Councillor dossier
Subject of a Cornwall Political Watch investigation. Cllr Ashton is the Reform UK group leader on Cornwall Council, having taken the role after the October 2025 Dobwalls incident triggered a wave of resignations. The Cornwall Political Watch investigation hub covers Reform UK's command chain into Cornwall, the twelve-month collapse of the group, and the defections record. Read the Reform UK Cornwall investigation.
Data last refreshed:
Attendance
79%
present at meetings
Rank
75
of 88 councillors
Active red flags
1
open accountability flags
Conduct cases
0
no recorded cases
Attended 2 of 4 Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education meetings (50%), below the 60% threshold.
| Committee | Held | Attended | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Cabinet | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Chief Officers Employment Committee | 9 | 6 | 67% |
| Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Cornwall Council | 9 | 7 | 78% |
| Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Standards Committee | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education | 4 | 2 | 50% |
No recorded votes.
Paul Ashton was re-elected in 2025 with a majority of 306 votes (18.82%), a margin that widened by 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous election. The low turnout of 31.13% and the fact that a swing of 9.41% would be needed to unseat the councillor, in a field of five candidates, suggest a moderately competitive seat despite the comfortable majority.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Ashton | Reform UK | 619 | 38.1% | ✓ |
| Jennifer Anne Lingham | Liberal Democrat | 313 | 19.2% | |
| Andrea Hilary Lanxon | Labour & Cooperative Party | 310 | 19.1% | |
| Richard Williams-Pears | Conservative | 272 | 16.7% | |
| Mike Thompson | 112 | 6.9% |
Turnout: 31.1% (1,626 of 5,224 electors) · 3 spoilt votes
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Pears | Conservative | 676 | 40.0% | ✓ |
| Jackie Bull | Liberal Democrat | 382 | 22.6% | |
| Andrea Lanxon | Labour & Cooperative Party | 256 | 15.1% | |
| Julie Fox | Mebyon Kernow | 176 | 10.4% | |
| Mike Thompson | Independent | 113 | 6.7% | |
| Richard Wells | Green Party | 89 | 5.3% |
29 Jul 2026
21 Jul 2026
17 Jun 2026
22 May 2026
19 May 2026
6 May 2026
30 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026
24 Feb 2026
5 Feb 2026
No media coverage recorded.
Daily-brief items naming Paul Ashton (last 90 days)
Red flag · 16 Aug 2026
Red flag · 2 Aug 2026
Hi @RobKenyonReform, Ashton Library was already saved thanks to the Labour MP Josh Simons (you might of heard of him) and Councillors. Being that you’ve not bothered to even sign the paperwork for being a councillor, let alone attending your first meeting, it’s no surprise you https://t.co/kHFkM7zaNi
Reform UK candidate for Bryn with Ashton in Makerfield Robert kenyon was seconded by Councillor Steve Jones. He’s a councillor with a horrific record: https://t.co/6zuK66vO7f https://t.co/cK6bMGYFGY https://t.co/bNI685T7Qt
Here’s Reform UK’s #Senedd candidate for Fflint Wrecsam, William Paul Ashton. @Nigel_Farage, is abolishing the Senedd back on the agenda? https://t.co/j8rHRjtIop
cornwalllive.com
Cornwall Council is now £1.5 billion in debt - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council faces £1.5 billion debt and a £22 million budget shortfall, prompting managers to find savings ahead of next year's budget.
cornwalllive.com
Cornwall Council calls for removal of South West Water in favour of a publicly owned water company - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council voted with cross-party support to declare no confidence in South West Water, urging its replacement with a publicly-owned water company.
cornwalllive.com
Bid to shine a 'very big spotlight' on what Cornwall can offer the rest of the world - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council's corporate finance committee endorsed the early stages of an International Strategy aimed at raising Cornwall's global profile, attracting inward investment, and boosting tourism and student appeal.
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
Cross-party tributes to Cornwall councillor who has died after fighting brain tumour - Cornwall Live
Cornwall councillor Kevin Towill, former Newquay mayor who defected from Conservative to Reform UK, has died at age 46 after battling brain tumour.
Coverage from cornwalllive.com, devonlive.com, plymouthherald.co.uk. May not be exhaustive.
Paul Ashton represents the St Austell Poltair & Mount Charles ward for Reform UK. His meeting attendance stands at 41 out of 52 sessions (78.8%), which is flagged as a low-attendance red flag. He has no recorded conduct cases, no expense data, and zero media mentions. Ashtons re-election in 2025 gave him a majority of 306 votes (18.82%), a margin that widened by 1.4 percentage points compared to the prior election, with a turnout of 31.13%.
Generated by AI from public data. May contain errors.
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