← North Devon (all cycles) · 1 May 2025 cohort
North Devon 2025
Local elections held 1 May 2025.
How to read this page
Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share that would be needed to be guaranteed that seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.
Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the gap as points under par — the editorial indictment. Above-par results are just majority mandates and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.
If votes were counted by party
Across the 8 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 8 seats had been allocated to those vote totals in proportion (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented in this council, negative are parties it under-represented.
| Party | Votes | Vote % | Seats won | % of seats | Proportional seats | Proportional % | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 9,878 | 35.8% | 5 | 62.5% | 3 | 37.5% | +2 |
| Reform UK | 7,456 | 27.0% | 1 | 12.5% | 2 | 25.0% | -1 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 6,680 | 24.2% | 1 | 12.5% | 2 | 25.0% | -1 |
| Green Party | 2,618 | 9.5% | 1 | 12.5% | 1 | 12.5% | 0 |
| Labour Party | 900 | 3.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independent | 47 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 27,579 | 100.0% | 8 | 100.0% | 8 | 100.0% | 0 |
Vote share vs seats won
The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.
Wards in this council
Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.
- South Molton · 1 seat · won at 31.1% · +18.9 pts below quota
- Ilfracombe · 1 seat · won at 34.2% · +15.8 pts below quota
- Braunton Rural · 1 seat · won at 38.0% · +12.0 pts below quota
- Chulmleigh & Landkey · 1 seat · won at 38.5% · +11.5 pts below quota
- Combe Martin Rural · 1 seat · won at 39.2% · +10.8 pts below quota
- Barnstaple South · 1 seat · won at 42.7% · +7.3 pts below quota
- Barnstaple North · 1 seat · won at 45.7% · +4.3 pts below quota
- Fremington Rural · 1 seat · won at 59.1% · above quota
Race results
South Molton · single-seat
Marginal winner 31.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +18.9 pts below quota Valid ballots 4,167
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Leonard Alan Hopley | Reform UK | 1,298 | 31.1% | Elected |
| 2 | Paul John Henderson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,263 | 30.3% | |
| 3 | David John Worden | Liberal Democrats | 1,142 | 27.4% | |
| 4 | Gill Saunders | Green Party | 249 | 6.0% | |
| 5 | Steven William Hinchliffe | Labour Party | 215 | 5.2% |
Ilfracombe · single-seat
Marginal winner 34.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +15.8 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,044
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sara Jane Wilson | Green Party | 1,040 | 34.2% | Elected |
| 2 | Adrian John Emery | Reform UK | 762 | 25.0% | |
| 3 | Paul Edward Crabb | Conservative and Unionist Party | 728 | 23.9% | |
| 4 | June Williams | Liberal Democrats | 458 | 15.0% | |
| 5 | Toby Ebert | Labour Party | 56 | 1.8% |
Braunton Rural · single-seat
Marginal winner 38.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +12.0 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,444
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Matthew Bell | Liberal Democrats | 1,310 | 38.0% | Elected |
| 2 | Pru Maskell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,194 | 34.7% | |
| 3 | Richard Booth | Reform UK | 623 | 18.1% | |
| 4 | David Charles John Relph | Green Party | 185 | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Tamsin Higgs | Labour Party | 132 | 3.8% |
Chulmleigh & Landkey · single-seat
Marginal winner 38.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +11.5 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,282
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ed Tyldesley | Liberal Democrats | 1,262 | 38.5% | Elected |
| 2 | Casey Ryback | Reform UK | 866 | 26.4% | |
| 3 | Glyn Lane | Conservative and Unionist Party | 811 | 24.7% | |
| 4 | David James Smale | Green Party | 257 | 7.8% | |
| 5 | Valerie Jean Cann | Labour Party | 58 | 1.8% | |
| 6 | Faye Marion Davies | Independent | 28 | 0.9% |
Combe Martin Rural · single-seat
Marginal winner 39.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +10.8 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,480
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Vivienne Davis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,365 | 39.2% | Elected |
| 2 | Kelvin Leigh McKechnie | Reform UK | 1,038 | 29.8% | |
| 3 | Josh Rutty | Liberal Democrats | 641 | 18.4% | |
| 4 | Kyle James Chivers | Green Party | 313 | 9.0% | |
| 5 | Oliver John Leslie Bell | Labour Party | 123 | 3.5% |
Barnstaple South · single-seat
Marginal winner 42.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +7.3 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,157
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroline Frances Herringham Leaver | Liberal Democrats | 1,348 | 42.7% | Elected |
| 2 | Anthony John Payne | Reform UK | 846 | 26.8% | |
| 3 | David William Hoare | Conservative and Unionist Party | 633 | 20.1% | |
| 4 | Rosie Haworth-Booth | Green Party | 181 | 5.7% | |
| 5 | Rhys Daniel Jones | Labour Party | 130 | 4.1% | |
| 6 | Nigel Andrew Johnson | Independent | 19 | 0.6% |
Barnstaple North · single-seat
Marginal winner 45.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +4.3 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,138
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syed Jusef | Liberal Democrats | 1,433 | 45.7% | Elected |
| 2 | David Ian Jarvis | Reform UK | 985 | 31.4% | |
| 3 | Lisa Jayne MacKenzie | Conservative and Unionist Party | 324 | 10.3% | |
| 4 | Howard Porter | Green Party | 247 | 7.9% | |
| 5 | Helen Mary Marini | Labour Party | 149 | 4.7% |
Fremington Rural · single-seat
Marginal winner 59.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −9.1 pts Valid ballots 3,867
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Lindsay Biederman | Liberal Democrats | 2,284 | 59.1% | Elected |
| 2 | Lawrie Jenner | Reform UK | 1,038 | 26.8% | |
| 3 | Gary Lionel Beglin | Conservative and Unionist Party | 362 | 9.4% | |
| 4 | Ricky Knight | Green Party | 146 | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Gemma Lorraine Rolstone | Labour Party | 37 | 1.0% |