2021 Plymouth City Council election

The 2021 Plymouth City Council election was held on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Plymouth City Council in England.

2021 Plymouth City Council election
← 2019 6 May 2021 2022 →

19 of the 57 seats to Plymouth City Council
29 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Nick Kelly Tudor Evans None
Party Conservative Labour Independent
Leader's seat Compton Ham
Last election 25 31 1
Seats before 17 30 10
Seats won 14 5 0
Seats after 26 24 7
Seat change Increase9 Decrease6 Decrease3
Popular vote 34,311 22,998 2,256
Percentage 50.6 33.9 3.3

Map showing the results of contested wards in the 2021 Plymouth City Council elections.

Council control before election

Labour

Council control after election

No overall control

The Labour Party took control of the council after the 2018 election, with thirty-one members and a working majority that they held in the 2019 election. Labour defended eleven seats and the Conservatives defended eight seats. The election was originally due to take place in May 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The Conservatives won the most seats and the popular vote, but was not able to take over the council, resulting in no overall control.

Background

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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.[2][3] Councillors defending their seats in this election were previously elected in 2016. In that election, eleven Labour candidates and eight Conservative candidates were elected.

Following the 2018 Plymouth City Council election, the council has been controlled by the Labour Party, initially with thirty-one councillors.

Kevin Neil, who was elected in 2018, was suspended from the Labour Party when a police investigation was launched into him. He continues to sit as an independent following the closure of the police investigation, pending an internal investigation by the party.[4] Chaz Singh, who was first elected in 2011, left the Labour Party in September 2019 saying that his party membership was incompatible with his Sikh faith. The Labour group leader Tudor Evans said that Singh's resignation followed a conversation about Singh's conduct.[5] Margaret Corvid, who was first elected in 2018, was suspended from the Labour Party in December 2019 over accusations of antisemitism over comments she made in 2007 about "Zionist collaboration with the Nazis".[6] She was reinstated in February 2020 after apologising and saying that her views had changed, pointing to her speech in June 2018 in support of the Working Definition of Antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.[7]

An internal Labour Party report in March 2020 predicted that the party would lose control of Plymouth City Council in the election, then scheduled for May 2020.[8] In the same month, Nick Kelly replaced Ian Bowyer as leader of the Conservative group on the council.[9] The election was postponed to May 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The former Conservative group leader Ian Bowyer and Tony Carson resigned from the Conservative group in October 2020 after being investigated by the party for publishing a press release advocating a reduction in the speed limit on the A38 road through the city.[10] Six other Conservative councillors, Lynda Bowyer, Heath Cook, Richard Ball, Andrea Johnson, Nigel Churchill and Kathy Watkin also resigned from the group in protest, with all eight to sit as independent Conservatives.[11][12][13] Kelly said that they left the group because they "couldn’t always get their own way all of the time".[14]

In February 2021, Conservative councillors criticised the expense incurred in buying and installing a statue by Antony Gormley in West Hoe.[15] The council clarified that the money came from a capital budget funded by grants and borrowing, and couldn't have been spent on day-to-day council operations. Labour councillors said that the funding for the statue had been approved in 2017 as part of Mayflower anniversary celebrations, when the council was controlled by the Conservatives.[16] In March 2021, Stephen Bush wrote that the election was an opportunity for the Conservatives to gain seats due to previous UKIP performance in the city, and noted that Labour would only need to lose two seats to lose overall control of the council.[17] In the same month, the Conservative councillor Mark Deacon was suspended from the group for 21 days after posting a photo of himself in a wig and dress to make fun of a mooted curfew for men following the death of Sarah Everard.[18]

Previous council composition

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After 2019 election Before 2021 election After 2021 election
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 31 Labour 30 Labour 24
Conservative 25 Conservative 17 Conservative 26
Independent 1 Independent 10 Independent 7

Campaign

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Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, visited Plymouth on 7 April to campaign for the party.[19] The Labour leader of the council Tudor Evans said that his party had already delivered most of the promises from the four-year plan published in 2018 with the remaining promises in the process of being fulfilled. The party's manifesto for the 2021 election said it would "create thousands of jobs and build more low-cost housing for rent or sale, with more help to older people, veterans, single people and residents with disabilities".[20] Evans highlighted the diversity in backgrounds and careers that Labour candidates came from as a "brilliant reflection of Plymouth".[21]

