Reform has its first city councillor as Labour loses out in county election

LAST week's elections saw Reform UK claim its first seat on Exeter City Council while it was a total wipeout for Labour on Devon County Council.

- by GUY HENDERSON Local Democracy Reporter

Prior to the county election, Labour held six of the city’s nine seats and the Conservatives the other three, but Reform and the Greens swept them aside, taking all six of Labour's seats between them. All but one of the city’s seats saw a change.

While every seat on the county council was up for election, two were up for grabs on the city council after resignations.

In the Mincinglake & Whipton by-election, Reform’s Tony Payne won with a 159 vote majority over Labour candidate Paula Black. The independent and Green candidates also both out-scored their Conservative and Liberal Democrat rivals.

However, Labour did hold on to the Topsham seat. James Cookson beat Conservative rival Keith Sparkes by 28 votes, with Reform third ahead of the Liberal Democrat and Green candidates.

Labour now holds 22 of the 39 seats on the city council, maintaining its overall majority.

On Devon County Council, meanwhile, the Lib Dems replaced the Tories as the largest party with 27 councillors. However, the party fell short of the 31 needed for an overall majority.