As Independents seek to create a working coalition, the District Council meets for the first time since local elections > Wednesday 22nd May

Next Wednesday sees the first sitting of the new District Council when a new Chair and a new Leader will be elected:
Agenda for Annual Council on Wednesday, 22nd May, 2019, 6.00 pm - East Devon

It follows on from dramatic results in the local elections:
Futures Forum: BREAKING NEWS: "Bad day" for the Tories as Independents in East Devon gain an overall majority of two
Futures Forum: District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

And since then, there have been attempts to create a working coalition:
Futures Forum: District Council coalition talks to 'support the formation of an independent-led administration'

It will not be easy - as the Financial Times reports: 

Britain’s Independent councillors face challenges of success

Local election victors seek to push through change without party discipline or structure

Chris Tighe and Andy Bounds MAY 14, 2019

Independents now control six councils across England, from Middlesbrough to Nottinghamshire, Essex, Surrey and East Devon, and hold the balance of power in several more.
Often Independents coalesce around a common grievance. This month the East Devon Alliance, set up to oppose plans to build thousands of new homes in the area, ended Conservative rule in its region after 45 years.

Britain’s Independent councillors face challenges of success | Financial Times

It seems that there will not be a coalition involving East Devon Liberal Democrats, however: 

East Devon's Lib Dems say 'Independents should run the council' as they confirm they won't join a coalition

The Liberal Democrat Group, currently led by Cllr Steve Gazzard, have said that they respect the verdict of the voters and will not sign up to a formal alliance or agreement with any other groupings or parties.

Daniel Clark Local Democracy Reporter
12:53, 13 MAY 2019

Liberal Democrats in East Devon will not be going into coalition with any other political group in the district, they have confirmed.

Following May’s elections, the Independents ended up as the largest party on the council, ending 45 years of Conservative rule since the council was formed. Twenty Independent councillors were elected, while the East Devon Alliance won a further 11 seats. The Conservatives suffered 15 losses to end on 19, while the Liberal Democrats hold eight seats and the Green Party two.

Between the East Devon Alliance and the Independents, they hold 31 seats, which would be enough to control the council and have a majority, but discussions are still ongoing as to if a coalition between them can be formed an how many Independents would sit with the Independent Group. But the Liberal Democrat Group, currently led by Cllr Steve Gazzard, have said that they respect the verdict of the voters and will not sign up to a formal alliance or agreement with any other groupings or parties.

A statement by the Group said: “The Lib Dem group respects the verdict of the voters in the recent elections that the Independents should be in control of East Devon District Council, after 45 years of Tory rule

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READ MORE
New Progressive Group formed to 'challenge Exeter's one party state'

Cllr Ben Ingham, the leader of the Independent Group, and who retained his Woodbury and Lympstone seat, said that he was delighted with the results that showed it was very clear the voters do not want the Conservatives to run the council. He said that discussions had begun as to how many of the 20 Independent councillors elected would be sitting in the Independent Group, and he remained hopeful that they all would.

READ MORE
Conservatives pounded at Devon polls as they lose control of six of eight councils

Of the 20 Independents elected to East Devon District Council, ten were newly elected councillors. The other ten include Cllr Ian Thomas, who is still the current leader of the council, but who quit the Conservative Party prior to the election, and Cllr Geoff Pook, who was a cabinet member.

Cllr Ingham said: “We are still talking and trying to work it out and to make everything fit, but at the end of the day, including the East Devon Alliance, there are 31 Independents. We are still in the discussions stage as to how many of the independents will sit in the group, but I remain optimistic they will come as one, and that is my target anyway. Over the next week we will continue have the discussions and trying and pull everything together, although it is not easy as we are all Independents and there is no party whip. I do hope that we can all work together and as many as possible will sit with the group.”

Cllr Cathy Gardner, the leader of the East Devon Alliance group, had previously said that she felt it was unlikely all 20 Independents would chose to sit in the group, but the results showed that the people of East Devon want real change.

