2022 Plymouth City Council election

The 2022 Plymouth City Council election is due to be held on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Plymouth City Council in England. It will coincide with local elections across the United Kingdom.

2022 Plymouth City Council election
5 May 2021

19 of the 57 seats to Plymouth City Council
29 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Richard Bingley Tudor Evans None
Party Conservative Labour Independent
Leader's seat Southway Ham
Last election 26 24 7
Current seats 22 23 12

Incumbent Council control

No overall control



The Conservative Party made gains in the previous election in 2021, resulting in the council entering no overall control with no party holding a majority of seats.

Background

History

Result of the council election when these seats were last contested in 2018
Result of the most recent council election in 2021

Plymouth City Council will hold local elections, along with councils across England as part of the 2021 local elections. The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third of seats being up for election every year for three years, with no election each fourth year to correspond with councillors' four-year terms.[1][2] Councillors defending their seats in this election were previously elected in 2018. In that election, eleven Labour candidates and eight Conservative candidates were elected.

Elections in Plymouth are usually competitive between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.[3] The council was controlled by the Labour Party from the 2018 Plymouth City Council election until the 2021 Plymouth City Council election, when the council entered no overall control, with no party holding a majority of seats. One Labour councillor elected in 2018—Kevin Neil—was suspended from his party in the same year.[4] Another councillor, Chaz Singh, left the Labour Party in 2019.[5] Several Conservative councillors left their group to sit as independents, including the former council leader Ian Bowyer, after two of them were suspended by the group leader Nick Kelly for publishing a press release supporting a reduction in the speed limit on the A38 road through the city.[6]

Developments since 2021

The Conservatives made gains in the 2021 Plymouth City Council election and Nick Kelly was voted in as council leader with a minority of seats.[7] In October 2021, the Conservative councillor Shannon Burden left the Conservative group to sit as an independent.[8] In November 2021, the Conservative councillor Nigel Churchill left his party to sit as an independent councillor after he said complaints about breaches of the code of conduct were not being properly investigated.[9] In the same month, Kelly was suspended from the Conservative Party over an interview about the murder of Bobbi-Anne McLeod in which he had said "everybody has a responsibility not to try to put themselves in a compromising position", which was characterised as victim blaming by women politicians in the city.[10][11] In January 2022, another Conservative councillor, Stephen Hulme, left the Conservative group to sit as an independent.[12] Kelly's suspension was lifted in the same month.[13] In February 2022, another Conservative councillor, David Downie, was suspended from the group, leading to the Conservatives and Labour each having the same number of seats on the council.[14]

Kelly's budget failed to pass in February, with a Labour amendment passing instead that froze council tax. Labour called a vote of no confidence in Kelly.[15] A Conservative councillor told the Plymouth Herald that some group members might abstain in the vote.[16] Kelly lost the vote, with 29 councillors voting no confidence, 23 voting confidence and one abstaining.[17] Independent councillors were split, with Singh supporting Kelly in the debate.[18] Two Conservative candidates were nominated to replace him: Vivien Pengelly, a former council leader, and Richard Bingley. Bingley was elected council leader with 26 votes to Pengelly's 12, with the remaining councillors abstaining.[19] Bingley had previously been in the Labour Party and the UK Independence Party.[20]

Later in March, the lord mayor of Plymouth, the Conservative councillor Terri Beer, resigned from the Conservative group and the Conservative Party to sit as an independent councillor in response to Bingley's election, calling his new cabinet "lacking in experience and ability" and that her party locally had "been run into the ground by unelected chairpersons not from South West Devon".[21] She accused the new leadership of bullying. Her resignation meant that the Labour group had more councillors than the Conservatives.[22]

Campaign

The Conservative councillor David Downie was blocked from seeking selection by his local party in early 2022. He was suspended from the Conservative Party after questioning the decision, and later resigned his party membership after Richard Bingley became council leader. He said that the new cabinet had too many new councillors and he was "very concerned for the city, for the lack of experience and knowledge". In March 2022, he announced that he would run in Budshead as an independent candidate.[23]

Plymouth Labour published their manifesto on 30 March 2022. They pledged to cancel plans to remove bus shelters, invest money in roads and pavements, build more homes and buy empty properties.[24]

