{"id":68181,"date":"2025-12-22T15:32:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T15:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=68181"},"modified":"2025-12-22T15:32:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T15:32:58","slug":"plymouth-decision-to-press-ahead-with-election-ramps-up-pressure-on-exeter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/plymouth-decision-to-press-ahead-with-election-ramps-up-pressure-on-exeter\/","title":{"rendered":"Plymouth decision to press ahead with election \u2018ramps up pressure on Exeter\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Exeter City Council\u2019s political leaders have been urged to follow Plymouth\u2019s example and press ahead with May elections after the Government indicated it would allow some local polls to be postponed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devon County Council\u2019s leader last week called proposals to delay elections in up to 64 local authority areas as \u2018deeply dangerous\u2019 and today (Dec 22) Plymouth City Council announced it would not be asking for a postponement.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil praised Plymouth\u2019s decision and suggested that Exeter should also honour voters\u2019 democratic rights.<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cCouncillors are elected to office for a specific term and should not seek to extend that without a mandate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlymouth councillors have done the right thing. In this context it would be a disgrace if Exeter residents were deprived of the chance to choose who represents them in the Civic Centre. This ramps up pressure on Exeter but the city council could easily make a firm and positive decision on this matter\u00a0 before Christmas so Devon residents\u2019 faith in local democracy is maintained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Government is worried about councils being able to deliver services it should fund us properly and postpone a reorganisation project which is costing millions of pounds and stretching both local authorities and civil servants.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n
\r\n\t
\r\n

Deputy Devon County Council Leader Councillor Paul Arnott said Plymouth\u2019s stance should be a wake-up call for Exeter.<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cThis latest move to offer councillors the chance to stay in power longer than they were elected for comes in the context of increasing uncertainty about democracy across Devon,\u201d Cllr Arnott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlymouth has done the right thing. Exeter needs to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Paul Arnott, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation and Water Quality<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Councils affected by the next tranche of reorganisation have until January 15 to request an election delay. A special meeting of Devon County Council will be held on January 9 to allow all members an opportunity to debate and respond to the letter received from Ms McGovern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devon County Council\u2019s proposal for local government reorganisation would be the cheapest and easiest proposal to implement and does not break up improving children\u2019s services. You can read about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":62947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dcc-homepage","category-democracy"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":62947,"title":"Council Chamber","alt":"Devon County Council's council 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