Cited reasons for postponing elections include work pressure on County staff and that newly elected councillors would have to work out how to abolish their “institution”.

Strike you as somewhat spurious?

All the effort maintaining the electoral rolls falls on Districts and the responsibility of running elections lies with the returning officers, not with County.  

Any amalgamation of County and District responsibilities, staffing and office accommodation will take years to complete so why shouldn’t the electorate choose new councillors they think are best fitted to make these momentous decisions and decisions during transition?

This Labour government might just be daft enough to be taken in.  Owl

How did your local representative vote?

Bradley Gerrard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

Devon’s county councillors voted in favour of asking the government to allow it to postpone May’s local elections for a year whilst the future structure of councils becomes clearer.

Jim McMahon, the minster for local government and devolution, told councils  last month that any request to delay polling “must set out how postponing the election would enable the council to make progress with reorganisation and devolution”.

The government has set out plans to abolishing the existing structure of county and district councils, replacing them with larger ‘unitary-style’ councils and overarching ‘strategic’ areas run by elected mayors.

Some people who want to delays May’s election suggest organising a ballot at the same time as re-engineering how local government is organised would put staff under too much pressure, and mean the first job of new councillors would be to work out how to abolish the institution they have just been elected to.

At an estimated £1.5 million for Devon, it is also costly.

But opponents claim Devon County Council’s move is a sign of its Conservative administration trying to hold on to power for longer, in spite of the council facing issues such as an inadequate Ofsted rating for its children’s services department and a large financial deficit in its special education needs and disabilities (Send) provision.

A request for a recorded vote was made at Devon’s full council meeting last week, meaning every councillor who attended had the way in which they voted written down for the record. Votes are most often carried out with just a show of hands.

The vote was 37 for and 12 against. Ten councillors were not present at the meeting and the chairman – presently Councillor John Hart (Conservative, Bickleigh & Wembury) does not vote in such situations unless a deciding vote is required.

Devon County Council consists of 38 Conservative councillors, nine Liberal Democrats, four independents. six Labour, two Green Party and one non-aligned member.

So, how did your county councillor vote?

The councillors who voted FOR applying to postpone May’s elections?
Councillor    Ward    Party
ADAMS, Tracy    Pinhoe & Mincinglake    Labour
ATKINSON, Yvonne    Alphington & Cowick    Labour and Cooperative Party
BERRY, John    Cullompton & Bradninch    Conservative
BULLIVANT, Phil    Newton Abbot North    Conservative
CHESTERTON, Richard    Tiverton West    Conservative
CHUBB, Iain    Whimple & Blackdown    Conservative
CRABB, Paul    Ilfracombe    Conservative
CROAD, Roger    Ivybridge    Conservative
DAVIS, Andrea    Combe Martin Rural    Conservative
GILBERT, Rufus    Salcombe    Conservative
HANNAFORD, Rob    Exwick & St Thomas    Non-aligned
HARTNELL, Marcus    Seaton &Colyton    Conservative
HAWKINS, Jonathan    Dartmouth & Marldon    Conservative
HELLYER, Linda    Bideford East    Conservative
HENDERSON, Paul    Chulmleigh & Landkey    Independent
HUGHES, Stuart    Sidmouth    Conservative
KHAN, Sarah    Ashburton & Buckfastleigh    Conservative

LEADBETTER, Andrew Wearside & Topsham    Conservative
MASKELL, Pru    Braunton Rural    Conservative
MCGEOUGH, Dermot    Northam    Conservative
MCINNES, James    Hatherleigh & Chagford    Conservative
MORRISH, James    Holsworthy Rural    Conservative
PEART, Ron    Kingsteignton &Teign Estuary    Conservative
PROWSE, Percy    Duryard & Pennsylvania    Conservative
RADFORD, Ray    Willand & Uffculme    Conservative
RANDALL JOHNSON, Sara    Broadclyst    Conservative
SAMUEL, Lois    Okehampton Rural    Conservative
SANDERS, Philip    Yelverton Rural    Conservative
SAYWELL, Andrew    Torrington Rural    Conservative
SCOTT, Richard    Exmouth    Conservative
SELLIS, Debo    Tavistock    Conservative
SLADE, Colin    Tiverton East    Conservative
TRAIL, Jeffrey    Exmouth    Conservative
TWISS, Phillip    Feniton & Honiton    Conservative
WHITTON, Carol    St David’s & Haven Banks    Labour
WILTON LOVE, Jeffrey      Bideford West & Hartland    Conservative
YABSLEY, Jeremy    South Molton    Conservative