In April, recordings were published of a conversation between Bingley and the independent candidate Danny Bamping that had taken place in February. Bingley was recorded saying the then council leader Nick Kelly was a "weak, two-faced git" who had "been caught crossing me big time", and predicting that he would shortly no longer be council leader. He compared the Conservative councillor Maddi Bridgman to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who served as vice president to Saddam Hussein, and said that the independent councillor Chaz Singh, who had supported Kelly, "needs to quickly shift his alliance". Kelly said he was "disappointed, appalled, and shocked".[25] Bridegman said she was "devastated by the vitriolic attack", and called for Bingley to resign, as well as asking their Conservative Association to suspend his membership.[25][26] Margaret Boadella, the Conservative Association chair, said that people upset at Bingley's remarks should "do what I did when Downie was ranting at me, shut up and grow up".[27]

Plymouth Live reported that Bingley had appeared in a YouTube video in June 2020 in which he said people shouldn't "worry too much about climate change in itself", that people should cycle less, and that the COVID-19 pandemic was a "mildly severe flu pandemic".[28][29] In response to the report, he said that he had taken action against climate change since becoming council leader, and that his comments about COVID had been made early in the pandemic.[30] Six councillors who had left the Conservative group to sit as independents during Kelly's leadership defended Bingley, saying that he had been smeared by "a small collective of disgruntled councillors".[31]

Statements of persons nominated were published on 6 April listing all validly nominated candidates. In order to control a majority of seats on the council, the Conservatives would need to win twelve of the nineteen seats up for election, and Labour would need to win sixteen.[32]

Previous council composition

After 2019 election Before 2021 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 26 Conservative 22
Labour 24 Labour 23
Independent 7 Independent 12

Candidates

Statements of persons nominated were published on 6 April 2022.[33] Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Budshead

Downie was previously elected as the Conservative candidate.

Budshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dave Downie*
Conservative Lee Finn
Liberal Democrats Colin Mackenzie
Labour Isabel Saxby
Turnout

Compton

Budshead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Danny Bamping
Liberal Democrats Richard Bray
TUSC Nigel Buckley
Conservative Martin Leaves
Green Ewan Melling Flavell
Labour Dylan Tippetts
Turnout

Devonport

Devonport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
TUSC Lesley Duncan
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Hall
Conservative Kyle Lewis
Change for Plymouth Karen Pilkington
Green Andrew Pratt
Labour Bill Stevens*
Turnout

Drake

Drake
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Fleur Ball
Conservative Ross Farr-Semmens
TUSC Samuel Hey
Labour Charlotte Holloway
Independent Steve Ricketts
Turnout

Efford and Lipson

Efford and Lipson
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gregg Black
Green Pat Bushell
Labour Neil Hendy*
Liberal Democrats Alex Primmer
TUSC Matthew Whitear
Turnout

Eggbuckland

Eggbuckland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dennis Draper
Labour Francesca Rees
Conservative Chip Tofan
Turnout

Ham

Ham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Caroline Bennett
Conservative Sonia Hosking
Labour Tina Tuohy*
TUSC Andrew White
Turnout

Honicknowle

Honicknowle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Boadella
Green Benjamin Osborn
Labour Zoë Reilly
Turnout

Moor View

Moor View
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maddi Bridgeman*
Green James Ellwood
Labour William Noble
TUSC Edison Notman
Liberal Democrats James Spencer
Turnout

Peverell

Peverell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Nicholas Casley
Liberal Democrats Sima Davarian-Dehsorkhe
Labour Jeremy Goslin*
Conservative Tim Lever
Heritage Bernard Toolan
Turnout

Plympton Chaddlewood

Plympton Chaddlewood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Cuddihee
Conservative Glenn Jordan*
Green Ian Poyser
Turnout

Plympton St Mary

Plympton St Mary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Darcy
TUSC Alan Frost
Green Lucy Mackay
Labour Paul McNamara
Turnout

Plymstock Dunstone

Plymstock Dunstone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Frank Hartkopf
Liberal Democrats Katie McManus
Conservative Vivien Pengelly*
Labour John Stephens
Turnout

Plymstock Radford

Plymstock Radford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jon Davies
Green Bryan Driver
Liberal Democrats Roy Plumley
Conservative Rebecca Smith*
Independent Neal Stoneman
Turnout

