Police received a report of "possible electoral malpractice" in relation to an election candidate standing for Cornwall Council. The enquiry was connected to Chris Green, who is standing as an Independent councillor for the Boscawen and Redannick division in Truro.
We reported that Mr Green is actually Chris Twells, who was at the centre of a national scandal as a councillor when he sat on two different councils 150 miles apart. He was also suspended from the Liberal Democrat party.
In May 2023 Mr Twells secured the Tetbury with Upton ward for the Liberal Democrats at Cotswold District Council in Gloucestershire, narrowly beating the Conservatives. His victory came 12 months after he defeated Labour to gain the Ordsall ward for the Lib Dems at Salford City Council in Greater Manchester.
Cotswold Conservatives had called on the Lib Dems to withdraw him as a candidate as he already represented residents in Greater Manchester while there were also calls from the Salford Labour group for him to resign. Mr Twells was later suspended by the Liberal Democrats and resigned from the party due to an employment dispute, becoming an Independent on Cotswold council as well as in Salford.
He no longer sits on either council but was still a councillor on Cotswold District Council when he approached both the Green Party and Mebyon Kernow about standing in Cornwall at the beginning of 2025. He later resigned from Cotswold District Council after only showing up to ten out of the 22 meetings he should have attended. Mr Twells stepped down with immediate effect last month.
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Mr Twells, by this time calling himself Chris Green, approached Cornwall's Green Party earlier this year to help with its campaign and then suggested he could stand as a candidate. At the time, the party didn't realise he was still sitting on Cotswold District Council. CornwallLive understands the party only found out his true identity when he emailed from a different account bearing the name Chris Twells.
The party severed ties and then he approached Cornish party Mebyon Kernow. Its leader Dick Cole told us: "We had someone who joined MK online who said they'd be interested in standing so we invited him to a meeting, which he didn't come to. Then he sent an email saying he might be able to stand in a particular division. However, by that point I had spoken to my friends in the Green Party, who said 'you're not going to believe this'.
"Basically this guy approached the Greens about standing and they realised that he had already been a councillor in two different places under a different name. When they realised that they said 'no thanks'. He then tried us and we didn't engage as we'd had the tip off from the Green Party and then he suddenly appeared as a Boscawen/Redannick (Truro) candidate."
A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said yesterday: "Our role is to administer elections in accordance with electoral law and we have accepted nomination papers that satisfy the legal requirements. Anyone with specific concerns should report them to Devon and Cornwall Police, who will determine whether to investigate.”
It has now been revealed that Mr Twells/Green was investigated by the police. A spokesperson for the force told us: "We have been made aware of a report of possible electoral malpractice in the Truro area. Enquiries are ongoing."
CornwallLive visited the Truro address listed by Mr Twells/Green on his nomination papers yesterday in a bid to talk to him about his dual identity and controversial political past, but he later told us he was out canvassing. In an email sent to an address attributed to Chris Twells, but responded to by Chris Green, he said: "I am flattered that the press continue to take such an interest in my life. I live and work in Truro and am standing for the county council as an Independent, as I am entitled to under the law. In modern Britain people tend to move around, especially young people, and I think I have something to offer Cornwall Council.” He said he won't make any further comment.
Cllr Julian German, of Cornwall Council's Independent group, told us: "We haven't been approached by this person and did not know he was standing. We only found out he was standing, and as an Independent, when the candidates names for each seat were released."
It has since been confirmed that Devon and Cornwall Police has deemed Mr Twells/Green's nomination to be lawful and there's no evidence of electoral malpractice or any illegality.
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