Lib Dems wins 'primary' over Greens in South Devon

Labour didn't take part

Organisers of a campaign to unite voters from across the political spectrum against the Conservatives in South Devon have hailed it as a success, calling it “democracy in action”.

What they are caling the ‘South Devon Primary’ aimed to encourage voters of various political parties – except the Tories – to back a single candidate at the next general election following town hall meetings and hustings’ events.

Liberal Democrat Caroline Voaden emerged as the clear winner from the process, securing 78 per cent of 1,072 votes cast.

‘South Devon’ will be a new constituency at the general election, comprising Conservative MP Anthony Mangnell’s current Totnes patch with some other areas. It will be the first time a constituency has been called South Devon since  1885 and had only ever been held by Conservatives and Whigs.

For this primary, Green candidate Robert Bagnall won 20 per cent of the vote, while Labour, which didn’t put a candidate forward in the event, achieved two per cent.

The result suggests that Lib Dem and Green activists in the new South Devon seat are willing to back Ms Voaden.

Anthea Simmonds, one of the South Devon Primary organisers, said there had been “universal” support for the process by those who attended.

“The feedback from people has been amazing, and they felt it was a very grown-up and professional debate,” she said.

“Caroline was very professional, and on top of relevant facts and figures, and there was lots of enthusiasm, including from people who wouldn’t ordinarily vote Lib Dem.”

Ms Simmonds said people had told her they thought the process would mean that “their vote was going to count for once”.

She continued: “At the end of the meetings, I go round and ask people for their thoughts and it was universal – people thought it was fantastic to see democracy in action and said they would definitely be getting behind the candidate that emerged as the winner from the primary.”

The Totnes constituency has been Conservative for a century. The last MP for the area not to be a Tory was Henry Vivian, for the Liberals, in 1923, although the boundaries were slightly different to the existing Totnes seat and forthcoming South Devon one.

Sitting MP Anthony Mangnall was not invited to take part in the South Devon Primary. At the general election in 2019, Mr Mangnall secured 53 per cent of the vote.

Ms Simmonds said South Devon Primary was funded by its founders without official political party affiliation.

“This wasn’t organised by people who belong to political parties, but done to meet a need which relates to frustration and despair with the electoral system, and it caught people’s imagination,” she said.

“People were coming out on a rainy Saturday afternoon to sit and talk about politics with people like them.”

Categories: Campaigns Elections Policy