cornwalllive.com
Cornwall Council urged to act over faded road markings - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council faces pressure to address £2 million backlog of faded road markings after Reform UK councillor calls for urgent countywide action.
Alison Groves
Reform UK · Vice Chair, Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch · Ludgvan Parish Councillor
Last updated: ~7 min read
Alison Groves is the former Reform UK County Organiser for West Cornwall and current Vice Chair of the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch — and the dominant voice on the October 2025 Highwayman pub recording that named Paul Mills as the figure who installed Nathan Michell as branch chairman over local objections. Until 22 April 2026 she held the parallel post of County Organiser for West Cornwall, working alongside East organiser Andrea Lovett. The West post was then abolished. Groves remained a Reform UK member and continued in her pre-existing Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch — under the same chairman whose appointment she had publicly objected to on the Highwayman recording six months earlier.
Key Facts#
- Was Reform UK County Organiser for West Cornwall until 22 April 2026, when the West post was abolished and merged into Andrea Lovett's portfolio. Now serves only as Vice Chair of the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle (CRH) branch under Nathan Michell — the same chairman whose appointment she had publicly objected to on the Highwayman pub recording.
- Central voice on the secretly recorded Highwayman pub confrontation (18 October 2025, Dobwalls), the audio that triggered the resignation of Reform UK's then-Cornwall Council group leader Rob Parsonage and a wave of subsequent departures.
- Co-opted (not elected) to Ludgvan Parish Council on 17 July 2025.
- Stood as Reform UK candidate for the Cornwall Council ward of St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay at the May 2025 election — lost to Liberal Democrat Luke Rogers.
- Director of NSC Building Solutions Group Ltd (Co. No. 07530495), registered at 8 East Quay, Hayle. The company has been renamed four times since 2011: Thermit Products → Flash Cleaning → The Tax Firm → NSC Building Solutions Group. Its registered SIC code is 63990 (information services), not construction.
- Also director of NSC Building Solutions Ltd (Co. No. 14418497), registered at a serviced office in Halesowen, West Midlands. No visible trading activity.
- Employed as Financial Controller at Footfall Lighting Limited, an LED handrail manufacturer.
- Birth name Alison Margaret Cartwright. Has used aliases Maggie Cartwright and Coralie Cartwright on social media accounts.
| Name | Alison Groves |
| Birth name | Alison Margaret Cartwright |
| Known aliases | Maggie Cartwright, Coralie Cartwright |
| Role | Vice Chair, Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch, Reform UK |
| Former role | County Organiser (West Cornwall) — post abolished 22 April 2026 |
| Status | Party Official & Parish Councillor (Co-opted, Not Elected) |
| Location | St Ives area, Cornwall |
The Highwayman Pub Recording#
18 October 2025 · The Highwayman pub, Dobwalls
Groves was the dominant voice on the secretly recorded confrontation between Reform UK officials over the future of the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch chairmanship. She is heard objecting that Paul Mills — the Reform UK South West Regional Director — had decided to install Nathan Michell as branch chair without consulting her, despite her never having met him.
“But that was only as, must have been Paul Mills, had decided to put that Nathan in situ.”— Alison Groves on the Highwayman recording, 18 October 2025
“Okay, so I'm really glad that you're recording this because I will ask Paul Mills that 'cos that's news to me.”— Alison Groves on the Highwayman recording, 18 October 2025
Why the recording matters
The recording is the foundational primary source for Cornwall Political Watch's investigation into how Reform UK's national HQ directs Cornwall operations. Groves's on-tape objection to Mills's appointment of Michell — and her continued service under that same Michell as Vice Chair after April 2026 — is the contradiction the dossier traces.
Listen to the full recording and read the synced transcript on the Reform UK in Cornwall investigation page.
The 22 April 2026 Reshuffle#
Reform UK abolished the West Cornwall County Organiser post that Groves had held, consolidating organising for the whole county under Andrea Lovett (previously East-only). Groves did not leave the party; she retained her membership and continued in her pre-existing Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch.
Important clarification
It is incorrect to describe Groves as having been 'reassigned' to Vice Chair. The Vice Chair role pre-dated the reshuffle — what changed on 22 April 2026 was that her parallel above-branch County Organiser (West) post was abolished. The branch role itself was unchanged. The chairman she serves under, Nathan Michell, is the one whose appointment she had publicly objected to on the Highwayman recording six months earlier.
Business Interests#
Companies House records reveal two active directorships under the name Alison Margaret Cartwright. A separate employment record shows her as Financial Controller at Footfall Lighting Limited.
NSC Building Solutions Group Ltd
Active| Company No. | 07530495 |
| Role | Director |
| Registered | 8 East Quay, Hayle, Cornwall |
Renamed four times since 2011: Thermit Products → Flash Cleaning → The Tax Firm → NSC Building Solutions Group. SIC code 63990 (Other information service activities n.e.c.) — not the construction-sector classification the trading name implies.
NSC Building Solutions Ltd
Active| Company No. | 14418497 |
| Role | Director |
| Registered | Serviced office, Halesowen, West Midlands |
Registered at a serviced-office address far from Cornwall. No visible trading activity at the registered address.
Timeline#
May 2025
Stands as Reform UK candidate for St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay in the Cornwall Council elections. Loses to Liberal Democrat Luke Rogers.
17 July 2025
Co-opted (not elected) to Ludgvan Parish Council. Holds her parish seat through all subsequent events.
18 October 2025
Central voice on the secretly recorded Highwayman pub confrontation in Dobwalls. On tape, names Paul Mills as the Regional Director who decided to install Nathan Michell as CRH branch chair without consulting her.