The Conservatives stood a candidate in all nineteen wards with elections. Of those, only two were incumbent councillors.[22] The party published its manifesto on 13 April. It included pledges to make collection and disposal of garden waste easier, to buy the lease for Plymouth City Airport and to create a "futuristic park" on Plymouth Hoe. Other pledges included extending free parking schemes, the creation of more parking spaces and park-and-ride schemes, and seeking to make Royal Albert Bridge and Torpoint Ferry vehicle crossings free.[23]

The Liberal Democrats said they were targeting Plymstock Dunstone in an attempt to win a seat on the council, with no current councillors being from that party. Their manifesto focused on social care and environmental issues.[24] The Green Party said that if their candidates were elected as councillors, they would focus on accountability and involving the community in decision-making.[25] The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) said that they would freeze council tax and end spending cuts if elected, by spending council reserves and borrowing money.[26] Active For Plymouth, a party led by the taxi driver Jason Shopland, said they wanted to cut council tax and "automatic life sentences for rapists and paedophiles".[27]

Emily Quick, a young mother and restaurant supervisor, is standing as an independent candidate in Southway, campaigning on local issues including litter, children's play areas, and re-establishing a post office in the area.[28] Karen Pilkington, an independent candidate in Devonport, said she wanted to move away from party politics and cited the Flatpack Democracy model based on independent councillors' success in Frome in Somerset, under the Independents for Frome banner.[29] Deanna Yates, an owner of the Finla Coffee coffee shop facing charges for failing to close in line with COVID-19 pandemic regulations in November 2020, is standing as an independent candidate in Plympton Erle.[30] Danny Bamping, a director of Finla Coffee who represented the business in court, is standing as an independent candidate in Peverell.[30] In 2020, Plymouth Council renamed John Hawkins Square after the black Plymouth Argyle footballer Jack Leslie due to concerns about historic racism and John Hawkins' status as a founder of the Atlantic slave trade.[30] Bamping called the decision "racist" and unsuccessfully challenged the name change in court. Bamping, who said he owed the council more than £6,000 in unpaid council tax, said he wouldn't pay the council's £8,000 legal costs as the court had ordered.[31]

Results

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Plymouth City Council released statements of persons nominated on 9 April.[32] Asterisks denote sitting councillors seeking re-election.

Results are being announced on 7 May.[33]

 
Plymouth City Council election 2021 map by vote share.

Summary

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2021 Plymouth City Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 14  6 73.7 11 25 43.9 34,311 50.6  15.1
  Labour 5  6 26.3 19 24 42.1 22,998 33.9  2.6
  Independent 0   0.0 8 8 14.0 2,256 3.3 N/A
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 5,082 7.5  5.0
  Liberal Democrats 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 2,134 3.1  1.3
  TUSC 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 563 0.8  1.0
  Active for Plymouth 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 424 0.6 N/A
  Heritage 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 38 0.1 N/A

All changes in voteshare are in comparison to the corresponding 2016 election

Budshead

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Location of Budshead ward
Budshead 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Shayer 1,830 50.1  12.8
Labour Jon Taylor* 1,027 28.1  11.8
Independent Dave Griffiths 513 14.1 N/A
Green Josh Pope 167 4.6  1.7
Liberal Democrats Colin MacKenzie 92 2.5  0.3
TUSC Ashley Foster 21 0.6  0.2
Majority 803 22.0 N/A
Turnout 3,650 37.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  12.3

Compton

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Location of Compton ward
Compton 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charlotte Carlyle 2,060 51.1  2.1
Labour Tom Briars-Delve 1,476 36.6  8.1
Green Ewan Melling Flavell 264 6.5  1.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Bray 199 4.9  2.0
TUSC Ava Keeling 34 0.8  1.3
Majority 584 14.5  6.0
Turnout 4,033 42.9
Conservative gain from Independent Swing  3.0

Devonport

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Location of Devonport ward
Devonport 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charlotte Cree 1,328 40.9  5.3
Conservative Kyle Lewis 1,245 38.4  16.3
Independent Karen Pilkington 367 11.3 N/A
Green Andrew Pratt 176 5.4  1.8
Liberal Democrats Jeffrey Hall 107 3.3  0.1
TUSC Lesley Duncan 23 0.7  0.6
Majority 83 2.6  21.5
Turnout 3,246 28.9
Labour hold Swing  10.8

