Wrangling over?
Simon Jupp congratulates David Reed but, unusually for Simon, shows no selfie with him.
Was Simon rooting for one of the others?
There has now to be a big question mark hanging over David Reed’s head.
From David Reed’s facebook page, the only local Tory “Grandees” greeting his selection are Philip Skinner and Ben Ingham!
Looks a bit down market (second stringers) to Owl
Worth remembering how Ben Ingham described Simon Jupp at his selection meeting in 2019::
“If they wanted someone charismatic, which is what I think they tried to do, they would have been better off with Iggy Pop in my opinion. People would be able to relate to him more than a DJ from Plymouth.“
East Devon Watch 
These photos don’t convey the same sense of positivity and enthusiasm as the well known picture from Simon Jupp’s initial selection meeting.
Of course Mr Jupp was rather better connected locally than Cllr Ingham was perhaps aware, through his time at Radio Exe when leading local tories had a connection. For example I remember Cllr Humphreys declaring an interest in Radio Exe at a large and tempestuous public meeting regarding Elizabeth Hall. When Cllr Stott had amused herself by declaring a related interest in balloons. Perhaps if the timing was right Mr Jupp had even DJ’d at one of Humphreys noisy garden parties. Perhaps Cllr Moulding had even met him at one of those, given that he chaired the Exmouth Regeneration board at about that time, and thus would have been well aware of Mr Jupp’s charisma.
It’s not clear from his picture here that Cllr Ingham is celebrating Mr Reed’s selection. In fact it’s not even clear the veteran chameleon councillor is sure which way he voted or even whether he is following events at all, rather like his performance at the recent extraordinary council meeting. Mr Reed, for his part, appears to be uncomfortable, and keeping his distance, in contrast with his picture with former Cllr Skinner, and with this image from St Loyes, posted much sooner following the original selection but before the final resolution.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=david%20reed%20exmouth%20and%20east%20exeter
Thanks Owl for the link to nuggets from the Ingham back story.
It is very interesting to learn that he was in receipt of privileged tory information the year before he was involved in machinations in May 2019 to frustrate the election of the Independent administration which we had all voted for, preferring to be the leader of a puppet administration which swiftly fell apart rather than face the risk of not being elected leader.
He was obviously rather closer to some of his former and future colleagues than he was prepared to make public at that time.
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