NEWS

Exeter City Council 2023 local elections results

The votes cast for each candidate in each ward plus turnout and postal votes with the overall distribution of seats.

Martin Redfern

The distribution of seats on Exeter City Council following the 2023 local elections is:

  • Labour (LAB) 25 (=)
  • Green (GREEN) 6 (+1)
  • Conservative (CON) 4 (-1)
  • Liberal Democrat (LIBDEM) 3 (+1)
  • Independent (IND) 1 (-1)

The turnout was 35.67%. 32,072 votes were cast among an electorate of 90,305 registered voters. 11,234 votes were cast by post.

The votes cast, ballot share and change by party (where available) plus turnout and postal votes in each ward were as follows.

Alphington

LAB hold

  • Yvonne Atkinson LAB 1,187 (51.70%) +1.68%
  • John Bowman GREEN 306 (13.33%) +2.19%
  • Jamie Horner LIBDEM 150 (6.53%) -1.75%
  • Katherine New CON 653 (28.44%) -2.12%

Turnout: 36.24% = 2,301 ballots among an electorate of 6,349 of which 838 (36.50%) were postal.

5 ballots were rejected.

Duryard & St James

LIBDEM hold

  • David Blagden LAB 791 (35.63%) +1.65%
  • Simon Egan GREEN 278 (12.52%) +3.54%
  • Harry Johnson-Hill CON 213 (9.59%) -4.71%
  • Michael Mitchell LIBDEM 938 (42.25%) -0.49%

Turnout: 33.14% = 2,229 ballots among an electorate of 6,727 of which 860 (38.74%) were postal.

9 ballots were rejected.

Exwick

LAB hold

  • Joanne Giencke LIBDEM 117 (5.50%) -2.09%
  • Kaleigh Luscombe CON 333 (15.66%) -2.76%
  • Susannah Patrick LAB 1,145 (52.86%) -5.33%
  • Frankie Rufolo IND 263
  • Mark Shorto GREEN 268 (12.61%) -2.91%

Turnout: 29.75% = 2,134 ballots among an electorate of 7,173 of which 800 (37.63%) were postal.

8 ballots were rejected.

Heavitree

GREEN hold

  • Carol Bennett GREEN 1,308 (43.50%) -1.24%
  • Alfie Carlisle CON 278 (9.25%) -3.80%
  • Lucy Haigh IND 301
  • Gemma Rolstone LAB 1,020 (33.92%) -3.81%
  • Rod Ruffle LIBDEM 100 (3.33%) -1.53%

Turnout: 44.83% = 3,018 ballots among an electorate of 6,732 of which 957 (31.83%) were postal.

11 ballots were rejected.

Mincinglake & Whipton

LAB hold

  • David Luscombe CON 352 (18.29%) -3.78%
  • Mike Payne LIBDEM 184 (9.56%) +3.81%
  • Alex Stephan GREEN 198 (10.29%) -0.08%
  • Ruth Williams LAB 1,191 (61.87%) +0.06%

Turnout: 29.65% = 1,938 ballots among an electorate of 6,536 of which 804 (41.77%) were postal.

13 ballots were rejected.

Newtown & St Leonard’s

GREEN gain from IND

  • Julian Gallie CON 213 (7.82%) -1.60%
  • Andy Ketchin GREEN 1,373 (50.39%) +9.79%
  • Vanessa Newcombe LIBDEM 104 (3.82%) +0.18%
  • Carol Whitton LAB 1,035 (37.98%) -8.36%

Turnout: 41.59% = 2,738 ballots among an electorate of 6,584 of which 757 (27.78%) were postal.

13 ballots were rejected.

Pennsylvania

LAB hold

  • Will Aczel LIBDEM 199 (7.38%) -5.03%
  • Robert Sheridan CON 423 (15.68%) -2.76%
  • Martyn Snow LAB 1,194 (44.26%) -4.00%
  • Lizzie Woodman GREEN 882 (32.69%) +11.28%

Turnout: 37.35% = 2,711 ballots among an electorate of 7,258 of which 863 (31.99%) were postal.

13 ballots were rejected.

Pinhoe

LAB hold

  • Rory Clark LIBDEM 183 (7.50%) +1.78%
  • Ann Keen GREEN 227 (9.31%) +1.99%
  • Mollie Miller LAB 1,251 (51.29%) -0.19%
  • Cynthia Thompson CON 778 (31.9%) -3.58%

Turnout: 33.48% = 2,450 ballots among an electorate of 7,317 of which 982 (40.26%) were postal.

12 ballots were rejected.

