tuesday to vote in the new leader who will need to be backed by at least 62 of the 123 members.
