A Reform economic chief admitted he had “no idea, genuinely” when he was asked about a key local issue during an awkward interview with local press.
Cllr James Walker-Gurley, a new Reform cabinet member on Nottinghamshire County Council, was speaking to Notts TV when he was asked about the council’s relationship with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).
The Reform councillor had absolutely no answer to the questions being posed to him, saying he had “no idea” how he saw the relationship between the council and its key partner on major projects in the region.
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When asked whether he thought the relationship between the council and EMCCA was a good one, Walker-Gurley laughed and said: “I have no idea, genuinely. I have no idea. I’ve not met with anyone from EMCCA yet, genuinely, so I have no idea.”
The councillor resorted to reading from a piece of paper when he was asked about what his priorities for Nottinghamshire would be. After he read out a pre-prepared answer on a key road and roundabout development, Walker-Gurley said the “Ollerton Roundabout” project was the most important element for local residents.
But when he was asked why this was, he simply laughed again and said: “I don’t know, it just needs fixing.”
Sharing the awkward interview on X, Notts TV’s Andrew Topping said the chat “didn’t go well” for the Reform member.
Others said Walker-Gurley had been a “rabbit in the headlights,” saying he had “no clue what he’s doing.”
Walker-Gurley was one of 40 victorious Reform councillors at May’s local elections, which saw the party take control of Nottinghamshire County Council.
He was chosen as the cabinet member for economic development and asset management, a role for which he will be paid over £40,000 when including his allowance as a ward councillor, Nottinghamshire Live reports.