Did your councillor vote in favour of asking to postpone May’s elections?

How did your local representative vote?

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