Efford and Lipson

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Location of Efford and Lipson ward
Efford and Lipson 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Vincent* 1,714 52.1  8.6
Conservative Gregg Black 1,189 36.2  16.8
Green Pat Bushell 239 7.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Alex Primmer 102 3.1  0.7
TUSC Sioned Freer 45 1.4  3.1
Majority 525 16.0  25.3
Turnout 3,289 32.6
Labour hold Swing  12.7

Eggbuckland

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Location of Eggbuckland ward
Eggbuckland 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Stoneman 2,433 65.2  24.2
Labour Co-op Andrew Wade 871 23.3  4.2
Liberal Democrats Richard Simpson 222 5.9  2.6
Green Bran Malloch 206 5.5  3.2
Majority 1,562 41.9 N/A
Turnout 3,732 36.5
Conservative gain from Independent Swing  14.2[a]
 
Location of Ham ward
Ham 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hulme 1,502 48.3  27.4
Labour Co-op Tina Tuohy* 1,217 39.2  5.8
Active For Plymouth Jason Shopland 195 6.3 N/A
Green Caroline Bennett 157 5.1 N/A
TUSC Samuel Grotzke 37 1.2  1.0
Majority 285 9.2 N/A
Turnout 3,108 30.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  16.6

Honicknowle

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Location of Honicknowle ward
Honicknowle 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Partridge 1,466 50.5  30.1
Labour Pete Smith* 1,232 42.4  0.1
Green Benjamin Osborn 164 5.6 N/A
TUSC Toby Kavanaugh 42 1.4  0.5
Majority 234 8.1 N/A
Turnout 2,904 27.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  15.0

Moor View

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Location of Moor View ward
Moor View 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shannon Burden 2,530 63.5  28.8
Labour Chris Mavin* 1,170 29.4  7.9
Green Elizabeth Lowes 173 4.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jim Spencer 91 2.3  1.6
Independent Edison Notman 19 0.5 N/A
Majority 1,360 34.1 N/A
Turnout 3,983 38.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  18.4

Peverell

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Location of Peverell ward
Peverell 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Mahony 2,225 44.9  2.7
Labour Co-op Francesca Rees 2,115 42.7  7.7
Green Nicholas Casley 334 6.7  1.8
Independent Darren Denslow 209 4.2 N/A
Heritage Bernard Toolan 38 0.8 N/A
TUSC Louise Alldridge 29 0.6  0.5
Majority 110 2.2  4.9
Turnout 4,950 48.1
Conservative gain from Independent Swing  2.5

Plympton Chaddlewood

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Location of Plympton Chaddlewood ward
Plympton Chaddlewood 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dan Collins 1,111 47.6  2.6
Green Ian Poyser 1,010 43.2 N/A
Labour Co-op Paul McNamara 215 9.2  14.6
Majority 101 4.3  21.8
Turnout 2,336 37.2
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Plympton Erle

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Location of Plympton Erle ward
Plympton Erle 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrea Loveridge* 1,526 59.2  10.6
Labour Roger Williams 400 15.5  16.6
Independent Andrew Hill 374 14.5 N/A
Green Sam Down 146 5.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Dennis Draper 74 2.9  2.8
Independent Deanna Yates 56 2.2 N/A
Majority 1,126 43.7  27.3
Turnout 2,576 37.8
Conservative hold Swing  13.6

Plympton St Mary

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Location of Plympton St Mary ward
Plympton St Mary 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Natalie Harrison 2,984 73.7  5.7
Labour Christopher Cuddihee 609 15.0  10.9
Green Claire Riley 277 6.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sarah Worrall 146 3.6 N/A
TUSC Laurie Moore 33 0.8  5.3
Majority 2,376 58.7  16.6
Turnout 4,048 40.1
Conservative hold Swing  8.4

Plymstock Dunstone

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Location of Plymstock Dunstone ward
Plymstock Dunstone 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Salmon 2,420 56.9  11.8
Labour John Stephens 1,317 31.0  14.4
Liberal Democrats Richard Worrall 460 10.8  3.6
TUSC Duncan Moore 55 1.3  0.5
Majority 1,103 25.9  10.1
Turnout 4,252 41.9
Conservative hold Swing  1.3

