cornwalllive.com
New drive to tackle potential damage to kids in Cornwall schools - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council will vote on a motion to examine student wellbeing in schools, prompted by concerns about Athena Learning Trust.
James Ball
IndependentCamborne Roskear & Tuckingmill
cllr.james.ball@cornwall.gov.uk7860280125
Data last refreshed:
James Ball serves as an Independent councillor for the Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill ward on Cornwall Council. He holds a number of committee positions, including Vice‑Chairman of both the Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee, and is a member of the Appeals, Audit, Central Sub‑Area Planning, Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny, Miscellaneous Licensing, Pensions, Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny, Urgent Driver/Operator/Vehicle Sub, West Sub‑Area Planning, Chief Officers Employment, and the overall Cornwall Council committees.
During the most recent reporting period, Councillor Ball attended 55 of 64 council meetings, giving him an attendance rate of 85.9 %. He has been recorded in one conduct case, which was concluded with no breach of the council’s conduct code. No expense data has been reported for him, and there are no media mentions. An active red‑flag indicator is present, classified as “slim_majority,” but no further details are provided.
Generated by AI from public data. May contain errors.
News coverage
View all 36 articles →cornwalllive.com
Athena Learning Trust boss who resigned claimed he was 'untouchable' - Cornwall Live
Athena Learning Trust CEO Ben Parnell resigned after claiming he was "untouchable" and making controversial comments about teaching deprived white children in coastal areas.
cornwalllive.com
Athena Learning Trust boss Ben Parnell steps down - Cornwall Live
Athena Learning Trust CEO Ben Parnell announced his resignation following widespread criticism of the trust's strict policies from parents, councillors and MPs.
cornwalllive.com
Cornwall councillors speak out against pupil 'oppression' at Athena trust schools - Cornwall Live
Cornwall councillors criticized Athena Learning Trust schools for allegedly oppressive practices affecting pupils and parents.
plymouthherald.co.uk
Cornwall planning: Conversion of listed church approved despite fatal accident fears - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council's west area planning committee approved conversion of Grade II listed Illogan Highway Methodist Church to offices despite safety concerns.
Coverage from cornwalllive.com, devonlive.com, plymouthherald.co.uk. May not be exhaustive.
Red Flags
Slim Majority13 Mar 2026
Won with a majority of just 61 votes (4.79%), making this one of Cornwall's most marginal seats.
Code of Conduct
CCN163 164 25 26Minor
28 Apr 2026Councillors Desmonde and Knight complained that Councillor Ball breached the Code by failing to engage with them on Athena Learning Trust issues, allegedly bullying and showing misogynistic attitudes, while Ball argued his actions were to assist constituents. The independent review found no evidence of breach and concluded there was no breach of the Code.
Outcome: no breach
Election History
VulnerableScore: 78/100→ Stable
Won by 61 votes (4.8%)2.4% swing needed to unseat
Councillor James Ball retained the Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill seat with 477 votes, a majority of 61 votes (4.79%) over Reform UK’s John Tsoupakis (416 votes) in a turnout of 26.44%. The margin represents a 10.7‑percentage‑point reduction from the previous election and the Independent vote share has fallen 3.8 pp (from 17.2 % to 13.4 %). A swing of roughly 2.39 % would be sufficient to overturn his lead, giving him a vulnerability score of 78 / 100.
Cornwall Council Elections 2025 (2025)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Michael Alexander Ball | Independent | 477 | 37.4% | ✓ |
| John Tsoupakis | Reform UK | 416 | 32.7% | |
| John Cosgrove | Labour & Cooperative Party | 199 | 15.6% | |
| Florence Macdonald | Liberal Democrat | 114 | 8.9% | |
| Shannon James David Stenner | Conservative | 68 | 5.3% |
Turnout: 26.4% (1,274 of 4,819 electors) · 2 spoilt votes
Cornwall Council Elections 2021 (2021)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Perry | Conservative | 456 | 41.9% | ✓ |
| Kirsty Arthur | Labour | 288 | 26.5% | |
| Ryan Congdon | Mebyon Kernow | 237 | 21.8% | |
| Kat Burton | Green Party | 107 | 9.8% |
Attendance
86%overall attendance
| Committee | Held | Attended | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appeals Committee | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| Central Sub-Area Planning Committee | 6 | 4 | 67% |
| Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Cornwall Council | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Miscellaneous Licensing Committee | 12 | 10 | 83% |
| Pensions Committee | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| Strategic Planning Committee | 7 | 6 | 86% |
| Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 6 | 4 | 67% |
| Urgent Driver/Operator/Vehicle Sub Committee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| West Sub-Area Planning Committee | 8 | 8 | 100% |
Voting Record
No recorded votes.
In the News
No media coverage recorded.
Twitter Mentions
View all mentions →@paulinegiles
There are #nails and there are nails, these are another level. Thank you @nailsbyolivia they are #amazing the colours match my #Ball dress beautifully #BEM #award next weekend 🏅 #honour #queenelizabeth so #proud https://t.co/1dpUtrszke
(probable match)
@adampaynter1
Hungarian No 15 just took a ball in a painful area and the physio was called onto the pitch. My 8 year old asks "Is he having nut surgery?"#England
1 repost3 likes(probable match)
@adampaynter1
Great to retain the chairman's cup 4 years in a row. Beating the officers as it went down to the last ball!! https://t.co/k8WbfMJQzD
3 reposts20 likes(probable match)
Embed this scorecard
Script tag
<script src="https://cornwallpoliticalwatch.com/api/embed/councillor/james-ball"></script>Iframe
<iframe src="https://cornwallpoliticalwatch.com/embed/councillor/james-ball" width="350" height="250" frameborder="0"></iframe>Meeting Activity
Present
Strategic Planning Committee - 23 April 2026
Apologies23 Apr 2026
Present
Present
Pensions Committee - 12 March 2026
Present12 Mar 2026
Present
Apologies
Present
Cornwall Council - 24 February 2026
Present24 Feb 2026
Present
Apologies
Apologies
Present
Present
Present
Present
Cornwall Council - 20 January 2026
Present20 Jan 2026
Present
Present
Present
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Cllr James Ball?
- James Ball is a Cornwall councillor representing the Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill ward as a Independent member.
- What ward does James Ball represent?
- James Ball represents Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill on Cornwall Council.
- What is James Ball's meeting attendance rate?
- James Ball has been recorded as present at 80% of Cornwall Council meetings (16 of 20 indexed by Cornwall Political Watch).
- How can I contact James Ball?
- You can contact James Ball by email at cllr.james.ball@cornwall.gov.uk; by phone on 7860280125. Cornwall Council also publishes contact details on the official members' page at democracy.cornwall.gov.uk.
- Are there any code-of-conduct cases involving James Ball?
- Cornwall Council's standards process has recorded 1 code-of-conduct case involving James Ball. Each case is publicly viewable; see the Code of Conduct section of this page for details.
Browse related councillors
On Audit Committee
- Laurie Magowan (Labour & Cooperative Party)
- Nicola Boase (Liberal Democrat)
- Paul Ashton (Reform UK)
- Richard Barker (Reform UK)
More Independent councillors
- Adam Paynter (Launceston North & North Petherwin)
- Andrew Mitchell (St Ives West & Towednack)
- Brian Clemens (Land's End)
- David Saunby (Falmouth Trescobeas & Budock)
- Dulcie Tudor (Threemilestone & Chacewater)