Southway

Southway
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
TUSC Benjamin Davy
Conservative Andy Lugger
Labour Daniella Marley
Independent Emily Quick
Green Fi Smart
Turnout

St Budeaux

St Budeax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Leesa Alderton
Independent Terry Deans
Conservative Adam Duffield
Labour Sally Haydon
Turnout

St Peter and the Waterfront

St Peter and the Waterfront
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
TUSC Ryan Aldred
Change for Plymouth Dean Bowles
Conservative Jon Hill
Liberal Democrats Hugh Janes
Labour Sue McDonald*
Turnout

Stoke

Stoke
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Briars-Delve
TUSC Nik Brookson
Green Nicholas Ireland
Conservative Marie-Desirée Rivière
Liberal Democrats Jacqui Spencer
Turnout

Sutton and Mount Gould

StSutton and Mount Gouldoke
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Aspinall*
Liberal Democrats Stuart Bonar
Green Mike Kewish
TUSC Duncan Moore
Independent Tinny Sivasothy
Conservative Grace Stickland
Turnout

References

  1. "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  2. "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
  3. "Third of Devon's city councils seats up for election". BBC News. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. Eve, Carl (25 September 2018). "Police investigation into suspended Labour councillor dropped". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  5. Eve, Carl (27 September 2019). "The real reason Chaz Singh quit the Labour Party". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. Oldfield, Edward (9 October 2020). "Senior councillors quit Tory group and criticise leadership". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. Green, Alex (9 June 2021). "Meet the man who's now in charge of Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  8. Eve, Carl (6 October 2021). "Plymouth Conservatives lose another councillor". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  9. Eve, Carl (5 November 2021). "Councillor quits Tory party over 'unacceptable' conduct". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  10. Eve, Carl (30 November 2021). "Council leader suspended over Bobbi-Anne comments". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. "Tories suspend Plymouth council leader after 'victim-blaming' remarks". the Guardian. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  12. Eve, Carl (10 January 2022). "Plymouth Conservatives lose another councillor to Independents". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. Eve, Carl (10 January 2022). "Tory leader's party suspension lifted". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  14. Eve, Carl (23 February 2022). "Tories lose another councillor in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  15. Clark, Daniel; Churm, Philip (11 March 2022). "Plymouth City Council leader facing vote of no confidence". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  16. Eve, Carl (18 March 2022). "Some Conservatives 'to abstain' in leader no confidence vote". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  17. "Plymouth council leader ousted after no-confidence vote". BBC News. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  18. Churm, Philip (21 March 2022). "Plymouth council leader ousted after less than a year in charge". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  19. Churm, Philip (21 March 2022). "Plymouth council leader ousted after less than a year in charge". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  20. Eve, Carl; Timms, Katie (22 March 2022). "Senior figures lose roles as Plymouth's new cabinet announced". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  21. "Plymouth Lord Mayor resigns from Conservative group". Greatest Hits Radio (Plymouth). Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  22. Eve, Carl (23 March 2022). "Plymouth councillor quits Conservatives amid 'bullying' claim". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  23. Churm, Philip (25 March 2022). "Former Plymouth Conservative councillor to stand as independent". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  24. Simpson, Zhara (30 March 2022). "Plymouth Labour party out to stop bus shelter closures". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  25. Churm, Philip (1 April 2022). "Plymouth council leader facing questions over leaked phone calls". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  26. Eve, Carl (4 April 2022). "Deputy Mayor calls for new council leader to be suspended". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  27. Churm, Philip (5 April 2022). "Senior Tory says 'shut up and grow up' after leader's comments". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  28. Churm, Philip (12 April 2022). "Council leader says we 'shouldn't worry about climate change'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  29. "Tory councillor dismisses climate and says we can adapt to 'barren, sandy landscapes'". The Independent. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  30. Churm, Philip (13 April 2022). "Council leader insists climate change is a concern". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  31. Eve, Carl (22 April 2022). "Councillors claim smear campaign against new leader". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  32. Clark, Daniel (6 April 2022). "Full list of candidates for Plymouth Council local elections". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  33. "Local Elections 2022 Notices | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
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