Tudor Evans

Tudor Evans OBE is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the leader of Plymouth City Council five times, including since May 2023. He has been a councillor for Ham ward since 1988 and has led the Labour group on Plymouth City Council since 1998. He previously served as leader of the council from 1998 to 2000, from 2003 to 2007, from 2012 to 2016, and 2018 to 2021.

Cllr
Tudor Evans
OBE
Leader of Plymouth City Council
Assumed office
May 2023
DeputyJemima Laing
Preceded byMark Shayer
In office
18 May 2018 – 21 May 2021
Preceded byIan Bowyer
Succeeded byNick Kelly
In office
18 May 2012 – 20 May 2016
Preceded byVivien Pengelly
Succeeded byIan Bowyer
In office
May 2003 – May 2007
Preceded byKevin Wigens
Succeeded byVivien Pengelly
In office
May 1998 – May 2000
Preceded byJohn Ingham
Succeeded byPatrick Nicholson
Plymouth City Councillor
for Ham ward
Assumed office
5 May 1988
Personal details
BornEbbw Vale
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour Co-operative
Alma materUniversity of Plymouth

Early life

Evans was born in Ebbw Vale in Wales.[1] He moved to Plymouth as an undergraduate, studying environmental science.[2][3] He was a director of a co-operative printing company for thirteen years, and works as a local government consultant.[3]

Political career

Evans first stood for election to Plymouth City Council in 1987 in Sutton and Mount Gould ward, losing to SDP–Liberal Alliance candidates.[4] He was subsequently elected as a councillor to Ham ward in 1988, a seat he has held ever since.[5]

After the 1998 local election, the Labour group leader John Ingham stood down, having led the council for seven years.[6] Evans put himself forward as a candidate lead the Labour group against fellow councillors Chris Mavin and David Millar.[7] Evans was elected, saying he wanted to prioritise investment, jobs and the tourism industry.[8] He led the council until 2000, when the Conservatives won a majority of seats on the council.

Evans became council leader again in 2003, crediting his victory to Conservative plans to close old people's homes.[7] When Labour lost its majority in 2007, he said he was "proud of what [his] council has achieved", but "puzzled" at having lost control.[8]

Labour again took control of the council in 2012, with the defeated Conservative council leader Vivien Pengelly blaming a cut in the top rate of income tax and the proposed pasty tax from the Conservative chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's budget. Evans again returned as council leader on a platform including job creation, webcasting council meetings, and trying to stop the construction of an incinerator.[9][10] He said he was not opposed to the incinerator, but to the planned location.[11] In 2013, the council established an energy co-operative called Plymouth Energy Community.[12] In 2014, he was a signatory to an open letter to The Observer calling for an end to cuts to local government.[13] He advocated for Plymouth to be included in a national policy of compensation for businesses affected by flooding.[14]

The party lost control after the 2015 election, which left the council under no overall control. Evans initially remained council leader.[15] He was removed from that post after the 2016 local elections, with local UK Independence Party councillors forming a coalition with the Conservatives and later defecting to them.[8] During this time, Evans supported a cross-party campaign for Plymouth to retain its warships.[16]

After Labour restored its majority in the 2018 council election, Evans returned as council leader with a manifesto including pledges to create a thousand new parking spaces and to construct new low-cost homes.[17] Evans opposed plans to merge Devon and Cornwall Police with Dorset Police.[18] Labour lost the 2021 council election, and Evans was replaced by the Conservative councillor Nick Kelly as council leader.[19]

Labour regained control of the council in the 2023 council election. Evans returned as council leader.[7]

Honours and awards

Evans was named council leader of the year in 2015.[20] He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to politics and local government in January 2016.[1][21]

Elections contested
Date Council Ward Party Votes  % votes Place Ref
1987 Plymouth City Council Mount Gould Labour 911 22.4 (party) 7th [4]
1988 by-election Ham  ?  ? 1st
1991 2,650 68.5 (party) 3rd
1995 2,142 73.6 (party) 2nd
1997 2,142 60.7 (party) 2nd
1997 2,142 60.7 (party) 2nd
2000 1,150 50.0 (party) 1st
2003 1,912 62.9 (party) 1st
2003 1,912 62.9 (party) 1st
2007 1,460 44.4 1st
2007 1,460 44.4 1st
2011 1,843 54.7 1st
2015 2,176 38.6 1st
2019 1,441 45.9 1st
2023 1,390 47.3 1st

References
  1. "Ebbw Vale-born council leader gets OBE". South Wales Argus.
  2. Harris, John (4 November 2015). "'Send more rich people!' The reinvention of the once-great naval city of Plymouth". The Guardian.
  3. "LGA Councillor details - Cllr Tudor Evans OBE". 6 May 2018.
  4. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Plymouth City Countil Election Results 1973-1995" (PDF). Elections Centre. Plymouth University.
  5. Cooke, Millicent (26 November 2017). "The 65 most influential people in Plymouth alive today".
  6. Telford, William (4 May 2018). "Tudor Evans - the ups and downs of a political survivor". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  7. Telford, William (6 May 2023). "Labour leader Tudor Evans' triumphs and disasters". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  8. Telford, William (4 May 2018). "Tudor Evans - the ups and downs of a political survivor".
  9. "The Start of Something Good? An Interview With Tudor Evans - InPlymouth". 23 December 2012.
  10. "Labour take Exeter and Plymouth". 4 May 2012 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. "Devonport incinerator contract to be inspected". BBC News. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  12. "Council signs off on energy co-operative pledge for residents | The Plymouth Daily". 3 March 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. "Council leaders of all parties plead for no more cuts - Letters". The Guardian. 30 November 2014.
  14. "Plymouth misses out on flood support fund". ITV News. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  15. "Labour loses majority in Plymouth". 8 May 2015 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  16. O'Leary, Miles (24 October 2017). "Next stage of campaign to protect our armed forces revealed today".
  17. Baker, Chris (4 May 2018). "All 100 things new Labour council say they will do for Plymouth".
  18. "Plymouth council boss slams plans to merge Devon and Cornwall and Dorset Police".
  19. Watson, Eve (7 May 2021). "Labour's had its 'backside kicked in Plymouth'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  20. Sharman, Laura (3 March 2015). "Tudor Evans scoops council leader of the year award".
  21. Dudman, Jane (30 December 2015). "Local government chiefs receive New Year honours in 2016". The Guardian.
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