← South Hams (all cycles) · 1 May 2025 cohort
South Hams 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 7 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 7 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 | 9,621 | 35.8% | 5 | 71.4% | 3 | 42.9% | +2 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 6,332 | 23.6% | 1 | 14.3% | 2 | 28.6% | -1 |
| Reform UK | 6,162 | 22.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 14.3% | -1 |
| Green Party | 3,346 | 12.5% | 1 | 14.3% | 1 | 14.3% | 0 |
| Labour Party | 809 | 3.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Labour and Co-operative Party | 299 | 1.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independent | 197 | 0.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 89 | 0.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Heritage Party | 20 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 26,875 | 100.0% | 7 | 100.0% | 7 | 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.
- Dartmouth & Marldon · 1 seat · won at 34.2% · +15.8 pts below quota
- Bickleigh & Wembury · 1 seat · won at 35.1% · +14.9 pts below quota
- Ivybridge · 1 seat · won at 38.4% · +11.6 pts below quota
- Salcombe · 1 seat · won at 39.6% · +10.4 pts below quota
- Kingsbridge · 1 seat · won at 48.8% · +1.2 pts below quota
- South Brent & Yealmpton · 1 seat · won at 52.4% · above quota
- Totnes & Dartington · 1 seat · won at 61.8% · above quota
Race results
Dartmouth & Marldon · single-seat
Marginal winner 34.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +15.8 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,612
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon John Rake | Liberal Democrats | 1,234 | 34.2% | Elected |
| 2 | Jonathan Denis Hawkins | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,117 | 30.9% | |
| 3 | Lucinda Ellicott | Reform UK | 959 | 26.6% | |
| 4 | Jack Edward Neil Garner | Green Party | 203 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Colin Chapman | Labour Party | 99 | 2.7% |
Bickleigh & Wembury · single-seat
Marginal winner 35.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +14.9 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,674
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Carson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,289 | 35.1% | Elected |
| 2 | Peter Gold | Reform UK | 1,258 | 34.2% | |
| 3 | Laurel Lawford | Liberal Democrats | 798 | 21.7% | |
| 4 | Denis Parsons | Labour Party | 329 | 9.0% |
Ivybridge · single-seat
Marginal winner 38.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +11.6 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,154
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor James Abbott | Liberal Democrats | 1,210 | 38.4% | Elected |
| 2 | Andy Dennett | Reform UK | 876 | 27.8% | |
| 3 | Lance Peter Austen | Conservative and Unionist Party | 579 | 18.4% | |
| 4 | Alan Charles Spencer | Independent | 197 | 6.2% | |
| 5 | Andrew Robert Pratt | Green Party | 113 | 3.6% | |
| 6 | Susan Louise Clarke | Labour Party | 90 | 2.9% | |
| 7 | Tony Rea | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 89 | 2.8% |
Salcombe · single-seat
Marginal winner 39.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +10.4 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,874
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louise Wainwright | Liberal Democrats | 1,534 | 39.6% | Elected |
| 2 | Samantha Dennis | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,328 | 34.3% | |
| 3 | Paul Leighton | Reform UK | 810 | 20.9% | |
| 4 | Miriam Clare Boyles | Green Party | 138 | 3.6% | |
| 5 | Amanda Jayne Ford | Labour and Co-operative Party | 64 | 1.7% |
Kingsbridge · single-seat
Marginal winner 48.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +1.2 pts below quota Valid ballots 4,183
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Brazil | Liberal Democrats | 2,040 | 48.8% | Elected |
| 2 | Goncalo De Sousa | Reform UK | 1,018 | 24.3% | |
| 3 | Helena Penfold | Conservative and Unionist Party | 695 | 16.6% | |
| 4 | Anna Presswell | Green Party | 254 | 6.1% | |
| 5 | Wayne William Grills | Labour Party | 176 | 4.2% |
South Brent & Yealmpton · single-seat
Marginal winner 52.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −2.4 pts Valid ballots 4,574
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Thomas | Liberal Democrats | 2,397 | 52.4% | Elected |
| 2 | Richard Hosking | Conservative and Unionist Party | 941 | 20.6% | |
| 3 | Jen Burdett | Reform UK | 833 | 18.2% | |
| 4 | Becky Warnes | Green Party | 288 | 6.3% | |
| 5 | Jack Stevens | Labour Party | 115 | 2.5% |
Totnes & Dartington · single-seat
Marginal winner 61.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −11.8 pts Valid ballots 3,804
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacqi Hodgson | Green Party | 2,350 | 61.8% | Elected |
| 2 | Ainsley John Charlton | Reform UK | 408 | 10.7% | |
| 3 | Lance Kennedy | Liberal Democrats | 408 | 10.7% | |
| 4 | Richard O'Connell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 383 | 10.1% | |
| 5 | Rick Gaehl | Labour and Co-operative Party | 235 | 6.2% | |
| 6 | Becca Collings | Heritage Party | 20 | 0.5% |