Cllr Paul Arnott, chairman of the EDA, and who won a seat in Coly Valley, had added: “We would like to thank the voters of East Devon for electing all 11 of our candidates. We will seek to forge alliances with other councillors willing to work with us to continue to our fight for reform of local governance.”

The new leader of the council will be elected at the annual meeting on Wednesday, May 22.

East Devon's Lib Dems say 'Independents should run the council' as they confirm they won't join a coalition - Devon Live

With further comment:

More Independent and EDA councillors take East Devon District Council seats | Bridport and Lyme Regis News

EDDC: Independents, EDA Independents, “Independents” and pseudo-independents! | East Devon Watch

Devon Lib Dems – what do they want? | East Devon Watch

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District Council coalition talks to 'support the formation of an independent-led administration'

Independents have done very well - nationally:
Futures Forum: Independents set a trend for local elections

And locally:
Futures Forum: District Council elections: Lib Dems and Independents "make significant gains across Devon"

As John Harris says:
Don’t look to national politics for hope: you’ll find it thriving in local councils | John Harris | Opinion | The Guardian

And things seem to be coming together locally: 

District council coalition talks 'ongoing' says East Devon Alliance leader

PUBLISHED: 12:42 13 May 2019

Daniel Wilkins

Paul Arnott, leader of the Independent East Devon Alliance, said they are in talks with other independent councillors over the formation of the council

Discussions over the formation of the district council are ongoing according to the leader of the Independent East Devon Alliance (IEDA).

Paul Arnott, councillor for Coly Valley, has welcomed the decision by the Liberal Democrats to 'support the formation of an independent-led administration'.

There are now 11 IEDA councillors at East Devon District Council and a partnership with the independent group, which has 20 councillors, would give the coalition overall control of the council.

The Liberal Democrats said they are not interested in forming a coalition with any other parties or groups.

Mr Arnott said: "We were very pleased to be told by the Liberal Democrats that they would be prepared to support the formation of an Independent-led administration.

"As Independent East Devon Alliance councillors we have principles based on accountability, democracy and transparency.

"We believe we were all elected to run the council to the highest standards while also reforming its governance from the outset.

"We are currently in discussions with other independents about how best to deliver this."

East Devon Independent Alliance in ongoing talks over district council formation | Honiton, Axminster and Seaton news - Midweek Herald
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Brexit: and how it really affected local elections

Independents have swept the board:
Futures Forum: District Council elections: Lib Dems and Independents "make significant gains across Devon"
Futures Forum: District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

And this has happened across the country:
Futures Forum: Independents set a trend for local elections

Something which propelled many independents into power in many parts of the country was people being fed up with Brexit and turning their backs on the two main parties:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and fearing a very low turnout at the local elections

One such place was Ashfield in Notts:
Local elections: Bricklayer and former community centre manager among independents who stormed to victory - Telegrpah

Although it can be overstated:

“While the media has been quick to frame the election results as a proxy battle for Westminster issues, it's easy to forget that local issues and local personalities can dictate the result of individual ballots, just as much as attitudes to wider national issues like Brexit.”

Independents surge in local elections | Latest Brexit news and top stories - The New European

East Devon's MP agreed:

The local elections are about your representatives, not Brexit.

East Devon District Council elections, Thursday 2 May 2019 | Hugo Swire

In which case, if the East Devon elections were only about local issues, then it was a pretty damning result for the ruling party:
East Devon District Council elections, Thursday 2 May 2019 - YouTube

On the other hand, if people were really disaffected with the two main parties, then the independents have not got much of a positive voice, as with this comment on independent Cllr Claire Wright's blog:

Comments

1. At 04:36 pm on 04th May Joan Kelly wrote:

It was a pretty low turn out in most Wards and many were protest votes against the Tory Government. People were saying they weren’t voting as there was nobody worth voting for. With such a low turnout I don’t see that the Indies have a true mandate. It will be interesting to see what happens if the European elections go ahead as most people are saying they will vote for the Brexit Party.
I can see the Council Tax going through the roof next year with some of the clowns who have been elected. People should have thought of that before they voted. 

