Political opponents have said they have "genuine fear and worry" over the future of Lancashire County Council in the wake of Reform UK's sweeping victory.
Reform UK have swept to victory in the Lancashire County Council elections, in a result one of their number described as “an earthquake”.
From a standing start, the party surged past the threshold needed to secure a majority - ending up with 53 seats.
However, opponents have said victorious candidates, many of whom have zero experience of local government, "don't know what they have let themselves in for".
Council finances and special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) were highlighted as two issues of concern, with one losing candidate saying the Reform UK candidate who beat him "did not know what SEND means".
Both winners and losers expressed concern for the stability of the authority in the new order that has now been established.
Tory cabinet member Michael Green, who lost his Moss Side and Farington seat to Reform after a 15-year stint, said: “I hope they have a plan.”
Defeated Labour opposition group leader Matthew Tomlinson said when he asked one victorious Reform candidate about their plans for “SEND”, they “did not know what [it] stood for”.
He added: “I genuinely worry for the county council, because, having spoken to one or two [Reform victors] today, [they] don't know what they have let themselves in for.
“But they have got to get in and deliver for the people of Lancashire. - and so I hope they do a reasonable job, because it's important stuff."
Liberal Democrat group leader David Howarth, who retained his own Penwortham West seat, said he now had a “fear for the county”.
He accused Reform of having no “understanding of how council finance works”.
“I think we're in for a very rocky and very difficult first 12 months at least.
"If they do try and implement this notion that we get rid of all debt, how on earth do we build schools or repair our roads?"
Newly-elected Stephen Atkinson, who was Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Council before defecting to Reform in March, said the party would "roll their sleeves up" and said the sweeping victory for the group was "humbling".
He said the party had been careful not to overpromise, with its priorities being an extra £31m of spending on highways over the next two years, “subject to the budget being in balance”.
He also said the group was committed to a referendum on the future of local government in Lancashire, amid national government plans to scrap all 15 councils - including the county council itself - within the next three years and replace them with a handful of new ones.
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