Council gets first Reform member after by-election win by 19 votes

REFORM UK candidate has brought Tiverton its first splash of light blue after winning a by-election last week.

- by BRADLEY GERRARD

Goff Welchman has been elected to Tiverton Town Council

(Goff Welchman)

Goff Welchman stood for the party in the contest for a seat in the Cranmore ward on Tiverton Town Council.

Cllr Welchman secured 505 votes, narrowly ahead of the 486 of Liberal Democrat contender Claudette Harrower, who sits on Mid Devon District Council.

The Conservatives, with Luis Richard Alan James Gordon, came third in the four-horse race with 148 votes and Local Independents for Tiverton, with Ana Luisa Hendy, received 107.

Cllr Welchman could not be contacted for comment on his win, however he becomes the first Reform member of the council.

In a post on the Tiverton Notice Board Facebook page, he said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Tiverton’s Cranmore ward, who yesterday voted me onto the town council.

“I would also like to say to all the ward residents, whichever way you voted, that I shall continue to represent all your interests in keeping our area a safe and pleasant place to live, and in particular I'll defend our unique assets of the Grand Western Canal and Tidcombe Fen SSSI, as I’ve already been doing during my 42 years of living in the ward.