David Reed, the Tory hopeful for the new constituency of Exmouth & East Exeter, chose to be photographed with Philip Skinner for the first post on his facebook page, following selection.
An “interesting” choice, given Phil’s record.
Are the Tories so demoralised that they couldn’t field a more significant “personality” to witness the selection? A County councillor, for example?
Party members at the selection meeting look from the photos to be thin on the ground, compared to 2019. It’s also a very low key event. (See images below).
Phil Skinner, former Tory group leader in EDDC, was rejected in May by the electorate in a straight fight with Lib Dem Cllr Richard Jeffries.
He had been a councillor for 24 years. One of the leading proponents of the pro-development “build, build, build” policy of the “Old Guard”, leading on the ill fated Exmouth Seafront “regeneration” taking little note of local opposition, and acting as the EDDC lead on the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP).
“Chapter and verse” on his record and exploits can be found by searching the copious East Devon Watch archive.
Phil was notoriously sacked by Sarah Randall Johnson in 2011 after sending her a “cheeky” Christmas Card. (He signed off: XX Phil – See below)
Owl wonders whether David Reed, apart from his time as a Royal Marine, has any real connection or “feel” for Exmouth.
In the May local elections he was active in his support for Pauline Stott and Richard Parr.
Stott and Parr’s joint campaign, claiming that the pair will be “standing up for our environment” if elected and will “protect our seas and rivers”, reached the national news when it was revealed that Parr had paid £82,000 to a local environmental group after being found guilty of running an unpermitted landfill site on his farm, and running mate Pauline said “I don’t even know him”!
The electorate, wisely, rejected both.
Richard Parr is also a major developer around Exeter.
Owl recalls the old adage: “A man is judged by the company he keeps”.
Are Exeter Conservatives on board with all this?
Selection meetings 2019 and 2023 compared
The David Reed selection 2023 (actual selection but before confirmation which came two days later?)
Compare with Jupp’s selection 2019
XX Phil
Councillor ‘sacked’ over Christmas card comments www.exmouthjournal.co.uk
A COUNCILLOR has been sacked from his role as Rural Champion at East Devon District Council after he offended the authority’s leader with comments he wrote in a Christmas card.
Conservative Philip Skinner, who represents the Talaton area, sent the card to Sara Randall Johnson and headed it “My greatest adversary”.
He went on to write: “The rest I can demolish in my sleep, but you are in a class of your own.
“Despite our forever on-going spats, that I and I’m sure you enjoy, I do have a huge amount of respect for you.
“Roll on February.
“Hope you are well. Don’t take the world on, on your own, it’s not worth the personal cost.
“It’s business not personal.”
Councillor Skinner ended the letter with two kisses and two footnotes, the last of which stated: “If only things had turned out different, we’d have made one hell of a team.”
Councillor Randall Johnson informed councillors of her decision to sack Councillor Skinner in an email sent out on New Year’s Day.
She wrote: “I wanted you to know that I have reluctantly had to take the Rural Champion position away from Philip Skinner. We met on Thursday afternoon when I hoped he would have taken the honourable route, but he declined.
“The reason for doing this lay in a disagreement over a message he sent in a Christmas card. I was disappointed and concerned at its tone towards members of the council.
“Being called “my biggest adversary” is something I can well shoulder, but I am not prepared for all members to be so summarily dismissed. This is not tolerable and why I felt it necessary to take such a drastic step.”
Councillor Skinner declined to comment when The Herald contacted him.
East Devon Watch 
How mysterious!
Looking at the photograph of the Conservative selection meeting November 2019, I notice that Humphreys appears to have only one leg and be strangely superimposed, merging into another individual and overlapping another. Characteristics of a pillar?
What is the source of the copy of that photo?
My comment below which challenged the Journal repeatedly referring to Humphreys as a ‘pillar of the community’ was instigated by the Journal’s inaccurate use of the word ‘dismissed’ concerning Verita’s report on investigation into the secrecy of the Humphreys case.
Hopefully the source of this rather odd photograph is not another error by The Journal.
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Exactly so! Local press use of the word ‘dismissed’ is inaccurate here.
The press headline “Devon sex fiend remained pillar of community despite arrest” is also very misleading.
Humphreys was not a pillar of the community. He POSED as a pillar of the community.
What motive would someone of his character have to stand as a councillor?
Are there records showing who proposed him as a councillor in the first place? Silly question.
Has that person ever had the courage to publicly acknowledge that they nominated Humphreys?
Who was duping who?
Pillar of the community?
What did he do for the community?
What many members of the community witnessed was this.
He never acknowledged public concerns. In meetings, he regularly used his bullish demeanour to intimidate others, thus ensuring that “influential ” friends and developers got their way and residents and local businesses were ignored.
Lets stop using that phrase where Humphreys is concerned.
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If you look very carefully at the David Reed selection photo you can see it is quite literally a stitch up! How else might they explain the two images of ex Tory MP and Whip Tim Wood occupying adjacent spaces? (yellow tie and light grey suit about 1/3rd in from left) . Stitching up might explain Angie’s question about Humphreys single leg
With such low numbers gathered, a good few of whom are recent election losers or quitters, no wonder there doesn’t seem to be a single smile amongst them. If anything, one looks to have nodded off!
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Angie said that: Humphries “regularly used his bullish demeanour to intimidate others, thus ensuring that ‘influential’ friends and developers got their way and residents and local businesses were ignored.”
From my own experience, in this respect this was the general modus operandi of, and Humphries was no different to: A) Most of the Tory councillors, and B) The EDDC Senior Officers esp. the CEO and Monitoring Officer.
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