Dawson wins Barnstaple by-Election

Former DJ & councillor takes district seat

Barnstaple-born Loki Dawson has won a North Devon Council by-election.

The Liberal Democrat was elected to represent the Barnstaple with Pilton ward following the resignation of Ian Roome after he became North Devon MP.

Cllr Dawson said he had big shoes to fill but he was ready for the challenge having loved every minute of being a town councillor.

“It’s fuelled the fire for me,” he said.

He has served on Barnstaple Town Council on two occasions, beginning in 2015, and relished representing people’s concerns.

The new district councillor paid tribute to all the five candidates who had fought the by-election as every one of them “worked really hard and put party politics aside”.

“We all just wanted to represent the people of Pilton,” said the former DJ who puts planning, heritage and protecting green spaces among his passions.

He said local government reorganisation was about getting the best deal for North Devon and Barnstaple and he planned to spend the first few months “listening and learning” as much as he could.

Cllr Dawson has lived in the town for the last 20 years.

He was born in Barnstaple but moved to London with his family as a baby.

He only became aware he had been born at North Devon District Hospital when he came back for a holiday.

“I fell in love with the place and stayed,” he said.

The councillor said being the mouthpiece for local people was why he got into local government and he kept a letter from a seven-year-old lad concerned about speeding on the wall in his office to remind him of why he did the job.

“It keeps me going at 3am when I am doing council casework. People come to us when they don’t know what to do – we are their voice,” he said.

“I am happy for people to call or email me any time. All my details are on the council website.”

The by-election was held on May 1, the same day as the Devon County Council elections, and the result announced the next morning at the Tarka Lesiure Centre in Barnstaple. The turnout was 29 per cent of the electorate.

The results were: Loki Dawson (Lib Dem) 716 ELECTED, David Jarvis (Reform UK) 581, Howard Porter (Green) 212, Lisa Mackenzie (Con), 208, Rhys Jones (Lab) 65..