Tories lose control of East Devon District Council in historic and spectacular Independent showing - Claire Wright

And yet the turnout was pretty much the norm for local elections:

Municipal vs. National Election Voter Turnout: Europe and the United States on JSTOR

The last comment should go to Thom Brooks, author of 'Becoming British' writing in the Huff Post - with thanks to the EDW blog: 

The Local Elections Showed Banging On About Brexit And Nothing Else Is A Fast Track To Extinction

If voters wanted to reward parties committed to making Brexit happen, why would Ukip get wiped out at the polls? If a People’s Vote is such an anti-democratic proposal why did we not see losses to the Liberal Democrats and the Greens?

Thom Brooks

Award-winning author, broadcaster, columnist and public speaker, Brooks is Dean of Durham Law School and Professor of Law and Government.

06/05/2019 07:43 BST | Updated 1 hour ago

...

The local election results show what has been described as a “Brexit backlash”. The biggest losers on the night were the two parties, the Conservatives and Ukip, who are most clearly for Brexit. While Labour won a few councils, it lost about ten percent of its contested seats overall. The biggest winners were Liberal Democrats, Greens and Independents whose total wins outnumber Labour’s.

The obvious observation is voters returned to supporting third parties again. After disastrous results in 2015, the Liberal Democrats have won back local seats they have held before. But this simply describes what happened: it does not explain why some third parties and not others.

Some claim that voters sent a message of frustration about Brexit. This is probably correct, but we should not conclude this problem is only solved in making Brexit happen by finding whatever compromise is possible to get it over.

If voters wanted to reward parties committed to making Brexit happen, then they would not have nearly wiped out Ukip at the polls. If support for a People’s Vote is such an anti-democratic proposal that voters would flock elsewhere, then we would not see losses to the Liberal Democrats, Greens and a record number of independents who support a second referendum. In short, anyone who thinks starting Brexit will bring voters back will fail to understand that Brexit has never been about making Brexit happen.

The public are fed up with politics as usual, Parliament’s gridlock and politicians making promises that don’t come true. On the surface, making Brexit happen as promised in 2016 can look like the only solution. The problem is this gets the diagnosis all wrong. A Tory-Labour Brexit pact would likely cause both far more harm than good.

Voters who supported Brexit then or now share something in common with many pro-Remain voters: they want Westminster to pay greater attention to concerns on the doorstep and reconnect with the issues that matter most to them. Brexit was a way of giving the establishment a wake up call. If this was really about making Brexit happen, Liberal Democrats and Greens would be wiped out and swept away. But that did not happen either north or south.

...

Thom Brooks is Dean of Durham Law School and author of Becoming British

The Local Elections Showed Banging On About Brexit And Nothing Else Is A Fast Track To Extinction | HuffPost UK
“The Local Elections Showed Banging On About Brexit And Nothing Else Is A Fast Track To Extinction” | East Devon Watch
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District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

The District Council has just released the full results of the election:
3 May 2019 - East Devon District Council election results 2019 - East Devon

With latest reports from the Herald:
How did Sidmouth and Ottery vote in East Devon elections 2019? | Election | Sidmouth Herald
Conservatives ousted from Ottery EDDC seats | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

This is from their summary: 

'East Devon District Council elections: Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'

PUBLISHED: 19:06 03 May 2019 | UPDATED: 22:07 03 May 2019

Chris Carson

Tory defector and council leader Ian Thomas amongst the winners

It was Independents day as the East Devon District Council election results were announced today (Friday, May 3).

Candidates not affiliated to any of the main stream Parties recorded some significant victories, topping the poll in several wards. Both pure independents and members of the Independent East Devon Alliance did well.

Jenny Brown was one of the Conservative Party casualties – losing her bid to win a Honiton St Paul's ward seat, after switching from the St Michael's ward which she presented for four years. She ended just one vote behind fellow Tory and sitting member Dean Barrow – the voting was 385-384. Independent Tony McCollum topped the poll with 632.