  The councillors who voted AGAINST applying to postpone May’s elections?

Councillor    Ward    Party
AVASHIN, Marina    Wonford & St Loyes    Labour
AVES, SU    St Sidwells & St James    Labour Party and Cooperative Party
BAILEY, Jess    Otter Valley    Independent
BIEDERMAN, Frank    Fremington Rural    Independent
BRADFORD, Janet    Newton Abbot South    Independent
BRAZIL, Julian    Kingsbridge    Liberal Democrat
CONNETT, Alan    Exminster & Haldon    Liberal Democrat
DEWHIRST, Alistair    Ipplepen and the Kerswells    Liberal Democrat
HODGSON, Jacqi    Totnes & Dartington    Green Party
LEAVER, Caroline    Barnstaple South    Liberal Democrat
ROOME, Ian    Barnstaple North    Liberal Democrat
THOMAS, Dan    South Brent & Yealmpton    Liberal Democrat
 

The only person elected to lead a combined Devon and Cornwall public authority is……………… Alison Hernandez if I’m not mistaken!

Steve Race MP – be careful what you wish for! – Owl

PS He also seems to be backing two horses, neither corresponding with the Tory County proposal.

Devon and Cornwall should combine under mayor, says Exeter MP

Steve Race supports city’s unitary bid too

Guy Henderson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

Exeter’s status as one of the south west’s economic powerhouses must be protected as part of the impending local government shake-up, the city’s MP has said.

Labour’s Steve Race supports bringing together Devon and Cornwall as part of the reorganisation announced in a government white paper before Christmas.

Most Cornish MPs don’t want anything to do with Devon, but Mr Race says it’s the way forward.

He told a meeting of Devon Chamber on Friday that many people in Cornwall travel to Plymouth to work, shop or enjoy leisure facilities, and the Tamar isn’t the barrier many people suggest.

He also wants Exeter to go ahead with its plans to become a unitary council with control over its own affairs.

He said the planned shake-up is “the biggest transfer of power, responsibility and funding into regional local government that we have had in a generation.”

The government wants to devolve power into a network of ‘strategic authorities’ across the country. It would mean scrapping district councils, many of which fear local communities would be left without a voice due to the sheer scale of the new authorities.

The new councils would use devolved powers and funding for things such as education, transport, health and housing.

Larger ‘strategic’ authorities could sit above unitaries, and a Devon and Cornwall ‘peninsula’ one would cover 1.8 million residents.

But “district councils are toast” he told the business group.

Mr Race favours unitary councils for Exeter and Plymouth and suggests two ‘Devon coastal’ ones could result too,  covering the north and south of the county.

The over-arching Devon and Cornwall strategic authority, if it happens, would be led by an elected mayor.

“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “Exeter has a £6 billion economy and deserves a seat at the top table. It deserves its own say over its own city and its own growth.”

Earlier, in the House of Commons, Mr Race said the white paper could pave the way for Exeter’s future success.

He said: I welcome the huge opportunity for cities such as Exeter, which is also held back by Tory-run Devon County Council.”

And he asked local government minister Jim McMahon: “Can the minister confirm that devolution and reorganisation will work hand in hand to help Exeter, a key economic growth city, to retain, enhance and expand its historic self-governance, and to unleash its economic potential as an equal partner in a strategic authority?”

Mr McMahon replied: “Absolutely.”