CONSERVATIVE Party members across Central Devon gathered for their Annual General Meeting at the Boniface Centre in Crediton during the evening of Friday, March 18.

The mood was positive, being the first time members across the constituency had gathered since the party achieved a majority in the General Election last May.

Conservative MP Mel Stride was re-elected with the largest majority of any MP in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset or Somerset and the party won 31 of the 43 district council seats in the constituency, helping deliver Conservative majorities on West Devon, Mid Devon, East Devon and Teignbridge District Councils.

Speaking after the AGM Mel said: “This has been a very positive year for our party locally with membership up 15 per cent on the year and lots of local campaigning activity.

"I am hugely grateful to our members for all the support that they have provided me over the last year. We must never be complacent though and continue to work flat out to continue to listen to and support local people.

"We are in the midst of distributing by hand my latest survey to 40,000 homes across the 550 square miles of Central Devon – I will be considering people’s thoughts very carefully.”

During the evening around 100 members quizzed Mel about the Chancellor’s recent budget and listened to guest speaker Alison Hernandez, the Conservative Party candidate for the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Elections in May.

Membership of the Central Devon Conservative Association has risen by 15 per cent in the last year to more than 400 members.

Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires was elected as Chairman of the Association for the coming year.

Alan Quick