Only the Liberal Democrats can win in Central Devon

Buoyed by national polls Labour peddle the myth they can win in Central Devon. All the evidence suggests only the Liberal Democrats can win here.

Let's look at the evidence (rather than relying on data from 2017 and 2019).

1. In recent by elections in constituencies very similar to Central Devon Liberal Democrats overturned huge Conservative majorities to win. If Labour could really win in rural constituencies they'd have done much better.

2. Labour doesn't have the 'vote ceiling' to beat the Conservatives. There are just not enough (small 'c') conservative voters who are prepared to vote Labour. There is no appetite on the doorstep for a government lead by Mr. Starmer. Liberal Democrats have shown they can win support from conservative voters.

3. Labour has no local representation in Central Devon. If there was a groundswell of support for Labour you would have expected they would have won council seats in the 2023 local elections. But they didn't win a single seat. Not even in the more 'city like' council wards in Ashburton, Crediton and Okehampton. What's more they couldn't field candidates in most wards, suggesting they don't have the local organisation to win.

4. Labour don't have the votes, but can split the vote and let the Conservatives win. In the recent local elections Labour polled just 7% of the votes cast, behind the Green Party with 12% and the Liberal Democrats with 36%. The Liberal Democrats were just 2% behind the Conservatives. Labour and Green Party supporters need to loan the Liberal Democrats their votes and vote tactically to beat the Conservatives.