2023 East Devon District Council election

The 2023 East Devon District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 60 members of East Devon District Council in Devon, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

The council remained under no overall control, being led by an alliance of the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour and some of the independent councillors.

Overview

Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being led by the "Democratic Alliance Group" of 23 councillors, comprising the East Devon Alliance, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and two of the independent councillors. The group was led by Paul Arnott of the East Devon Alliance. They were supported by some of the other independent groups and Labour. The 16 independent councillors who did not represent a registered political party were divided into five different groupings:

The Independents (5)
Independent Progressive Group (4)
Cranbrook Voice (3)
Part of Democratic Alliance Group (2)
Not aligned to a group (2)

There was also one vacant seat on the council.

The local party of the East Devon Alliance did not contest the 2023 election. Of the 12 councillors it had prior to the election, four stood as Liberal Democrats, five stood as independent candidates and three did not stand for re-election. The East Devon Alliance leader Paul Arnott, who was also leader of the council, was one of those who stood as a Liberal Democrat, having already joined the party at a national level in 2022.

The election saw the council remain under no overall control. The Conservative group leader, Philip Skinner, lost his seat. A Democratic Alliance Group formed again after the election, this time comprising the Liberal Democrats, Greens and nine of the independent councillors. Of the other independent councillors, nine formed the "Independent Group" and one sat with the single Liberal councillor as the "Independent Councillor Group". Paul Arnott was re-appointed leader of the council after the election, this time as a Liberal Democrat.

Results

Following the results, the council remained under no overall control.

Ward Results

The ward results were as follow, with an asterisk(*) indicating a sitting councillor standing for re-election.

Axminster

Beer & Branscombe

Broadclyst

Budleigh & Raleigh

Clyst Valley

Coly Valley

Cranbrook

Dunkeswell & Otterhead

The number of votes for Ian Morgan was in fact 682 (41.8%). However, his result was declared in error as 109 votes by the returning officer. Under UK election law this result stands, as it can only be changed through a petition to a court. This is unlikely to take place given the elected candidates were not affected by this error.

Exe Valley

Exmouth Brixington

Exmouth Halsdon

Exmouth Littleham

Exmouth Town

Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh

Feniton

Honiton St Michael's

Honiton St Paul's

Newbridges

Newton Poppleford & Harpford

Ottery St Mary

Seaton

Sidmouth Rural

Sidmouth Sidford

Sidmouth Town

Tale Vale

Trinity

West Hill & Aylesbeare

Whimple & Rockbeare

Woodbury & Lympstone

Yarty

Changes 2023–2027

Affiliation changes

Alasdair Bruce, elected as a Conservative in 2023, left the party February 2024 to sit as an independent in the Independent Group.

Daniel Wilson, elected for Labour in 2023, left the party in April 2024 to sit as an ungrouped independent.

Bethany Collins, elected for Labour in 2023, left the party in May 2024 to sit as an independent in the Democratic Alliance Group.
Del Haggerty, elected as a Conservative in 2023, left the party in June 2024 to sit as an independent in the Democratic Alliance Group.