Councillor dossier
Data last refreshed:
Attendance
94%
present at meetings
Rank
38
of 88 councillors
Active red flags
1
open accountability flags
Conduct cases
0
no recorded cases
Won with a majority of just 57 votes (3.43%), making this one of Cornwall's most marginal seats.
| Committee | Held | Attended | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Cabinet | 7 | 7 | 100% |
| Central Sub-Area Planning Committee | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Chief Officers Employment Committee | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Constitution and Governance Committee | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Cornwall Council | 9 | 8 | 89% |
| Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Individual Decision Day | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Miscellaneous Licensing Committee | 7 | 7 | 100% |
| Standards Committee | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee | 2 | 2 | 100% |
No recorded votes.
Based on the 2025 result, the councillor won with a narrow majority of only 57 votes (3.43%) against the second-place candidate. Turnout was low at 34.57%, and the margin has narrowed by 6.3 percentage points since the previous election, requiring a swing of just 1.72% for the seat to change hands. With four candidates in the field, this division is classified as competitive and vulnerable to a challenge.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowland O'Connor | Reform UK | 546 | 32.9% | ✓ |
| Mathew Scott Appleton | Liberal Democrat | 489 | 29.5% | |
| Paul Wills | Independent | 412 | 24.8% | |
| Sarah Elizabeth Thomson | Green Party | 213 | 12.8% |
Turnout: 34.6% (1,660 of 4,802 electors) · 3 spoilt votes
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Wills | Independent | 682 | 44.5% | ✓ |
| Michelle Johns | Conservative | 532 | 34.7% | |
| Pauline Avery | Liberal Democrat | 161 | 10.5% | |
| Scot Taylor | Labour | 159 | 10.4% |
29 Jul 2026
21 Jul 2026
15 Jul 2026
19 May 2026
6 May 2026
30 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026
25 Feb 2026
No media coverage recorded.
cornwalllive.com
Warning that Labour's planning reforms will impact badly for Cornwall - Cornwall Live
Cornwall Council's planning committee has recommended the council leader write to the housing secretary expressing concerns about Labour's proposed national scheme of planning delegation.
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.
cornwalllive.com
Former Reform UK leader in Cornwall jumps ship again - this time to the Tories - Cornwall Live
Former Reform UK leader Rob Parsonage has joined the Conservative Party after previously becoming an independent councillor for Torpoint.
cornwalllive.com
Cornwall planning: Drive-thru coffee plan provokes danger fears at busy roundabout - Cornwall Live
A drive-thru coffee proposal near St Columb Major's busy roundabout sparked safety concerns at Cornwall Council's planning committee.
cornwalllive.com
Reform UK Cornwall defectors respond to by-election calls - Cornwall Live
Five former Reform UK Cornwall councillors left the party this month to form the Cornish Independent Non-aligned Group, facing calls for by-elections.
Coverage from cornwalllive.com, devonlive.com, plymouthherald.co.uk. May not be exhaustive.
Rowland O'Connor represents the St Columb Major, St Mawgan & St Wenn ward as a member of the Cornish Independent Nonaligned Group. According to the data provided, his meeting attendance stands at 45 out of 48 sessions (93.8%). He has zero recorded conduct cases and no expense data on file. There are no media mentions listed.
One active red flag is noted under the label "slim_majority," which reflects the councillor's election vulnerability score of 64 out of 100. The 2025 result shows he won by a narrow majority of 57 votes (3.43%) over the second-place candidate, with a low turnout of 34.57%. The margin has narrowed by 6.3 percentage points from the previous election.
Generated by AI from public data. May contain errors.
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