EDDC leader Ian Thomas retained his Trinity Ward seat – despite his shock resignation from the Conservative Party shortly before the elections. He defeated his Labour Party rival Sarah Birnie by 635 votes to 249. Although still listed on the ballot paper as a Tory, Cllr Thomas said he had personally written to more than 2,000 electors in the ward to make it clear he would be serving as a independent councillor if elected. “I have done my best not to mislead anyone,” he stressed. Councillor Thomas will remain leader of the council until the annual meeting on May 22.

Cllr Iain Chubb, from Axminster, retained his seat on the Newbridges Ward for the Conservatives, defeating the Labour Party candidate George Neate by 617 votes to 216. There was a 42.6 per cent turnout. Cllr Chubb said: “I am pleased to be re-elected after serving for 12 years and working positively for the people in East Devon as a whole, helping to provide a good service efficiently.”

Independent Geoff Pook won the Beer and Branscombe seat, beating Labour Party candidate John Gregory by 601 votes to 106. He said: “I would like to thank everyone who voted and to John Gregory for making it a competition. I look forward to representing everyone in this extended ward now including West Seaton and hope that the people of West Seaton don't hesitate to contact me if they have any issues.”

Conservative Phil Twiss topped the poll in the Honiton St Michael's ward with 790 votes. Fellow Tory Mike Allen was second with 763 and Liberal Democrat Luke Jeffery took the third seat with 700 votes.

Cllr Allen said: “I am delighted Phil Twiss and I have been re-elected so we can continue to serve well as we have done for the past eight years or more. But clearly there has been a very strong protest vote nationally with the number of Conservative votes down. We will make sure the district council remains strongly orientated towards economic growth and good housing whilst protecting the environment.”

At Ottery St Mary Independents took all three seats. Vicky Johns topped the poll with 1,501 votes, with Geoff Pratt in second place with 1,044, followed by Peter Faithfull with 878. The turnout was 37.8 per cent Vicky Johns put her victory down to asking people what they wanted and listening to their answers. She also praised her campaign manager Roger Giles.

At Axminster Sarah Jackson, standing for the first time as an Independent East Devon Alliance candidate, topped the poll with 1,001 votes. Both sitting Conservatives, district council chairman Andrew Moulding and Ian Hall, with 818 and 740 votes respectively, were returned, but veteran Liberal Democrat Douglass Hull lost his long-held seat.

Speaking after her win Sarah Jackson, standing as the only independent candidate in the Axminster election, said: “I am absolutely elated and looking forward to it. I believe your local elected representatives should answer to the public, not their party. Axminster has so much to offer and potentially a great future…we can unlock Axminster's potential without destroying its unique charm.”

Another Independent East Devon Alliance candidate – Axminster town councillor and former mayor Paul Hayward - won the Yarty ward with 492 votes, ahead of Tory Alasdair Bruce on 296.

And at Seaton East Devon Independent Alliance candidates Dan Ledger and former mayor Jack Rowland were elected with 1,561 votes and 1,392 votes respectively The third seat was retained by Conservative Marcus Hartnell. Former mayor and sitting member Liberal Democrat Peter Burrows lost his seat.

...

Independents do well in EDDC poll | Honiton, Axminster and Seaton news - Midweek Herald

This is Devon Live's take on things - including a handy video: 

Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council

Independent councillors as well as the East Devon Alliance made sweeping gains across the whole of the district, with leader of the EDA, Cllr Cathy Gardner saying it showed that the people want real change.

Daniel Clark

Local Democracy Reporter

19:34, 3 MAY 2019

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CLICK TO PLAY

ELECTION RESULTS FOR THE FRIDAY COUNTS

For the first time since the council was created in 1974, the Conservatives have lost control of East Devon District Council.

Independent councillors as well as the East Devon Alliance made sweeping gains across the whole of the district, with leader of the EDA, Cllr Cathy Gardner saying it showed that the people want real change.

Heading into the election, the Conservatives had control of the council, with 34 seats. The Independent Group were the official opposition, with 14 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats hold seven seats with three further Independents, and one seat vacant, making up the 59 councillors.

