Councillor dossier
Subject of a Cornwall Political Watch investigation. Cllr Barker is the subject of a dedicated Cornwall Political Watch dossier covering his uncontested appointment as Reform UK Deputy Group Leader (19 May 2026), committee attendance, four approved committee-membership conflicts of interest, Companies House records, and the section 32 sensitive land interest on his Register. Read the Reform UK Deputy Group Leader investigation.
Data last refreshed:
Attendance
78%
present at meetings
Rank
78
of 88 councillors
Active red flags
0
no current flags
Conduct cases
1
code of conduct cases
The complainant alleged that Councillor R Barker's register of interest incorrectly listed a land lease with Tregothnen Estate instead of Trewithen Estate, suggesting a breach of the Code of Conduct. The investigation found the error was not made by the councillor and no breach was demonstrated, so the complaint was rejected.
Outcome: no breach
Running a hospitality business could create conflicts when reviewing corporate performance measures related to tourism promotion or planning enforcement.
Operating a commercial glamping business creates potential conflicts when scrutinizing council budgets for tourism, planning, or hospitality sector support.
As a Vodafone employee, the councillor could influence corporate procurement decisions that might favor his employer in telecommunications contracts.
As a Vodafone employee, the councillor has financial interests in telecommunications infrastructure decisions that could benefit his employer over competitors like EE, BT, or Three.
| Committee | Held | Attended | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Cornwall Council | 8 | 7 | 88% |
| Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 6 | 5 | 83% |
| Pensions Committee | 3 | 2 | 67% |
No recorded votes.
Councillor Richard Barker was elected with 647 votes, holding a 119‑vote majority (5.73%) over the Liberal Democrat candidate. A swing of roughly 2.86 % would be enough to overturn his lead, and the margin has narrowed by 6.8 percentage points compared with the previous election, with turnout at 38.06 %.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Charles Stuart Barker | Reform UK | 647 | 31.2% | ✓ |
| Howard Farmer | Liberal Democrat | 528 | 25.4% | |
| Adrian Harvey | Independent | 318 | 15.3% | |
| Ruth Jury | Conservative | 225 | 10.8% | |
| Robert James Cook | Green Party | 165 | 7.9% | |
| Alan Gordon Bowers | Independent | 99 | 4.8% | |
| Samuel Pritchard | Labour | 95 | 4.6% |
Turnout: 38.1% (2,077 of 5,457 electors) · 2 spoilt votes
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Harvey | Conservative | 913 | 46.6% | ✓ |
| Howard Farmer | Independent | 667 | 34.0% | |
| Peter Mewton | Green Party | 381 | 19.4% |
18 Jun 2026
19 May 2026
21 Apr 2026
12 Mar 2026
24 Feb 2026
20 Jan 2026
13 Jan 2026
10 Dec 2025
25 Nov 2025
16 Sept 2025
22 Jul 2025
20 May 2025
No media coverage recorded.
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
Cornwall planning: Worried villagers call out EE over 55ft 5G tower - Cornwall Live
Cubert villagers oppose EE's 55-foot 5G tower near village hall, citing visual impact concerns and health worries.
cornwalllive.com
Reform UK wins by-election seat in Cornwall - Cornwall Live
Reform UK's Heinz Glanville won the St Columb Minor and Colan by-election with 408 votes.
Coverage from cornwalllive.com, devonlive.com, plymouthherald.co.uk. May not be exhaustive.
Richard Barker serves as a Reform UK councillor for the St Newlyn East, Cubert & Goonhavern ward on Cornwall Council. He holds membership on several council committees, including the Audit Committee, the Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Pensions Committee, and the Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as well as being a member of the full Cornwall Council body.
During the reporting period Barker attended 14 of 18 council meetings, giving an attendance rate of 77.8 %. One conduct case was recorded against him, but no breach was found and There are no expense records submitted for his role, and no active red‑flag issues have been identified.
Generated by AI from public data. May contain errors.
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