Plymstock Radford

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Location of Plymstock Radford ward
Plymstock Radford 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Wakeham 2,464 58.7  17.7
Labour Co-op Jan Millar 1,116 26.6  7.7
Green Matthew Faith 382 9.1  4.7
Liberal Democrats Roy Plumley 238 5.7  1.2
Majority 1,348 32.1  21.7
Turnout 4,200 37.7
Conservative hold Swing  5.0

Southway

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Location of Southway ward
Southway 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bingley 1,750 49.0  15.5
Labour Liz Nicolls 984 27.6  8.5
Independent Sonia-Maria Hosking 305 8.5 N/A
Independent Emily Quick 273 7.6 N/A
Green Brian Lewis 133 3.7  1.5
Liberal Democrats Katie McManus 105 2.9  1.7
TUSC Benjamin Davy 20 0.6  0.2
Majority 766 21.5 N/A
Turnout 3,570 35.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  12.0

St Budeaux

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Location of St Budeaux ward
St Budeaux 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pat Patel 1,691 53.0  31.4
Labour Darren Winter* 1,131 35.4  7.4
Green Leesa Alderton 185 5.8  2.9
Active For Plymouth Ben Crofty 144 4.5 N/A
TUSC Andrew White 42 1.3  0.3
Majority 560 17.5 N/A
Turnout 3,193 33.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing  19.4

St Peter and the Waterfront

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Location of St Peter and the Waterfront ward
St Peter and the Waterfront 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ian Tuffin* 1,548 41.7  0.4
Conservative Jon Hill 1,446 38.1  10.5
Green James Ellwood 376 9.9  3.1
Liberal Democrats Hugh Janes 181 4.8  0.9
Independent Danny Bamping 140 3.7 N/A
TUSC Ryan Aldred 73 1.9  0.2
Majority 138 3.6  10.1
Turnout 3,800 31.0
Labour hold Swing  5.1

Stoke

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Location of Stoke ward
Stoke 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sally Cresswell 1,813 49.8  0.3
Conservative Bob Hannaford 1,333 36.6  7.6
Green Frank Hartkopf 262 7.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jacqueline Spencer 117 3.2  3.1
Active For Plymouth Iuliu Popescu 85 2.3 N/A
TUSC Nik Brooks 32 0.9 N/A
Majority 480 13.2  7.3
Turnout 3,642 36.2
Labour hold Swing  3.7

Sutton and Mount Gould

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Location of Sutton and Mount Gould ward
Sutton and Mount Gould 2021
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eddie Rennie* 1,715 51.5  2.7
Conservative Grace Stickland 1,106 33.2  12.9
Green Michael Kewish 431 12.9  7.2
TUSC Samuel Hey 77 2.3 N/A
Majority 609 18.3  10.2
Turnout 3,329 32.9
Labour hold Swing  5.1

Aftermath

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On the night of the results, Tudor Evans, the leader of the council and the Labour group, said his party "had their backsides kicked", and that he would "find out what the voters were telling us, what they want to see different and make sure we do change".[34] The Conservative group leader Nick Kelly said he was "absolutely ecstatic" with the results.[34] The Green Party saw their best ever result in Plymouth, falling only 101 votes short in Plympton Chaddlewood.[35]

The council was left in no overall control, with neither party holding a majority of the seats and the balance of power falling to the seven independent councillors.[36] Of the independent councillors, five were former Conservatives who left the party over Kelly's leadership and two former Labour councillors.[37] Kelly said on 11 May that he had contacted former Conservative councillors to seek their support.[37] Evans said that Kelly's success in the election gave him the "right to make the first move" in seeking to control the council, and that Labour wouldn't seek independent support.[38]

Kevin Neil, an independent councillor who was suspended from the Labour Party in 2019, said he would constructively oppose a new administration.[39] The former Conservative councillors Andrea Johnson and Kathy Watkin asked to be readmitted to the Conservative group "in the spirit of how the city voted", while the remaining three former Conservatives refused to commit to signing a proposed confidence and supply agreement due to its lack of detail, saying they would instead "vote on issues on their merits".[40]

