Countdown begins to council elections

WITH less than a week to go until the local elections in Plymouth, 119 candidates will be vying for 19 seats on the city council.

Voters will attend 90 polling stations on Thursday, May 2, between 7am and 10pm. The Labour Party currently holds a majority with 33 of the 57 seats, the Conservatives have 15, seven are Independent and two are Green.

Labour and the Conservatives have candidates in all 19 seats, as do the Green Party and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.

The Liberal Democrats have 18 candidates standing in all but the Honicknowle ward and Reform UK have 17 candidates, with no representation in the Stoke and Eggbuckland wards.

Seven are standing as Independents.

Councillors stepping down this year include Richard Bingley, who led the council under the Conservatives before he resigned his position over the controversial tree felling in Armada Way last March. He has represented the Southway ward since 2021.

Plymouth’s Lord Mayor for 2022/23, Mark Shayer, a councillor for the Budshead ward since 2021, has also stepped down.

St Peter and the Waterfront councillor Ian Tuffin, who has been a member of the authority since 2012, announced recently that he would not be standing for re-election.

Others councillors not in the running are Charlotte Cree, who represented Labour in Devonport, Eddie Rennie (Labour) in Sutton and Mount Gould, Conservative councillors Pat Patel, in St Budeaux, and James Stoneman, in Eggbuckland, and Philip Partridge for the Free Independents in Honicknowle.

Cllr Tudor Evans, leader of the council, said: “It is really important that people go out and vote in this election.”

Cllr Patrick Nicholson, leader of the Independent group on the city council, said: “It is important for everyone to use their vote on Thursday 2 May.