55 hopefuls announced for 13 seats
The full list of candidates has been revealed for next month’s Exeter City Council elections.
In line with the usual cycle, a third of the council’s 39 seats are up for grabs in the poll on Thursday, 4 May
Ahead of the vote, the council’s current makeup consists of Labour (25), Conservatives (5), Green (5), Liberal Democrats (2), Independent (2).
If the seats up for election are removed from those figures, the new council political make-up starts with Labour with 18 councillors, the Conservatives and Greens on three, and one Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors.
Exeter will therefore almost certainly still be a Labour council on Friday 5 May. It needs to win just two of the 13 seats being contested to maintain overall control.
The ‘thirds’ system means no other party will be able to win enough seats to gain a majority at the Civic Centre, although they could join forces to form a minority administration if they were to win at least 12 of the seats.
Labour, Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats will each be contesting every seat on polling day. Also standing for election are two independents and one candidate from Reform UK.
Six existing city councillors are not standing for re-election, including current lord mayor Yolonda Henson (Conservative) and former deputy leader Rachel Sutton (Labour).
LIST OF CANDIDATES (* indicates sitting councillor)
ALPHINGTON
Yvonne Atkinson (Labour) *
John Bowman (Green)
Jamie Liam Horner (Liberal Democrat)
Katherine Helen New (Conservatives)
DURYARD AND ST JAMES
David William Blagden (Labour)
Simon Egan (Green)
Harry Johnson-Hill (Conservatives)
Michael Mitchell (Liberal Democrat) *
EXWICK
Joanne Giencke (Liberal Democrats)
Kayleigh Michelle Suzanne Luscombe (Conservatives)
Susannah Jane Patrick (Labour)
Frankie Rufolo (Independent)
Mark Shorto (Green)
HEAVITREE
Carol Bennett (Green) *
Alfie Samuel Carlisle (Conservatives)
Lucy Haigh (Independent)
Gemma Lorraine Rolstone (Labour)
Rod Ruffle (Liberal Democrat)
MINCINGLAKE AND WHIPTON
David Luscombe (Conservatives)
Mike Payne (Liberal Democrat)
Alex Stephan (Green)
Ruth Williams (Labour) *
NEWTOWN AND ST LEONARDS
Julian Maurice Gallie (Conservaties)
Andy Ketchin (Green)
Alexandra Vanessa Newcombe (Liberal Democrat)
Carol Whitton (Labour)
PENNSYLVANIA
Will Aczel (Liberal Democrats)
Robert James Sheridan (Conservatives)
Martyn Snow (Labour) *
Lizzie Woodman (Green)
PINHOE
Rory Jack Clark (Liberal Democrat)
Ann Barbara Keen (Green)
Cynthia Thompson (Conservatives)
Mollie Miller (Labour)
PRIORY
Jane Margaret Frances Begley (Labour)
Ben Hawkes (Conservatives)
Joel Andrew Stobart (Green)
Philip Alexander Thomas (Liberal Democrat)
ST DAVIDS
George Baker (Conservatives)
Diana Moore (Green) *
Andrew Matthew Soper (Liberal Democrats)
Ellen Miriam Stuart (Labour)
ST LOYES
Jake Bonetta (Labour)
Phil Brock (Liberal Democrat)
Alison Jayne Sheridan (Conservatives)
Jack David Vickers (Green)
ST THOMAS
Ashley Carr (Conservatives)
Deborah Charlotte Darling (Labour)
Adrian Alan Fullam (Liberal Democrats)
Natasha Jane Hannaford (Reform UK)
Johanna Franziska Korndorfer (Green)
TOPSHAM
Christine Anne Campion (Liberal Democrat)
Jonathan Robert Mills (Green)
Rob Newby (Conservatives)
Matthew John Williams (Labour)