Notes

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  1. ^ Swing from Labour

References

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  1. ^ "Local elections postponed for a year over coronavirus". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Election Timetable in England" (PDF).
  4. ^ Eve, Carl (25 September 2018). "Police investigation into suspended Labour councillor dropped". plymouthherald. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  5. ^ Oldfield, Edward (23 September 2019). "Chaz Singh quit Labour after 'discussion about his conduct'". plymouthherald. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Labour suspend councillor over 'anti-Semitism'". BBC News. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  7. ^ Oldfield, Edward (26 June 2020). "Councillor suspended over alleged anti-semitism is reinstated". plymouthherald. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. ^ Preston-Ellis, Rom (3 March 2020). "Labour predicts losing Plymouth in May, according to leaked report". plymouthherald. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  9. ^ Oldfield, Edward (11 March 2020). "Plymouth has a new Tory leader - and he wants to reopen the airport". plymouthherald. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  10. ^ Oldfield, Edward (9 October 2020). "Senior councillors quit Tory group and criticise leadership". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  11. ^ Oldfield, Edward (12 October 2020). "Four councillors have now quit Plymouth Conservative group". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  12. ^ Oldfield, Edward (14 October 2020). "Two more councillors quit Plymouth Tory group taking total to six". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  13. ^ Watson, Eve (16 October 2020). "Two more councillors quit Tory group taking total to eight". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  14. ^ Oldfield, Edward (15 October 2020). "Senior Tories defend group leadership after resignations". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  15. ^ Oldfield, Edward (23 February 2021). "Backlash over full cost of Plymouth waterfront statue". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  16. ^ Oldfield, Edward (1 March 2021). "Tories first approved spending on Plymouth's Look II sculpture". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  17. ^ "What's up for grabs in the 2021 local elections?". www.newstatesman.com. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  18. ^ Oldfield, Edward (30 March 2021). "Councillor punished for Facebook post mocking curfew on men". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visits Plymouth". Greatest Hits Radio (Plymouth). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  20. ^ Oldfield, Edward (14 April 2021). "Plymouth Labour asks for support to deliver post-Covid recovery". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  21. ^ Oldfield, Edward (21 April 2021). "Labour candidates a 'brilliant reflection of Plymouth'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  22. ^ Oldfield, Edward (29 April 2021). "Plymouth Conservatives candidate list for the local elections". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  23. ^ Oldfield, Edward (13 April 2021). "Plymouth Tories in election pledge to 'get the basics right'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  24. ^ Oldfield, Edward (22 April 2021). "Lib Dem election manifesto as party targets Plymstock". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  25. ^ Oldfield, Edward (21 April 2021). "Greens 'alternative to constant bickering' of Labour and Tories". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  26. ^ Oldfield, Edward (21 April 2021). "Socialists pledge to end council cuts in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  27. ^ Oldfield, Edward (28 April 2021). "Active for Plymouth wants to abolish the lord mayor". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  28. ^ Oldfield, Edward (16 April 2021). "Young Southway mum furloughed from her job stands for election". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  29. ^ Oldfield, Edward (21 April 2021). "Devonport Independent candidate wants a kinder way of working". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  30. ^ a b c Oldfield, Edward (13 April 2021). "Owner of cafe accused of coronavirus breach stands for election". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  31. ^ "Man who took Plymouth City Council to court over renaming of square ordered to pay more than £8,000 in legal costs". Greatest Hits Radio (Plymouth). Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  32. ^ "Local Elections 2021 Notices | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  33. ^ Timms, Katie (7 May 2021). "Live updates as Plymouth City Council election results announced". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  34. ^ a b Watson, Eve (7 May 2021). "Labour's had its 'backside kicked in Plymouth'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  35. ^ Abel, Stuart (8 May 2021). "Man comes within an 'inch' of rocking politics in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  36. ^ Watson, Eve (7 May 2021). "Tories to hold 'power talks' over future of council". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  37. ^ a b Oldfield, Edward (10 May 2021). "The Independents who hold the balance of power in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  38. ^ Abel, Stuart (9 May 2021). "Labour group will not try to form majority coalition after losses". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  39. ^ Oldfield, Edward (11 May 2021). "New 'Conservative era' looking likely after Local Election vote". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  40. ^ Oldfield, Edward (21 May 2021). "Independents refuse to guarantee support for Tory-led council". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 21 May 2021.