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West Devon Tory councillor wins election by one vote

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A council election was won with just one vote between Conservative and Labour

A Conservative councillor has won an election by just one vote.

Angela Blackman won the seat on West Devon Borough Council with 362 votes, just one ahead of Labour candidate Isabel Saxby.

She has been elected to the 31-member council for the West Devon ward of Bere Ferrers.

The borough council now has 16 Conservative members, 12 Independents, two Green and one Liberal Democrat.

Ms Blackman, who lives about a mile from Bere Alston, has a 15-year-old son who has been brought up in the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Liberal Democrat councillor Robin Musgrave resigned in September due to health reasons, leaving the position open.

He was first elected for the ward, which is also served by Conservative councillor Peter Crozier, in 1991.

The election saw a 37.5% turnout.

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Ms Blackman's election means the Conservatives have overall control of the council.

Labour candidate Isabel Saxby was the youngest candidate at 20 years old.

The results of the election were Conservatives, 362, Labour, 361, Liberal Democrat, 216, and Green 176.

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