Two Conservative councillors though, including the leader of the council, Ian Thomas, had since quit the party, with Cllr Thomas is standing and successfully being re-elected as an independent.

READ MORE
Council leader calls for "end of May" after disastrous day for Mid Devon Tories

Final results leave the Independents as the largest party on the council with 20 seats. The Conservatives suffered 15 losses to end on 19, while the East Devon Alliance gained seven seats to end on 11.

The Liberal Democrats hold eight seats, up one from where they started, while the Green Party gained two seats in Exmouth.

East Devon results

Between the East Devon Alliance and the Independents, they hold 31 seats, which would be enough to control the council and have a majority. But it not yet clear whether a coalition between them would be formed, and as the Independent councillors include the former leader of the council Ian Thomas, not all Independents would sit in the main group.

READ MORE
Full results as Conservatives lose overall control in Mid Devon

Cllr Ben Ingham, the leader of the Independent Group, and who retained his Woodbury and Lympstone seat, said that he was delighted with the results that showed it was very clear the voters do not want the Conservatives to run the council.

He said that discussions would begin as to how many of the 20 Independent councillors elected would be sitting in the Independent Group and what form of alliance of coalition with the various parties that the electorate voted for could be formed. He added: "The hard work that we put over the last four years has paid off though and I am delighted that the electorate backed our message."

East Devon Alliance leader Cllr Cathy Gardner, who was re-elected in the Sidmouth town ward, said that the results showed a real desire for change in East Devon.

She said: “I am delighted with how things have gone. I think the results are the result of four years of hard work by us – and even more – starting with what Claire Wright did prior to 2015. The people have seen what we are doing and that we have done a good job, and we placed in first place in a large number of wards. The people of East Devon want real change and we can give it to them. This is a historic day for the East Devon Alliance and Independents right across the district and for the losses the Conservatives have felt.”

She added that discussions as to who would lead the council had not yet taken place, although she said that she imagined not all of those Independent councillors elected would sit as part of the Independent Group, who themselves would have to have a vote on who their leader would be, with it currently being Ben Ingham.

Cllr Paul Arnott, chairman of the EDA, and who won a seat in Coly Valley, added: "We would like to thank the voters of East Devon for electing all 11 of our candidates. We will now spend the next week seeking to forge alliances with other councillors willing to work with us to continue to our fight for reform of local governance. We believe that in East Devon this result was not about Brexit but an expression of a hope for positive change to how things are done in our villages, towns and district. Our mission now will be to deliver that change with complete determination in the interests of all local people."

Gains made by Independents included the former owner of the Fun Park on Exmouth seafront Chris Wright, and Save Exmouth Seafront campaigner Nick Hookway taking seats in the Exmouth Littleham ward, while the East Devon Alliance topped the polls in all wards in the Axe Valley.

Losses for the Conservatives included the former leader of the council Paul Diviani finishing last in the Broadclyst ward he stood in.

READ MORE
Full results as Liberal Democrats take control in Teignbridge

The composition of the council currently is the Independents on 20, the Conservatives on 19, the East Devon Alliance on 11, the Liberal Democrats on eight and the Green Party on two.

It is unclear yet who would run the council which is currently under no overall control, although it is likely that the East Devon Alliance and a majority of the Independents could work together as the largest group to run a minority council.

Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council - Devon Live
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BREAKING NEWS: "Bad day" for the Tories as Independents in East Devon gain an overall majority of two

An extraordinary day in Devon:
England local elections 2019: Devon - BBC News 

And particularly in East Devon:
East Devon Elections results 2019 - Live - eastdevon.gov 
Live updates as East Devon District Council elections take place - Devon Live 

With the final results from the Herald's website - and a handy graphic: 

East Devon Elections 2019: Results LIVE 

For Sidmouth in particular:
Little change to Sidmouth's political landscape following district council elections 

The count for the Town Council will happen tomorrow
https://twitter.com/hashtag/eastdevonvotes?src=hash
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District Council borrowing in order to hold onto its council housing

The shenanigans of the District Council when it comes to money is often reported on by this blog...

