North Devon Liberal Democrats Make Strong Gains in Local Elections

The North Devon Liberal Democrats are celebrating their resounding success at the Devon County Council elections, after gaining 3 seats across North Devon and bringing their total number of seats to 5.

Across Devon, Liberal Democrats made major gains to become the largest party represented on Devon County Council, which now formally moves into ‘No Overall Control’ after sixteen years of majority Conservative administration.

In North Devon, the Liberal Democrats secured their best results in decades, winning key seats in Barnstaple North and Barnstaple South, Braunton Rural, Fremington Rural, and Chulmleigh & Landkey.

Congratulations to County Councillors Caroline Leaver (Barnstaple South), Syed Jusef (Barnstaple North), Graham Bell (Braunton Rural), Frank Biederman (Fremington Rural), and Ed Tyldesley (Chulmleigh & Landkey) on their election. Our thanks also to June Williams (Ilfracombe), David Worden (South Molton Rural) and Josh Rutty (Combe Martin Rural) for strong Lib Dem performances in the final vote tally.

Voters also elected Loki Dawson as the new North Devon District Councillor for Barnstaple with Pilton Ward, in a byelection caused North Devon's Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, being elected to Parliament last summer.

In Torridge, Liberal Democrats succeeded in winning Torrington Rural, electing Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin as a Devon County Councillor.

Since being in power from 2009, the Conservatives have cut budgets, mismanaged services and neglected local infrastructure. In Devon, many roads are in a shocking state of disrepair, with the highway maintenance budget currently standing at an eye-watering £200 million.

In addition, children’s services have been rated inadequate or requiring improvement by Ofsted for over a decade, leaving many children in Devon waiting months or even years for vital support.

After winning 5 seats, the North Devon Liberal Democrats have said their councillors “will work hard from day one to deliver on the change North Devon needs”

Commenting on their electoral success in Northern Devon, Ian Roome MP said:

“What a fantastic success! I’ve seen first-hand the incredible hard work and dedication from our Liberal Democrat candidates, and I want to thank everyone for their support.

“For sixteen years, the Conservative administration has been asleep at the wheel in the Council, with local services in North Devon left to deteriorate. I’ve heard from so many people on the doorstep over the course of the campaign: people are fed up. This week, voters sent a clear message: enough is enough.

“We are all incredibly grateful and humbled that so many people have decided to put their faith in the Liberal Democrats, some even for the first time. Our Lib Dem councillors across North Devon will now get stuck in and push for the change that North Devon needs.”