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
83%
present at meetings
Rank
72
of 88 councillors
Active red flags
1
open accountability flags
Conduct cases
1
code of conduct cases
Attended 1 of 2 Audit Committee meetings (50%), below the 60% threshold.
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.
Evidenced March 2026
Operating a commercial glamping business creates potential conflicts when scrutinizing council budgets for tourism, planning, or hospitality sector support.
Evidenced March 2026
As a Vodafone employee, the councillor could influence corporate procurement decisions that might favor his employer in telecommunications contracts.
Evidenced March 2026
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.
Evidenced March 2026
| Committee | Held | Attended | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Cornwall Council | 9 | 8 | 89% |
| Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 8 | 7 | 88% |
| Pensions Committee | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Standards Committee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
No recorded votes.
The councillor's majority is 119 votes (5.73%), with a turnout of 38.06%. A swing of 2.86% would be required to unseat them, and the margin narrowed by 6.8 percentage points since the previous election. The field of seven candidates contributed to a fragmented vote, underscoring the councillor's vulnerability.
| 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% |
30 Jul 2026
21 Jul 2026
18 Jun 2026
22 May 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
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.
Councillor Richard Barker represents the Reform UK party for the St Newlyn East, Cubert & Goonhavern ward. His recorded meeting attendance stands at 20 out of 24 sessions, or 83.3%, which is flagged as a low attendance concern. He has one conduct case on file, which resulted in a finding of no breach. No expenses data is available for this councillor, and there are no media mentions recorded.
His election vulnerability is rated at 66 out of 100. Barker holds a majority of 119 votes, representing 5.73% of the vote share, with a turnout of 38.06%. A swing of 2.86% would be required to unseat him, and the margin of victory narrowed by 6.8 percentage points compared to the previous election.
Generated by AI from public data. May contain errors.
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