The Conservatives have held the Exmouth Brixington seat on East Devon District Council, with Lee Mason winning 537 votes to see off challenges from both Reform UK, contesting the ward for the first time, and a strengthened Liberal Democrat campaign.
According to the official declaration, Mason's 537 votes gave the Conservatives 35.2% of the vote, a fall of 2.1 points on the previous result. The Liberal Democrats' Andrew Colman finished second with 450 votes (29.5%), down 3.1 points, with Reform UK's Paul Thomas close behind in third on 439 votes (28.7%) in the party's first contest of the ward. The Green Party's Mike Rosser took 101 votes (6.6%), down 2.0 points. Labour did not field a candidate this time, having previously polled 21.5%, leaving the contest as a four-way fight between the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens.
The electorate stood at 6,168, with 1,529 ballot papers issued, 2 rejected, and a turnout of 24%.
Why the Seat Was Vacant
The by-election was called after sitting Conservative councillor Cherry Nicholas resigned her seat in May 2026. Nicholas had represented the ward on East Devon District Council, which is dominated by a mix of independent and Liberal Democrat councillors, with the Conservatives holding a smaller presence.
A Tighter Race Than the Numbers First Suggest
While the Conservatives retained the seat comfortably enough to be declared a hold, the combined result shows just how fragmented the contest has become. With Reform UK entering the ward for the first time and immediately finishing within striking distance of both main parties, and the Liberal Democrats posting a strong second-place finish, the Conservative majority was considerably narrower than a straightforward two-party contest would suggest.
Labour's decision not to stand this time removed a fifth candidate from the ballot and likely redistributed some of its previous vote share among the remaining parties, most plausibly benefiting the Liberal Democrats given the ward's competitive history between the two.
Wider Context
The result places Exmouth Brixington alongside a run of by-elections across England in recent months where Reform UK has moved quickly from having no local presence to running competitive campaigns in wards previously considered safely held by other parties, even where, as here, they fall short of an outright win.
For the Conservatives, holding the seat will be seen as a relief given the surrounding political climate, though the shrinking margin over both challengers suggests the ward cannot be considered safe ground for the party going forward.