The Green Party in Exeter is celebrating three gains in the Devon County Council elections, a third of the entire city – all previously Labour seats.
The Green candidate in St David’s and Haven Banks, City councillor Andy Ketchin (left), won by a landslide, achieving 46% of the vote, compared to Labour’s 24%. In St Sidwell’s and St James, Thomas Richardson (right) – the youngest councillor in Devon – won by 68 votes, while in Heavitree and Whipton Barton, Jack Eade won by just 25 votes, pushing Reform into second place.
Results across Devon leave the County Council in no overall control. With 27 seats, the Liberal Democrats won the majority but they did not reach the 31 threshold required. The Green Party has tripled its County total to six.
Councillor Andy Ketchin said:
“These are stunning results for the Greens in Exeter and show that, whatever the wider political landscape, we continue to grow year-on-year.
“These elections in Exeter and elsewhere show that the two-party political system is dead. We now have a five-party system in England. Greens offer the positive alternative to Labour and the real antidote to the divisiveness and shallow promises of Reform.
“Labour needs a complete reset. It needs to listen to the anger and disquiet over cutting winter fuel allowances and welfare payments to disabled people; it needs to tax the super-rich so our councils can be properly funded to provide the local services that people are crying out for.”
Councillor Thomas Richardson said:
“We have won seats in places where we already have a positive track record; where we have hard working city councillors championing their communities. When people vote Green, they stick with us because they see the positive impact for them and their neighbours.
Councillor Jack Eade added:
“The results in Exeter show that people like our positive solutions for protecting our environment and vital local services. We will continue to work hard in our communities all year round and the Green Party will carry on growing our representation at all levels of government.”