My name is George Tomkins, and I am 18 years old. I have lived in East Devon for nearly all of my life and am proud to be from the area. Having attended Colyton Grammar School for my secondary education, I am currently studying for a degree in Contemporary and Popular Music at Newcastle University.

I want to stand for election to Devon County Council because I have experienced first-hand the devastating effects of a Conservative government and council on our local area. In the NHS, we have seen beds cut from community hospitals and mental health services stripped, leaving the most vulnerable in our communities with nowhere to turn. In education last year, funding for Devon pupils was nearly £300 less than the national average, worse than the previous year’s figure.

Spending on key services in East Devon has seen a drop of £4,527 per thousand population in 2019 compared with 2010. This is a total investment reduction of 22% in the area.

Devon is being let down. We need councillors who will fight for investment in the county, to create a better place for all citizens to live. That is why I am standing as your Labour County Council candidate in the Seaton and Colyton division.