DCC ELECTIONS: Tories keep control of Devon

The Conservatives have retained control of Devon in yesterday’s elections to County Hall, despite losing three seats.

John Hart’s party still have 38 of the 62 available, but a surge in the vote for UKIP has seen them get onto the council for the first time, with one of its four seats in East Devon.

The Liberal Democrats gained two seats in Thursday’s polls, but lost six across the county and now have nine councillors, four behind their 2009 levels.

In Exeter Labour gained two more seats to take their numbers at County Hall to seven, and the Green Party took back their only seat in Totnes, while the total number of independent candidates stands at three.

In the 11 East Devon seats the Conservatives held the eight it controlled, including Stuart Hughes in Sidmouth Sidford, but the Liberal Democrats lost Exmouth Brixington and Withycombe to UKIP, to leave them with one county council representative.

Independent Claire Wright won convincigly in Ottery St Mary Rural.

The Tories took over the running of Devon County Council from the Lib Dems in 2009, and will now retain power until 2017.

Councillor Hart said: “We are very grateful to the people of Devon for putting their trust in us for another four years.

“In 2009, we promised to make Devon County Council a more efficient and business-like authority and keep council tax down and I firmly believe we delivered on those promises.

“We restructured the county council by doing different things and doing things differently.

“We fought this election on local issues and on our record of delivering for the people of Devon.”

See next Friday’s Sidmouth Herald for interview’s and reaction to today’s results.

Final Results: (2009 figure in brackets)

Conservative 38 (41)

Liberal Democrat 9 (14)

Labour 7 (4)

UKIP 4

Independent 3 (2)

Green 1 (1)