Exmouth & Exeter East Lib Dems pick successful local activist to fight the next General Election
The Liberal Democrats have announced Councillor Charlotte FitzGerald as their candidate for Exmouth & Exeter East in the next General Election.
An established local campaigner on high streets, sewage pollution, and the local economy, Charlotte hopes her track record of action will stand her in good stead to win at the next General Election.
Stuart Mole, President of the Exmouth & Exeter East Liberal Democrats, commented: “We are hugely impressed by Charlotte’s energy, her commitment to the area and the fresh ideas she can bring in tackling local problems. At the 2024 general election, in a tight three-way fight, the Liberal Democrats came close. Since then, while Conservative and Labour support has declined, the Lib Dems have continued to advance, most recently gaining a seat on Exeter City Council. We believe that, with Charlotte as our champion, victory is within reach.”
Charlotte believes her local knowledge gives her the edge over the opposition. “Exmouth & Exeter East is a diverse constituency – I lived in East Exeter and now in rural Budleigh & Raleigh, so I know it well.” On choosing to settle in Exmouth & Exeter East, Charlotte says, “My mother’s family are from Honiton, and my partner grew up on a dairy farm near Colyton. Raising our family here has brought us close to the issues that matter to people. We are lucky enough to own our house, but this is not a realistic option for many who have grown up here.”
From her first day as a councillor, Charlotte has advocated strongly for building and maintaining sustainable communities. “I know it is harder than ever for people to buy their own house, and that making the leap to home ownership is delaying people from moving on in life. The whole system is clogged by ill-considered policies. I am committed to getting the housing that fits the needs of local people, in the right place.”
Commenting on the demise of the traditional high street, Charlotte says, “The high streets in Exmouth, Topsham and Budleigh are the lifeblood of their areas – as they undergo inevitable changes, these spaces are something worth supporting and actively reimagining.” She points to Love Topsham, Shop Budleigh and Exmouth’s Gate to Plate as leading rejuvenation projects, seeing them as green shoots of recovery.
Charlotte is passionate about health. She helped win support at East Devon District Council for a combined leisure, health and wellbeing facility at Cranbrook. Her recent community roundtable on the future of the local libraries attracted hundreds of people – many more were turned away at the door. “The community roundtable I held in Budleigh drew overwhelming support. Libraries represent everything that is good about our communities, which is why I am working hard to protect them.”
Sewage problems affecting the constituency have come under close scrutiny by Charlotte, particularly since Budleigh Salterton lost its Blue Flag status earlier this year. “Dealing with the water company, regulator and citizen science groups has opened my eyes to shocking truths about the sewage treatment problems and resulting water pollution in our constituency,” says Charlotte. “Our rivers and coastline are among the most polluted in the whole country. It’s damaging to residents, to nature and to our valuable tourism industry, particularly in Exmouth, where repeated outflows in summer months have caused so much harm to local businesses. My team is the only one with a credible plan to tackle the issue, after years of Conservative inaction and Labour’s refusal to clean up the mess.”
Charlotte will focus on securing support for local businesses and skills, which she says are necessary for future-proofing residents' careers and the local economy. “In addition to championing training and skills for early and mid-career professionals, I will continue to work hard to deliver support for local businesses, especially those in the green economy and the science and tech sector, where Exeter is leading the way.”
Charlotte is determined to break from the norm in the way she serves the community. “Trust in politicians needs reviving. This is what I have been hearing on the doorsteps around the constituency. I am determined to be that change, being a local champion for Exmouth & Exeter East.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Charlotte was elected to East Devon District Council in the May 2023 elections, initially as an independent, before joining the Liberal Democrat group in October 2024
- The Liberal Democrat candidate, Paul Arnott, finished a strong third in the constituency at the 2024 General Election, increasing the party’s vote share in the constituency against the notional 2019 result by nearly 20% - more than any other candidate
- The 2024 General Election result makes Exmouth & Exeter East a close three-way marginal parliamentary seat, with the main parties separated by only 3,000 votes, and was the seventh-closest result for the Liberal Democrats nationally in a constituency not won by the party
- Fourteen Liberal Democrat District and City Councillors are currently in office within the constituency, more than twice as many as any other party, and the party saw their first Exeter City Councillor within the constituency elected in St Loyes ward in the 7th May elections