Exeter: still a Labour council

Majority cut by two. Tories fail to make headway

Labour have retained control of Exeter City Council - but its majority has been cut by two, with a seat being taken by the Greens.

It would have been mathematically impossible for any other party to wrest control from Labour, but with the Conservatives riding high nationally, this was a chance for them to shake the council seats up a bit. They flunked it. Before these elections Tories held six of the 39 seats. That's the same today.

Labour's majority drops from 19 to 17. They have 28 of the seats, with other parties holding 11.

Of the 14 seats contested this time round, Labour secured 11, with the Conservatives holding two, and the Green Party winning a seat in St David’s. Exeter is made up of 39 councillors, with elections usual held for a third of the seats each year, with no elections in year four. Because of the pandemic elections were cancelled last year and the councillors elected this time will serve for only three years before the seats come round again.

This year an extra seat was contested for Mincinglake and Whipton following the death of a serving councillor. The new councillor will serve for a year.

Leader of the council Cllr Phil Bialyk (Labour), as well as fellow executive members David Harvey and Emma Morse, were among those re-elected, as was Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, leader of the Conservative group.

The Green Party picked up St David’s with Amy Sparling claiming what was a vacant seat, previously held by a Labour councillor, although it was technically vacant after the incumbent had been disqualified for not attending a meeting in six months.

It was the only seat that changed hands of the 14 up for election – although Labour did regain the second Mincinglake and Whipton seat.

All winning councillors, bar Naima Allcock, will serve a three year term, with Cllr Allcock serving a one-year term.

Cllr Bialyk, on the win and increased majority of the votes that bucked a difficult day nationally for Labour, said: “It has been a good here for my party in Exeter. We have retained the council, we have got some good councillors back, have a good manifesto which has been supported overwhelming by the people of Exeter, and we intend to carry that out for the benefits of everyone in Exeter.

“I always say it is a privilege to be elected by the peers and I believe there is a degree of trust in politicians here in Exeter. We have some great projects happening in the next year, St Sidwell’s Point is to open, the Riverside is to reopen on July 24, investing £50m into the city and providing jobs, but there is a lot going on in Exeter.

“Apart from coming out of Covid and life back to normal, will have St Sidwell’s Point which will be a great achievement for Exeter, the start of building over 500 passivhous council homes, we intend to reduce the waiting times to get homes for people in Exeter, we have a lot to do for the next few years and I am so glad the people of Exeter have supported in those projects.”

Amy Sparling, who won the St David’s seat for the Green party, said: “People wanted to see some change on the council. We want to make sure Exeter is the best place that it can be. It was close and we did well in the other wards, which shows people want to see change across the city.

“I am so grateful for everyone who has voted and so much more difficult because of the pandemic, and everyone who voted and the support we have had, and I am looking forward to working hard for everyone and the local residents of St David’s and make a change across the city and the right decisions like protecting our green spaces.”

The composition of the 39-strong council is Labour 28, Conservatives six, Liberal Democrat two, Green two, with one Independent.