City residents to go to the polls as make-up of council to be decided

MORE than 50 polling stations will open across Exeter when the city goes to the polls to elect a third of its councillors next week.

On Thursday, May 2, elections are being held to choose one city councillor for each of the 13 wards. At the same time, voters will select a police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Around 90,000 people in Exeter are eligible to vote, with around 1,000 having applied to take part by post.

The turnout in the city council elections last year – when a different third of the council was elected – was 3%. The turnout for the last police and crime commissioner election in 2021 was 37%.

When the polls close at 10pm, the presiding officer from each of the 55 polling stations will deliver their ballot box to the Riverside Leisure Centre for votes to be verified. Counting is then likely to go on late into the night.

In all, 1 candidates are standing for the 13 available city council seats – 13 for each of the Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties as well as nine independent candidates.

Seven city councillors are not standing for re-election. They are Labour’s Steve Warwick, Barbara Denning, Martin Pearce, Richard Branston, and Zion Lights, as well as Amy Sparling, of the Green Party, and former Conservative group leader Andrew Leadbetter.

The current composition of the 13 wards available is that seven are Labour seats, two Conservatives, one Green, two independents and one vacancy.

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

Whatever happens, Labour will remain the largest party on Exeter City Council. However, it could lose its overall majority.

The count for the Exeter element of the police and crime commissioner election will take place at the Riverside Leisure Centre from 11am the next day. Once the result of the vote for Exeter has been declared, the overall result will be announced in Plymouth, later on Friday.

Voters in all polls will need to take photo ID to the polling stations with them. This could include a passport; photographic driving licence; a blue badge or a bus pass. Original documents are required, not copies or scanned images.

The city council election 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); Frankie 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); 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).