Liberal Democrats in Tiverton are facing growing pressure to foot the bill for an avoidable by-election after Rachel Gilmour resigned from Mid Devon District Council, months after promising to step down.
Gilmour, who was elected as a district councillor in May 2023 and then as the MP for Tiverton and Minehead in July 2024, has not attended a single council meeting since September 2024. Despite this, she continued to hold onto the seat and accept an allowance until resigning this week, triggering a by-election that Mid Devon District Council confirms will cost £2,000.
Freedom of Information data has revealed that Gilmour sent just one email in the last six months in her role as councillor. In comparison, the average Mid Devon councillor sent 287 emails over the same period.
Local campaigner James Wright said, "This confirms what residents already knew, Rachel Gilmour stopped doing the job months ago. She didn’t attend meetings, she didn’t communicate, and she didn’t resign in July when she could have saved taxpayers. Her resignation is welcome, but it’s come far too late. Residents expect and deserve better.”
The local Conservative Association for Tiverton & Minehead has selected Toby Gray, a former Afghanistan veteran and local resident, as their candidate for the by-election in Clare and Shuttern. Gray, who lives in the ward with his family, said the area needs a councillor who will show up and get things done. "Local people deserve better than this. We’ve been without proper representation for far too long. I’m standing to bring back focus, action and a strong voice for our villages, families and farms," Gray said.
Gilmour and the Liberal Democrats had previously suggested they would time her resignation to avoid any cost to taxpayers. Residents are now calling for the Liberal Democrats to honour its promise of zero cost to the taxpayer and cover the cost themselves.