Late October 2025
Rob Parsonage resigns as Reform UK's Cornwall Council group leader within days of the recording becoming public. The Cornwall Reform group's collapse begins.
November 2025
Mills's CRH branch appointment of Michell becomes the subject of public member complaints reported by Cornwall Live and The Guardian.
22 April 2026
Reform UK abolishes the West Cornwall County Organiser post held by Groves; organising for the whole county is merged under Andrea Lovett. Groves continues in her existing Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch under Nathan Michell.
Related Reform UK Cornwall coverage
Recent coverage of the Reform UK Cornwall group — by-elections, defections, leadership changes — that frames the period during which Alison Groves served as Reform UK County Organiser (West) — a post abolished on 22 April 2026 — while concurrently holding the Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch that she retains today.
cornwalllive.com
Green Party candidate snubs Reform UK man's handshake after Cornwall by-election at Newquay - Cornwall Live
Green Party candidate Abigail Hubbucks refused to shake hands with Reform UK winner Lyndon Harrison after Cornwall council by-election defeat.
cornwalllive.com
Cornwall Council by-election: A good night for Reform UK, a bad night for Labour - Cornwall Live
A taxi driver won the Newquay Porth & Tretherras by-election for Reform UK, with the Green Party finishing second.
cornwalllive.com
Reform UK deputy leader in Cornwall defects to Restore Britain - Cornwall Live
Councillor Roger Tarrant resigned as Reform UK deputy leader in Cornwall and defected to Restore Britain party, citing "complete disarray.
cornwalllive.com
Green Party calls foul on Reform UK tactics in Cornwall by-election - Cornwall Live
Green Party accuses Reform UK of exploiting electoral law loopholes to overspend on Cornwall by-election campaigning materials.
plymouthherald.co.uk
Cornwall Council by-election candidates named following death of Reform UK councillor - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council has named six candidates for the Newquay Porth and Tretherras by-election following the death of Reform UK councillor Kevin Towill.
Coverage from cornwalllive.com, devonlive.com, plymouthherald.co.uk. May not be exhaustive.
Frequently asked questions#
- Who is Alison Groves?
- Alison Groves is a Reform UK party official in Cornwall. She is the former County Organiser for West Cornwall — a post abolished on 22 April 2026 — and currently holds the Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle (CRH) branch under chairman Nathan Michell. She is not an elected councillor on Cornwall Council; she was co-opted (not elected) to Ludgvan Parish Council on 17 July 2025.
- What is the Highwayman pub recording?
- The Highwayman pub recording is a secretly recorded confrontation between Reform UK officials at The Highwayman pub in Dobwalls on 18 October 2025, after "An Afternoon With Ann Widdecombe" at Dobwalls Memorial Hall. Alison Groves is the dominant voice on the audio, heard objecting that Paul Mills — Reform UK's South West Regional Director — had decided to install Nathan Michell as Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch chairman without consulting her. The audio is the foundational primary source for the Cornwall Political Watch investigation into how Reform UK's national HQ directs Cornwall operations.
- Is Alison Groves still a Reform UK County Organiser?
- No. Reform UK abolished the West Cornwall County Organiser post that Groves held on 22 April 2026, consolidating organising for the whole county under Andrea Lovett (previously East-only). Groves retains her pre-existing Vice Chair role at the Camborne, Redruth & Hayle branch — that branch role pre-dated the reshuffle and was unchanged by it. It is incorrect to describe her as having been reassigned to Vice Chair; what changed on 22 April 2026 was the abolition of her parallel above-branch County Organiser (West) post.
- Is Alison Groves a Cornwall councillor?
- No. Alison Groves is a Reform UK party official, not a member of Cornwall Council. She stood as the Reform UK candidate for the Cornwall Council ward of St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay at the May 2025 election and lost to Liberal Democrat Luke Rogers. She was subsequently co-opted (not elected) to Ludgvan Parish Council on 17 July 2025.
- What companies is Alison Groves a director of?
- Companies House records under her birth name Alison Margaret Cartwright show two active directorships: NSC Building Solutions Group Ltd (Co. No. 07530495), registered at 8 East Quay, Hayle — renamed four times since 2011 (Thermit Products → Flash Cleaning → The Tax Firm → NSC Building Solutions Group) and carrying SIC code 63990 (information services, not construction); and NSC Building Solutions Ltd (Co. No. 14418497), registered at a serviced office in Halesowen, West Midlands, with no visible trading activity. She is separately employed as Financial Controller at Footfall Lighting Limited, an LED handrail manufacturer.
Sources & Methodology#
This investigation draws on publicly available records: Companies House filings, Ludgvan Parish Council minutes, Cornwall Council election results, mainstream media reporting, and the publicly released Highwayman pub recording. No private or restricted databases were accessed.
| Source | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cornwall Live — Reform UK accused of parachuting unelected chairman | November 2025 reporting on the CRH branch appointment that Groves had publicly objected to on the Highwayman recording. |
| The Guardian — When reality bites: the rapid rise and chaotic fall of Reform UK in Cornwall | 16 November 2025 long-read covering the Cornwall collapse. |
| Companies House — NSC Building Solutions Group Ltd (07530495) | Director and renaming history. Registered office at 8 East Quay, Hayle. |
| Companies House — NSC Building Solutions Ltd (14418497) | Director record. Registered at a Halesowen serviced office. |
| Ludgvan Parish Council — minutes, July 2025 | Record of co-option to the parish council on 17 July 2025 (not an election). |
| Cornwall Council — election results, May 2025 | St Ives East, Lelant & Carbis Bay ward result showing Liberal Democrat Luke Rogers winning the seat. |
Corrections & right of reply
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