Whether about its 'investment' in highly speculative property markets:
Futures Forum: District Council's £20m investment fund: "Property investment brings with it the potential for significant risk if things go wrong."

Or about its 'savings' over its relocation project:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: an overspend on loans

The Herald has just put together a story on how much the District Council is in debt: 
East Devon District Council's has £86.8 million in outstanding loans to pay | Honiton, Axminster and Seaton news - Midweek Herald

And as covered by the VGS:
District Council borrowing goes up by £3m - Vision Group for Sidmouth

However, as pointed out by Cllr Cathy Gardner, yes, the District Council has questions to answer - but actually a lot of the borrowing it to make sure it can keep its social housing, as reported on the VGS Facebook pages:
Vision Group for Sidmouth - Home | Facebook

And by the East Devon Watch: 

EAST DEVON ALLIANCE COUNCILLOR GARDNER CLARIFIES SIDMOUTH HERALD EDDC DEBT STORY

23 APR 2019

East Devon Alliance councillor Cathy Gardner has contacted EDW to clarify the story:

“To my knowledge (as a District Cllr), EDDC has over £80m in debt because it had to borrow money to hold on to its council housing when the conservative government were making councils sell it off. So this is debt for a good & bad reason!

I’m surprised that the ‘politically neutral’ press officers have not added this to their comment to the Herald. I’ve objected to the council proposing to borrow money to invest in commercial property (to generate income), something else forced on them by the conservative government cuts to council grants (now zero).

The relocation from the Knowle is another matter. If re-elected I will continue to push for transparency on costs and to see if any of the Conservative group can ever prove break even.”

East Devon Alliance Councillor Gardner clarifies Sidmouth Herald EDDC debt story | East Devon Watch
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"Independents have taken initial steps in showing what can be done by committed and organised locals outside of Party Politics, looking to change the focus to inclusive participation and ownership of decisions by the community."

Four years ago, at the last local council elections, there was a lot of noise being made around the rise of independents:
Futures Forum: The rise and rise of independent candidates

Subsequently, there has been a lot of coordination between the independents:
Futures Forum: A national policy framework for independent candidates?

Especially in the South West:
Futures Forum: Independents in the West Country

This time round there appears to be even more energy, as reported by the founder of the Flatpack Democracy movement and leader of the Frome independents:

Rights of Spring

2 APRIL 2019

PETER MACFADYEN

Social activist recent Mayor and Leader of Frome Town Council, undertaker, international development consultant, new grandfather...

As comedians Laurel and Hardy said: “Well , here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into “….. Why so many? Why endless dead ends and unanswerable conundrums? If we’d written fiction to demonstrate that the Party political, system with elected ‘representatives’, is totally unfit for purpose, it could never have been as well put together as the farce we see before us.

Elsewhere that mashup of fact and fiction is becoming reality as 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays a president in a popular Ukranian TV series, gained twice the vote of his nearest rival in the first round of Presidential elections. He’s following in the footsteps of M55 Five Star Movement in Italy, founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, which gained more votes than any other party in 2018 elections.

Do the people really want to have comedians in charge? Well, if it’s going to happen, why not have a professional comedian rather than those who fall into that role by mistake? A similar idea comes from Greta Thunberg ‘….and since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago’. Let the children and fools step up. Her powerful words remind us constantly that the system and leaders we have somehow chosen are simply not capable of dealing with the complexities of Brexit, let alone climate change.

At the root of all this is the gap we have built between the representatives and the people. (Which is inextricably intertwined with the ever increasing gap we have created between rich and poor.) The latest of John Harris’ Anywhere but Westminster short films comes from Wigan where a significant majority voted to leave the EU. Despite everything we now know, most of the people John talks to would still vote leave. He concludes that ‘the tragedy of Brexit is that places like this have been all but forgotten in the Westminster drama, more than ever they have things to tell us and we ought to listen’.

