THE Liberal Democrats have held onto the Bradninch ward on Mid Devon District Council in a crushing by-election victory.

Dr Mary Ryan won the seat with 476 votes, as much as 72.5 per cent of the total ballots cast.

The role became vacant when Liberal Democrat Luke Taylor, who was also leader of the council, resigned in August to take up a job transfer in the USA.

Liam O’Brien of Reform UK came second with 91 votes, Conservative Dirk McFarlane-Aitken third with 37, Piers Martin Kotting of the Labour Party fourth with 31, and Green Party candidate Kirsty Mackenzie last with 21 votes.

“Thank you to my friends and neighbours in Bradninch for this huge honour and for being so welcoming on the campaign trail for the past few weeks,” said the victorious and newly minted district councillor Dr Ryan.

“What I’ve been hearing on the doorstep is that people want a local person to stand up for local communities.

“Having lived in Bradninch for 36 years and caring deeply about this place and its people, I will do my very best to be that person.

“There are special things in Bradninch that make it a cohesive and caring community, and I want to do all I can to nurture, promote and protect those things.

“I will focus on the things that matter most to the residents of Bradninch – with a particular focus on good transport links, safe roads, affordable, quality housing, the protection of tenants’ rights, safeguarding rural ways of life, and above all caring for the natural world.

“The hard work starts now – it is a huge privilege to represent this wonderful community and I promise to listen, be present, and never stop fighting for people and the planet.”

Liberal Democrat county councillor and Central Devon parliamentary candidate Ed Tyldesley added: “This is a brilliant result for Mary, for the Liberal Democrats, and above all for the people of Bradninch.

“Thank you to every resident who has placed their trust in Mary and in our party. We will work hard every day to repay that trust.

"Mary is exactly the sort of person we need in local government. She cares passionately about her community, has already demonstrated her courage in standing up for local farming families, and will be a compassionate, determined, and powerful voice for Bradninch. She is ready to take up the reins from the brilliant Cllr Luke Taylor who gave 15 years of dedicated public service to the town.

“This is also a victory for liberal values: fairness, kindness, equality, protecting our environment, and ensuring that everyone has a voice. We believe politics should be about bringing people together, standing up for those who need us, and making people's lives better.

“Across Central Devon, we are building a movement founded on those values. This victory is another important step on the road to the next general election, and we are determined to win here and give our communities the strong, local voice they deserve in Westminster.”