Independents win 16 seats
The Conservatives retained control of East Devon District Council following the local elections on Thursday, with an overall majority of 15 seats. The ruling party won 37 seats, three fewer than they held before Thursday’s polls.
The new Independent East Devon Alliance group won 10 seats, with Independents winning six and the Liberal Democrats also winning six seats. Independents did especially well in Sidmouth.
The final ward counted on Friday 8 May was declared at around 5pm. This all-day counting session followed hot on the heels of an all-night session where the East Devon parliamentary seat was counted – with MP Hugo Swire retaining his position.
The number of people registered to vote in East Devon is 102,849. The overall turnout for the three-way election on Thursday was 71.7 per cent - around twice the average turnout for local elections in East Devon.
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