Fran McElhone has years of experience covering EDDC’s “goings on” under “the old guard”, has held the Exmouth Halsdon by-election for the Lib Dems.

Given her insight in local politics, her choice to join the fray as a Lib Dem speaks volumes.

Despite the national coverage, there was no breakthrough for Reform. The Conservatives came third.

Lib Dems hold Exmouth seat in by-election

Fran McElhone wins the Halsdon seat

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

Lib Dem Fran McElhone, who has won the Exmouth Halsdon by-election to secure a seat on East Devon District Council (Image courtesy: Fran McElhone)

Exmouth’s Liberal Democrats have held onto a district council seat for the town’s Halsdon ward in a by-election prompted by the death of a former councillor.

Fran McElhone secured 551 votes in the by-election held on Thursday (4 December), securing the journalist and photographer a seat on East Devon District Council.

The Exmouth Halsdon seat became vacant after the death of Andrew Toye, a long-serving member of both the district council and Exmouth Town Council.

Cllr McElhone’s win means the Lib Dems remain the biggest political party on the district council, albeit there are more independent members.

The district council is led by the Democratic Alliance Group, which is made up of Lib Dems, some of its independent members, and Green Party members.

Writing on her LinkedIn profile, Cllr McElhone said it had been an “amazing team effort” to hold the seat and “continue the legacy of the late Andrew Toye”.

Outlining why she stood for the role, she said: “Because I’m motivated by social justice, want to hold authority to account, want to make sure the authority makes the fairest decisions for the people, and I want to make sure vulnerable and marginalised people are represented and protected.

“Years of covering virtually every council meeting and scrutinising over-complicated council documents stands me in good stead to now be on the council.” 

East Devon has no Reform UK district councillors, but Anthony Quinn secured the second–largest number of votes in the poll with 438 – ahead of Conservative candidate Paula Burtoft, who bagged 393 votes.

Green Party candidate Anthony Woodward came fourth with 153 votes.

Turnout was just 25 per cent of the more than 6,000-strong electorate, with 1,539 ballot papers issued.

The Exmouth Halsdon seat was also being contested for Exmouth Town Council, with Lib Dem member Suzanne Isaacs winning with 566 votes.

The running order mimicked the district by-election, with Reform’s Mr Quinn securing second place with 421 votes and the Conservatives’ Ms Burtoft placing third with 392 votes. Independent candidate Louise Doliczny came fourth with 155 votes.

Former Cllr Toye came from a “strong Liberal Democrat family”, a statement from the Exmouth and East Devon Liberal Democrats said in September. 

His father, Brian, was also previously a councillor in the Brixington ward – a seat Andrew held until 2007 – and Halsdon wards of Exmouth.

“We will all regret the premature loss of Andrew – he will leave a huge hole,” said Councillor Tim Dumper, the chair of the Exmouth and Exeter East Liberal Democrats said after Cllr Toye’s death.

“As fellow councillors in Halsdon Ward, we have worked closely together over a number of years.

“As a ward councillor, he always stood up for the interests of residents, and as someone with a strong background in politics, he was able to add considerably to debates at both councils.

Cllr Toye, who held a politics degree and had lived in Exmouth for more than 40 years, was also credited by Cllr Dumper for work that ultimately led to Exmouth Town Council winning the prestigious national award of Star Council for Climate Impact.

“However, Andrew was always more than a councillor,” Cllr Dumper said.
 

A Mayor for Devon, let alone a Mayor for Devon & Cornwall, looks a very distant prospect.

Is Owl surprised? No.

Labour accused of ‘scandalous attempt to subvert democracy’

news.sky.com 

Four mayoral elections due to take place in May 2026 are set to be postponed by two years, Sky News understands.

Elections for the new mayoralties of Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, and Norfolk and Suffolk will be pushed back until 2028.

The decision, first revealed by The Sun, is due to be announced by ministers today.

This is the second time elections are being delayed in these areas. Local elections due in May 2025 were delayed by then communities secretary Angela Rayner for a year in order to convert them into combined authorities led by mayors.

However, it is understood that these councils need more time to complete their reorganisation.

The news has sparked accusations Labour are delaying the elections for political purposes.

Reform UK’s head of policy Zia Yusuf said: “This is a blatant attempt to stop big Reform wins next May.

“It’s an act of a desperate government who are clinging onto power by any means necessary.

“Labour has proven time and time again that they’re not beyond denying democracy to millions of people in order to maintain their cosy status quo.”

Speaking to Mornings with Ridge and Frost, education minister Josh MacAlister said Nigel Farage should “pull the other one”.

He added the postponents in the four areas are down to the councils still having “districts and county levels to be reorganised”.

Mr MacAlister claims the government – that came to power in July last year – has only “recently” taken charge of the country and is bringing a “new set of devolution”.

The Tories’ shadow housing secretary James Cleverly said it was a “scandalous attempt to subvert democracy by a Labour government whose credibility and popularity are already in tatters”.

“The Conservatives firmly oppose this decision to delay the mayoral elections, especially when candidates have been selected and campaigning is well under way,” he added.

“Democracy is being denied yet again after the council elections cancelled by Labour this year.

“There is no credible justification for this move. The Labour government must reverse it immediately.”

The reorganisation is part of Labour’s manifesto commitment to widen devolution, which it argues will improve local economies.

The government wants to abolish the two-tier system of county and district councils and merge them together to create larger unitary authorities. It also wants more areas to have regional mayors, like Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham.

Reform UK enjoyed success in the local elections in May, winning more than 600 seats and taking control of 10 councils stretching from Kent to County Durham. The party also toppled a 14,000-strong Labour majority in a parliamentary by-election.

The Liberal Democrats’ local government spokesperson Zoe Franklin called the postponed elections “a disgrace”.

“Democracy delayed is democracy denied,” she added. “We are fighting to end this blatant stitch up between Labour and the Conservatives over local elections.”