Priory

LAB hold

  • Jane Begley LAB 1062 (51.91%) -0.60%
  • Ben Hawkes CON 469 (22.92%) -7.67%
  • Joel Stobart GREEN 278 (13.59%) -0.14%
  • Philip Thomas LIBDEM 237 (11.58%) +1.83%

Turnout: 31.45% = 2,058 ballots among an electorate of 6,543 of which 813 (39.74%) were postal.

8 ballots were rejected.

St David’s

GREEN hold

  • George Baker CON 230 (9.63%) -2.93%
  • Diana Moore GREEN 1,322 (55.34%) +7.45%
  • Andrew Soper LIBDEM 85 (3.56%) -0.80%
  • Ellen Stuart LAB 752 (31.48%) -3.70%

Turnout: 34.40% = 2,400 ballots among an electorate of 6,977 of which 694 (29.05%) were postal.

13 ballots were rejected.

St Loye’s

CON hold

  • Jake Bonetta LAB 980 (39.84%) +3.10%
  • Phil Brock LIBDEM 164 (6.67%) +2.17%
  • Alison Sheridan CON 1,127 (45.81%) -3.86%
  • Jack Vickers GREEN 189 (7.68%) -5.91%

Turnout: 35.57% = 2,468 ballots among an electorate of 6,939 of which 1,000 (40.65%) were postal.

4 ballots were rejected.

St Thomas

LIBDEM gain from LAB

  • Ashley Carr CON 167 (6.05%) -5.33%
  • Deborah Darling LAB 1,109 (40.18%) +1.78%
  • Adrian Fullam LIBDEM 1,217 (44.09%) +7.30%
  • Natasha Hannaford REFUK 57
  • Johanna Korndorfer GREEN 210 (7.61%) -0.85%

Turnout: 38.09% = 2,771 ballots among an electorate of 7,274 of which 851 (30.83%) were postal.

10 ballots were rejected.

Topsham

LAB gain from CON

  • Christine Campion LIBDEM 230 (7.72%) +0.07%
  • Jonathan Mills GREEN 259 (8.69%) -4.17%
  • Rob Newby CON 1098 (36.83%) -1.82%
  • Matthew Williams LAB 1,394 (46.76%) -0.56%

Turnout: 37.99% = 3,000 ballots among an electorate of 7,896 of which 1,015 (34.05%) were postal.

20 ballots were rejected.

Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
Newtown active travel scheme map

Newtown active travel scheme approved after four years of public consultations

Joint Devon County Council and Exeter City Council project includes road closure, car parking changes and contraflow Clifton Hill cycle lane.

South West peninsula 2025 spending review road and rail investment map

Dawlish rail resilience, Exeter A379 bridge renewal and Cullompton M5 J28 schemes all shelved after spending review

Government road and rail funding announcement billed as “the biggest boost to England's transport infrastructure in a generation” largely passes Devon and Cornwall by while leaving final phase of South West Rail Resilience Programme undelivered.

Illustrative floor plan of new redevelopment proposals

New Heavitree Road police station student accommodation and “co-living” complex proposals submitted to Exeter City council

Application for full planning permission for 813-room scheme in seven blocks follows decision to reject previously-proposed 955-room scheme in two blocks which was subsequently upheld at appeal.

Change in bus passenger journey numbers 2019-20 to 2023-24 by England local transport area bar chart

National Audit Office finds decline in Devon bus passenger journey numbers among largest in country

Devon journeys down 28% – seventh from bottom across 85 areas – while journeys in Cornwall increased by more than 40%.

Danny Barnes

Danny Barnes received full £15,000 Devon County Council allowance during 2024-25

Heavitree & Whipton Barton councillor failed to sign off £14,600 community grants after attending only two of fifteen public meetings and is alleged to have worked for Scottish Labour MP Imogen Walker since shortly after last year’s general elections.

, updated

Exeter cycle route E9 Wonford Road bus gate modal filter

Wonford Road modal filter bus gate to be first of five Exeter ANPR camera sites

Devon County Council will use new moving traffic offence enforcement powers to issue penalty charge notices to motorists contravening active travel, bus lane and one-way street restrictions.

On Our Radar
Summer at the Quayside illustration

TUESDAY 29 JULY TO FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2025

Summer at the Quayside

A month of free family activities including weaving, felting, doodling and drumming.

EXETER QUAY

Spork! summer special

THURSDAY 31 JULY TO THURSDAY 14 AUGUST 2025

Theatre in the Park

Exeter Phoenix hosts an al fresco summer theatre season featuring Shakespeare, spoken-word poetry, puppetry and physical comedy.

ROUGEMONT GARDENS

Three Acres And A Cow production still

SATURDAY 2 AUGUST 2025

Three Acres And A Cow

A history of land rights and protest in England told in folk song, story and poetry.

SIDWELL STREET METHODIST CHURCH