Listening is the key. The energy of 6m people voting and 1m marching last week is all redirected into anger and frustration when it is met with someone’s fingers in their ears. The tragedy is that this will not change quickly. I don’t see it change with a different government either because they are all so entrenched in the current system. The new Independent Group of MPs ‘Believe that our parliamentary democracy in which our elected representatives deliberate, decide and provide leadership, held accountable by their whole electorate is the best system of representing the views of the British people’. Based on current form, they are simply wrong.

We cannot wait to be ‘consulted’ then ignored. On the largest issue life on earth faces, Extinction Rebellion (XR) has clearly recognised this and head for London on April 15th to demand change. And at a local level, Frome’s Independents (ifF) have taken initial steps in showing what can be done by committed and organised locals outside of Party Politics, looking to change the focus to inclusive participation and ownership of decisions by the community. Placing these together in one paragraph is very deliberate. If we have any chance of facing the climate emergency without extreme chaos, it will be through political engagement at a community level (the sort of work the Alternative UK and her partners are embarked upon in Plymouth).

IfF return to the polls on May 2nd, along with at least 40 other groups of Independents in other towns – committed community activists who have had enough of not being listened to. I believe both these Movements are essential, the high profile approach of XR, alongside a steady tidal wave of people reclaiming politics. Reclaiming it not only from the Political parties, but from the money which funds their dominance.

(The Rights of Spring poster is available from www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk)


Rights of Spring - Flatpack Democracy
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Good news from East Devon as it prepares for local elections

There'll be local elections on 2nd May:

26 March 2019 - Make sure you’re registered to vote in time for the East Devon district, town and parish elections this May - East Devon

Today, we are entering that phase called purdah, when councils are no longer allowed to 'buy votes'...
What purdah means in practice | Local Government Association

However, beforehand, there seemed to be plenty of activity:
“Pork Barrel politics”: why ‘good news’ always comes just before elections | East Devon Watch
Beware politicians bearing gifts – just in time for local elections! | East Devon Watch

This in turn seems to be spurring new 'independent' voices to come forward in Sidmouth:
Sid Valley Democracy launches to find candidates for town council election | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

And in the wider County:
Futures Forum: Independent candidates standing for council seats across Devon say they are "fed-up of being ignored by ruling political parties"

And beyond - for example, in Somerset:
Portishead Independents - Home | Facebook
Portishead Independents - Home

Meanwhile, there's lots of good news from the local MP:
News | Hugo Swire

And counter-campaigning from the East Devon Alliance:
Is the East Devon Conservatives election questionnaire breaking Data Protection rules? | East Devon Watch
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Brexit: and splits in East Devon

Brexit is not a matter of simple left or right divisions:
Rebecca Lowe: Leave isn't right-wing, Remain isn't left-wing | Conservative Home

And so the party political confusion worsens:
PETER OBORNE: I predict Brexit will trigger the collapse of two-party politics  | Daily Mail Online
The stakes couldn't be higher, yet Labour are just as confused about Brexit as you and me - Telegraph

To what extent is this reflected in East Devon?
Futures Forum: Brexit: and two-thirds of Conservative Party members opting for "no-deal rather than a bad deal"
Futures Forum: Brexit: and East Devon's MP's amendment as damage limitation
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the County Council in denial

It is understood that the East Devon Conservatives are currently selecting their candidates for this year's District elections:
East Devon | Conservatives

Last night the Sidmouth Labour party were meeting at exactly the same time as the Brexit vote was happening in the Commons:

East Devon Constituency Labour Party - Home | Facebook

Whilst the East Devon Alliance is also split over Brexit:
People's Conference « East Devon Alliance

However, East Devon's independent parliamentary candidate is very clear on her position:
Worst parliamentary defeat on record, no confidence vote in government and general chaos reigns – Claire Wright 

The background, though, is still the party-political mess at national level, with East Devon's MP voting last night in opposition to his colleague in Honiton:
Brexit: East Devon – a district divided. | East Devon Watch

