CREDITON RURAL:

LYNNE RICHARDS is the Labour Party Candidate for Crediton Rural.

Lynne raised her children locally; supports her elderly relatives and helps run her Crediton-based family business.

She has worked in senior leadership positions: managing people, activities and resources and is active in community groups, such as Sustainable Crediton and the Flag Project.

She says the hundreds of local people she has listened to in recent weeks have helped determine her priorities: Businesses and community enterprises supported to create jobs: a living wage; good services for older people, children and families; accessible greener transport and affordable housing.

Lynne said: "I will prioritise your needs and contribute my skills, experience and values to the county - precisely when critical decisions need to be made with so few resources.

"With only four candidates standing, this is a great opportunity to make a difference, make a change and vote Labour."

Lynne added: "It's time for a fresh approach! I am a dynamic, experienced woman - ready to fight for our future."

DEREK COREN is the Conservative candidate for Crediton Rural.

Derek has lived in Crediton Rural division his whole life having been born and bred in Yeoford, educated in Crediton and then a local farmer for the past 40 years between Yeoford and Cheriton Bishop.

Since 2010 he has served Yeo Ward on Mid Devon District Council, which includes the parishes of Crediton Hamlets, Copplestone, Cheriton Bishop and Hittisleigh.

His record as a district councillor has led former Mid Devon Lib Dem Councillor Phil Bourne to pledge his support for Derek.

Phil told the Courier: "Although I am a Liberal Democrat, I'll be voting for Derek on May 2.

"He is a hard working, honest and dedicated district councillor who always puts local residents before party politics and is always happy to work with councillors of other parties for the benefit of local communities.

"I strongly urge everyone who wants the best possible representation at County Hall to support Derek."

NICK WAY is the local Lib Dem's candidate for Crediton Rural and has represented the seat for the past eight years.

He has been a district councillor for the Boniface ward since 1995.

Nick and his family live at Westwood, Crediton and have lived in the area for about 40 years.

During this time he says he has built a reputation as an effective, active community campaigner, working with local groups to maintain and improve the Tarka rail line, provide bus services to Crediton station, a traffic relief road, supported village hall improvement schemes and championed the Crediton to Exeter cycle route.

He organised the 2,000 signature petition to stop Devon County Council introducing parking charges in the High Street and opposed the "Tip Tax" at Punchbowl Recycling Centre and Mid Devon District Council against the closure of the sports hall at Lords Meadow Leisure Centre.

Through the Community Funds, introduced by a previous Lib Dem-controlled County Council, Nick has been able to support more than 100 local organisations to obtain funding towards numerous projects which, he adds, have all benefited our community.

Nick adds he has built up links with the local schools and has been been involved in several projects to improve the environment in which our children study.

MICHAEL SZABO is the UKIP candidate in the Crediton Rural ward.

He and his wife moved to Crediton in 1995 and their twin boys attended the local primary and secondary schools prior to going to University.

Mike was founder/managing director of a quality management consultancy for 12 years before starting a Kleeneze concession which is now in its ninth year of operation.

For the last two years he has been a Crediton Town councillor serving on a number of committees and is a member of the People's Park Working Group, the Floral Crediton Working Group and a Friend of the Crediton Railway Station.

In his two years as a town councillor, he lists his accomplishments as including: the painting of the red BT telephone box on St Lawrence Green, the installation of a new park bench at the bus stop on Western Road near the hospital and the painting of the metal railings near the War Memorial.

He says his priorities are: to reclaim the lost pavement near Broad Close and install new pavements around the Upper Deck and on Mill Street.

He says he will also lobby for a long-overdue all-weather sports pitch to be installed at Lords Meadow Leisure Centre to replace the hard court currently being used by the town's youngsters and will vote no to wind farms.

NEWTON ST CYRES:

CHARLIE WERNER is the Labour Party candidate for Sandford and Newton St Cyres ward.

Sandford has been his home since 1983.

Having spent 35 years in education, with 20 years as a head teacher and five years working for Devon County Council, he is now retired.

His children were educated in local schools in Sandford and Crediton.

He wants to see a Devon that looks after its children, its schools, provides affordable, sustainable housing, and cares for its frail and elderly.

He wants a Living Wage for all publicly funded workers and accessible public green transport across Devon.

He said: "Devon should do this because it is the right thing to do and not because there is profit in it for someone."

He added: "As your local County Councillor, I can bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm to supporting you. It is time for a change."

BOB EDWARDS is standing for UKIP in the Newton St Cyres and Sandford ward.

He says he is standing in this election because he thinks he still has something to offer the community.

Having been involved in local politics for more than 20 years, he says he thinks he has a fairly good record of achievement.

He explained: "I firmly believe in 'value for money' and I am not sure we are getting it.

"Councillors keep voting themselves 'pay' rises and some senior officers are paid too much - money which should be going to provide decent roads, better schools, care for the elderly and the rest.

"I am against a proliferation of onshore wind farms, which are inefficient and need back-up.  Also, our rural roads need fixing.

"I've been a member of UKIP since Maastricht in 1993, when it became clear that LibLabCon were all committed to membership of the EU.

"I voted for a "Common Market" and no more.  We should go back to running our own country as we see fit and did successfully for hundreds of years.

He added: "Many Briton's have seen the light - recent polls put UKIP around 17 per cent, well ahead of the Lib Dems and fast closing in on the other two.  Your vote will not be wasted."

MARGARET SQUIRES is the Conservative candidate for Newton St Cyres and Sandford ward.

Margaret has lived in Mid Devon all her life and in the Sandford Parish since 1970, where she has been a parish councillor for the past 30 years and a Mid Devon District Councillor since 2003.

She is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Cllr Michael Lee, who is standing down as Newton St Cyres and Sandford Division's County Councillor, after serving for a total of 17 years.

Michael is backing Margaret to succeed him and told the Courier: "I have known Margaret for 25 years.

"She is very hard working, cares passionately for our rural communities and I hope everyone who has supported me in the past will support Margaret on May 2."

Margaret is eager to raise issues at County Hall that are particularly important to rural communities such as public transport, rural broadband, investment in country roads and access to health and social care.

KEITH POVEY is the Green Party candidate standing in the Newton St Cyres and Sandford ward.

Having lived in Devon since 1986, for the last six years near Black Dog, Keith is keenly aware of issues affecting rural communities and was an active supporter of the campaign to prevent the closure of rural Post Offices.

Working from home for more than 30 years,  he says he has seen communication technologies change but believes that rural areas are being left out of the broadband revolution and says he would push hard to combat this.

He said: "Having been a Labour supporter for years, I switched to the Green Party when I saw it was the only Party that actually cared for people and social justice.

"The Greens particularly focus on the gross inequalities that exist in the UK, especially in housing (too little and too expensive), and income (too low at the bottom and too high at the top)!"