2025 Devon County Council election
The 2025 Devon County Council election took place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Devon County Council in Devon, England. All 60 seats were up for election. This was on the same day as other local elections. The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election. The council went under no overall control at the election, with the Liberal Democrats becoming the largest party.
Background
At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won an outright majority of seats. The party had held control of the council since 2009. The council was led by Conservative councillor James McInnes prior to the election; he did not stand for re-election in 2025.Previous council composition
Changes 2021–2025
- November 2023: Rob Hannaford suspended from party
- June 2024: Rob Hannaford joins Liberal Democrats
- July 2024: Rob Hannaford leaves party to sit as an independent
- February 2025: Frank Biederman joins Liberal Democrats; Rob Hannaford joins Conservatives
Councillors standing down
28 Councillors did not stand for re-election.Summary
Following the election the council was under no overall control, with the Liberal Democrats the largest party. The Liberal Democrats changed their group leader immediately after the election, with Julian Brazil replacing Caroline Leaver. Julian Brazil was then formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 22 May 2025. The Liberal Democrats took nine of the ten seats on the council's cabinet, and the other place was taken by the Green Party.Reform UK had no seats on the council prior to the election. They won 18 seats at the election, making them the second largest party on the council. They chose Michael Fife Cook as their new group leader.