There has been talk of a need for some sort of cooperation for some time now:
Sky Views: Cross-party team must now negotiate Brexit

But whether this will create further splits is very much open to question:
Brexit may destroy the Conservative Party - The London Economic
Jacob Rees-Mogg: Tory party will split if Theresa May uses Labour votes to deliver soft Brexit | PoliticsHome.com

Perhaps we need to look beyond East Devon and the UK to the bigger picture and the attempts to create lasting splits from way beyond these shores:
Russian bid to influence Brexit vote detailed in new US Senate report | World news | The Guardian
Another good day for Putin as turmoil grips US and UK - CNNPolitics
The Daily 202: From Brexit to NATO and the shutdown, Putin is winning so much he might get tired of winning - The Washington Post

There is always the 'nuclear option:
The best way to scupper Putin and Trump? Scrap Brexit | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The Guardian
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"Use libraries to revitalise high streets"

We need some fresh ideas for the High Street:
Futures Forum: The High Street Report > "a creative, locally led approach is vital to bring the crowds back"
Futures Forum: Is turning shops into homes the best way to save our high streets? >>> "Deregulation in pursuit of numbers"
Futures Forum: Restoring vibrancy to our High Streets > thinking the unthinkable

One idea is the 'community hub':
Futures Forum: How to revive the health of high streets > "We want vibrant centres in our cities and towns. But not streets lined with identical collections of outlets of the same chain retailers. Think of high streets as community hubs rather than shopping malls."

And part of that hub would be the library, the only problem being, as pointed out by the East Devon Watch blog and the Mirror, is that many councils have closed theirs...

Fortunately, Sidmouth still has its library, just off the High Street - and hopefully it will retain it, despite further cuts at county level:
Futures Forum: Devon County Council in £10m budget overspend >>> taking 'urgent measures' 

Tory minister slammed for telling councils to use libraries to revitalise high streets

He seems to have forgotten that austerity meant many had to reduce their opening hours or shut completely

Nicola Bartlett

Political Correspondent
26 DEC 2018

The Tory minister in charge of trying to revitalise the nation's high streets has been slammed for telling councils to put libraries at the heart of their regeneration.

Jake Berry seemed to have forgotten that eight years of austerity meant many had to reduce their opening hours or shut completely.

He made the comments as the government encouraged councils to bid for part of a £675 million pot to help improve highstreets.

Mr Berry told BBC Radio Four's Today: "This new fund is about ensuring that local authorities who have plans for changes - and that could be very different things it could be putting GPs' surgeries, libraries or childcare at the heart of highstreets, actually have the cash to do it. It's all very well to have the ideas - it's about backing those local plans with the money to do so."

The future high street fund, originally announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in the Budget in October, is intended to help councils in England to modernise and revitalise their town centres.

But Mr Berry did not take into account the cuts councils have already suffered. Over the past eight years 117 local authorities have jointly cut access to books and other public services by more than 230,000 hours. Some have even had to rely on volunteers to stay open.

 

It is a difficult climate for retailers (Image: PA)

READ MORE
Towns to bid for shares of a £675million pot to regenerate ailing high streets

Local authorities' budgets are roughly 26% lower than in 2010. According to the Local Government Association, the main government grant funding for local services will be cut by a further £1.3 billion (36%) in 2019/20 despite many councils already struggling to balance their books.

Twitter users were quick to point out the irony of Mr Berry's suggestion.

Mike Payne remarked: "Jake Berry on Today saying libraries as part of saving High Street! Pity the Gov. didn't think of that before so many were allowed to close."

mike payne@michael52476634

Jake Berry on Today saying libraries as part of saving High Street! Pity the Gov. didn't think of that before so many were allowed to close.

14

8:24 AM - Dec 26, 2018

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Dan Carpenter tweeted: "How lovely to see another tory on breakfast TV denying the devastating impacts of government austerity (fyi Jake Berry this time) *sigh*."

Tory minister slammed for telling councils to use libraries to revitalise high streets - Mirror Online 
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