Tories hold onto Devon – but Lib Dems see gains

IT will be four more years of Conservative rule in Devon after the Tories comfortably retained control of Devon County Council.

Under John Hart’s leadership, they have been in charge of the council since 2009, and Thursday’s local elections saw them stretch that reign until 2025.

Coming into the vote, the Conservatives held 41 of the 60 seats, and with seven seats to declare yesterday, they have 34 of the 54 seats announced, with the Liberal Democrats on nine, Labour on seven, three Independents, and one Green Party councillor.

Labour held all seven of their seats, while the Lib Dems made three gains, and while the Conservatives remain in control of the council, their majority will be slightly reduced, with them only being able to win a maximum of 40 seats.

Councillor John Hart, leader of the council, who retained his Bickleigh and Wembury seat, said: “I’m very grateful to everyone who voted – no matter which party they chose – in difficult circumstances. We shall continue to govern in Devon for the benefit of the county as a whole and for all our residents.

“They’ve shown great resilience over the past year in ensuring we’ve had some of the lowest Covid infection figures throughout the pandemic.

“But now, with the success of the vaccination programme and the Bank of England’s optimistic forecast for the national economy, we have got to focus on regenerating the Devon economy and driving the strongest possible recovery.”

He said the Tories had “ambitious plans for a cleaner, greener Devon with a thriving economy”, adding: “We can’t create jobs but we can provide the right climate for business to create jobs.”

He listed the investments and support shown by the council for Devon business and innovation, from the £4 million put into the Future Skills Centre at Exeter Airport to the launch of the Made in Devon marketing campaign.

He went on: “We are backing the roll-out of fast broadband for rural Devon. An £80m programme is under way in Devon and Somerset which will help to halt the digital divide between rural and urban communities in our county.”

As the results came in through yesterday afternoon there was little change, with only a handful of seats changing hands, including the Conservatives regaining Bideford West and Hartland from a former-Conservative-turnedIndependent, while Phil Bullivant took Newton Abbot North from the Liberal Democrats, and Marcus Hartnell gained Seaton and Colyton from the East Devon Alliance.

The Liberal Democrats took Barnstaple South, South Brent and Yealmpton, Dawlish and Teignmouth from the Tories, to leave them on nine seats, although Newton Says No candidate Janet Bradford took the Newton Abbot South seat from them, to leave them as the official opposition on the council again.

Councillor Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “I am delighted that we gained three seats but we do have a job of work to do holding the Conservatives to account.

“What I want is a willingness from the Conservatives to work together on mending Devon’s economy.”

On a difficult day for Labour nationally, the party held onto all seven seats in Exeter, but failed to make any gains in the city or elsewhere.