Oliver Bell

Combe Martin Rural

Born and raised in North Devon; I attended Woolacombe primary school followed by Ilfracombe Academy. After Sixth Form I left the region to study Law and Politics at Swansea University, I returned here after graduating and have been politically active here since. In 2019 I became a Parish Councillor in Mortehoe and more recently I helped form the Mortehoe and Woolacombe Community Land Trust, becoming its first Treasurer. Outside of politics my interests include gaming, chess and reading.

I have had a long history with politics and have always been eager to become more involved with local government. That sentiment remains unchanged despite my defeat in 2017. Unfortunately, it is not the only thing that remains unchanged, North Devon continues to be hit harder than most by the long-term austerity measures the government has been enforcing. The local councils’ budgets continue to be slashed and services fall, especially in the most rural areas where services are most crucial. Now with the joint threat of Brexit and Covid to our economy, it is more important than ever to mitigate the harm that come from ignoring local needs in favour of major towns.

Budgeting will likely be the biggest priority of any candidate. The council has had its limited resources cut further and further back, furthermore Brexit and Covid represent great unknowns for how they will impact council spending. I will be particularly vocal about the needs of rural areas, areas which have already lost the most in this decade of austerity, that have endured through a pandemic and yet look increasingly likely to lose more. Outside of the budget, my priority will be ensuring the voice of people living in my division is not ignored simply because the area has a lower concentration of people.

Contact Oliver via admin@northdevonlabour.org