Candidates announced as 13 seats on city council will be up for grabs

MORE than 0 people have put their names down to fight for seats on Exeter City Council. Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 2, to vote for 13 seats on the council, which elects a third of its councillors every year.

One seat in each of the council’s 13 wards will be contested. Eight members of the ruling Labour administration have their terms of office coming to an end, along with two Conservatives, two independents and two Greens.

Among the notable councillors seeking re-election are Labour leader Phil Bialyk, who represents Exwick and has led the council since 2019, and Conservative group leader Anne Jobson (St Loyes).

Labour currently has an overall majority on the council, with 23 of the 39 seats. The Green Party is the next largest with six seats, followed by the Conservatives with four, Liberal Democrats with three and two independents.

The Greens and Lib Dems currently have a formal agreement to cooperate in what they call the Progressive Group to form the official opposition.

However, whatever happens on election day, Labour will remain the largest party on the council, but it could lose its overall majority.

The candidates are:

» Alphington: Rob Harding (Labour); Mark Jeffrey Harreld (independent); Benn Elliott Harrison (Green Party); Jamie Liam Horner (Lib Dem); Katherine Helen Judy New (Conservative)

» Duryard & St James: Tony Badcott (Labour & Co-operative); Martha Sylvia Lee (Green Party); Rory Fouad More O’Ferrall (Conservative); Tammy Catherine Palmer (Lib Dem)

» Exwick: Philip Michael Bialyk (Labour & Co-operative); Charles Anthony Curnock (Lib Dem); Eric Sinclair Helianthus (Green Party); Kayleigh Michelle Suzanne Luscombe

(Conservative); Rufolo (independent)

» Heavitree: Joan Marilyn Collacott (Conservative); Jack Eade (Green Party); Lucy Haigh (independent); Dave Mutton (Labour); Rod Ruffle (Lib Dem)

» Mincinglake & Whipton: Oscar Harold Brown (Conservative); Clive Alan Hutchings (independent); Michael Geoffrey Payne (Lib Dem); Liz Pole (Labour); Alex Stephan (Green Party)

» Newtown & St Leonard’s: Philip John Brock (Lib Dem); Julian Edward Cabrera (Labour); Paul Simmonds (independent); Keith Andrew Sparkes (Conservative); Lynn Susan Wetenhall (Green Party)

» Pennsylvania: Zoë Jane Hughes (Labour); Jack Hunt (Conservative); Victoria Jarman (independent); Jack David Vickers (Green Party); Nigel David Williams (Lib Dem)

» Pinhoe: Christine Anne Campion (Lib Dem); Jakir Hussain (Labour & Co-operative); Kate Jago (Green Party); Susan Simmonds (independent);

Frankie David John Thompson (Conservative )

» Priory: Tal Abdulrazaq (independent); David Luscombe (Conservative); Heather Ursula Mullett (Green Party); Philip Alexander Thomas (Lib Dem); Tony Wardle (Labour)

» St David’s: James John Banyard (Green Party); Rob Newby (Conservative); Ellen Miriam Stuart (Labour & Co-operative); Harry Wright (Lib Dem)

» St Loye’s: Jake Bonetta (Labour & Co-operative); Timothy Robert Butters (Lib Dem); Deb Hancock (Green Party); Anne Margaret Jobson (Conservative)

» St Thomas: Andy Bragg (Green Party); Ashley Carr (Conservative); Deborah Charlotte Darling (Labour & Co-operative); Rob Hannaford (independent); Alexandra Vanessa Newcombe (Lib Dem)

» Topsham: Sarah Jane Finch (Green Party); Gemma Lorraine Rolstone (Labour); Cynthia Thompson (Conservative); Alan Williamson (Lib Dem).