Jayne Mackie has won the Fremington & Yelland byelection for the North Devon Liberal Democrats.

The former teacher and nursery worker from Yelland thanked local residents for placing their trust in her, and promised to represent every kind of person in the community.

Jayne also paid tribute to the late Neil Denton, the area’s former Councillor, and praised his true dedication to the people of Fremington.

The full results were as follows:

Lib Dems (Jayne Mackie) - 752 (49.9%)

Reform UK - 496 (32.9%)

Green Party - 131 (8.7%)

Conservatives - 116 (7.7%)

Labour - 12 (0.8%)

Lib Dem GAIN from Independent

Neighbours and friends helped run a giant byelection campaign, meaning Jayne joins popular local Lib Dem Councillor Frank Biederman as Fremington's second district councillor.

Frank said: “Local residents have made a great choice: Jayne is a passionate defender of green spaces and community work. I've always greatly respected her wise head on planning issues, and it's great to see her return to the Council.”

Local Lib Dem MP for North Devon Ian Roome added: "Jayne has a proven track record in the community and will be a fierce advocate for local residents. Many people told me how much she impressed them, and she will be an asset to Fremington & Yelland. Well done everyone!"

Following extreme weather and storms this winter which caused significant damage to roads across Devon, Liberal Democrat-run Devon County Council announced a £3 million funding boost to help fix potholes and speed up repairs.

This funding has been freed up following the agreement the Council reached with the government to write off most of Devon’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) debt. 

Devon has one of the largest local road networks managed by a local authority in England, with around 8,000 miles of roads to maintain, and Devon County Council say that the number of reported potholes in February 2026 was 9,700; 90% higher than the same period in 2025.

The additional £3 million will help speed up repairs and support the work of highway teams who are already operating across Devon to deal with the backlog of defects.

Liberal Democrat County Cllr Ed Tyldesley said: 

“People across North Devon know how tough this winter has been on our roads. Storms, freezing temperatures and relentless rain have taken their toll, and residents are seeing the damage every day on the roads they rely on for work, school and everyday life.

"We are seeing more frequent extreme weather. As predicted, global climate change has knocked our seasons out of balance. Heavy rainfall and repeated freezing and thawing put huge pressure on road surfaces, especially on a rural network like Devon’s.

“For too long has the network been underfunded and just patched-up. This additional £3 million shows that the Council are adapting to what is happening across the county and giving our highways teams more resources to respond. They have been working incredibly hard in difficult conditions, and this extra investment will help repair more potholes and keep Devon moving.”

Former teacher Jayne Mackie is standing for the Lib Dems in the upcoming Fremington & Yelland byelection.

A resident in Yelland for many years, Jayne has worked in both primary and secondary schools, and now a local nursery. She enjoys Tai Chi, Pilates, tending the allotment and caring for her Bee Hives!

The byelection has been called following the sad passing of Cllr. Neil Denton.

A former Councillor for Fremington up to 2023, Jayne stepped down to care for an elderly relative, but has now returned to represent the community.

Local Councillor Frank Biederman said: “Jayne is a passionate defender of green spaces and community work - I always respected her wise head on planning issues. She will be a strong voice for local people if returned to the council, and I urge all local residents to give her their support.”

Polls are open from 7am-10pm on Thursday 2nd April 2026.

North Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, has formally presented a petition to Parliament calling for action and investment to future-proof the Tarka Line and improve reliability for passengers across the area who rely on the service.

The petition follows months of disruption on the line, including repeated flooding and cancellations that have left commuters, students, families struggling to rely on the rail link between Barnstaple, Exeter and beyond. 

Mr Roome says the scale of support demonstrates the strength of local feeling and the need for a clear plan and investment to make the line more resilient to extreme weather and growing demand.

The MP is urging residents who have been affected by disruption to continue sharing their experiences to strengthen the case for investment and ensure North Devon’s rail link is treated as a priority.

North Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, said: 

“I was proud to hand in North Devon’s Tarka Line petition to Parliament, backed by more than 3,000 people who are fed up with disruption and want lasting action. Demand for the service has continually grown, and it’s one of the busiest branch lines anywhere in the South West - it’s a lifeline for commuters getting to work, students travelling to college, people attending appointments.

“After the chaos we’ve faced this winter, it’s obvious we cannot keep lurching from one incident to the next. We need a service we can rely on, and that means a serious commitment to resilience.

“I’ll be meeting with Network Rail to press for a clear plan for the Tarka Line, with proper investment to strengthen the route against flooding and extreme weather and ensure North Devon isn’t left behind.”

Cllr Peter Leaver, Deputy Leader of North Devon Council (Liberal Democrat) said: 

“North Devon Council recognises just how vital the Tarka Line is for our tourism economy, for students, for commuters, and for the many local businesses that rely on reliable connections to Exeter and beyond. 

“We’re working closely with operators and partners to improve reliability, but it’s increasingly clear that major investment is needed to keep up with demand and make the line more resilient, especially in the face of extreme weather and climate change. 

“That’s why this petition really matters, and we hope it builds on the case we’ve been making for investment.”

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Katie Pettman has won the South Molton Town Council Byelection for the Liberal Democrats in South Molton.

A former adult social care worker who runs the South Molton Foodbank, Katie thanked local residents for their support and pledged to work hard on behalf of the whole community.

The final results were:

Katie Pettman (LibDem) - 345 (62%)
Christine O'Brien (Ind) - 210 (38%)

Lib Dem GAIN from Independent

North Devon's Lib Dem MP Ian Roome congratulated Katie and the South Molton Lib Dem team, saying “Katie is a fantastic community champion and it's no wonder so many people wanted to vote for her! I know she'll make a brilliant addition to South Molton Town Council.”

The byelection was contested over the New Year period and Katie's addition to the town Council means South Molton now has four Liberal Democrat town councillors.

Alistair Carmichael MP, Chair of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee and Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, has visited North Devon after being invited by Ian Roome MP to meet local farmers and representatives from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and hear first-hand about the pressures they face.

The visit focused on the issues farmers across North Devon say are hitting them hardest, including the ongoing uncertainty around the Government’s changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR), often referred to as the “Family Farm Tax”, and how those changes could still affect working family farms even after the Government’s recent concession which involved increasing the threshold at which point this tax becomes payable.

North Devon’s farmers also raised concerns about the cumulative impact of rising input costs, labour pressures, unpredictable policy changes and the challenge of long-term planning when schemes and rules change at short notice. Farmers and NFU representatives also highlighted the importance of food security and maintaining a strong farming sector in a rural area like North Devon, where agriculture plays a massive role in the economy.

Ian Roome MP, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, said:

“Since the election, I’ve been out on farms across North Devon to hear directly about the pressures farmers are facing. It was great to be back out again this week, and to keep making the case for the support the sector needs.”

“North Devon is built on family farms, and these farms are passed down through generations and underpin our local, rural economy. How are farmers meant to plan for the future when the government keeps lurching from one policy to another - it’s ridiculous! Even with the Government’s recent concession on the Family Farm Tax, there’s still real anxiety about what the final rules will mean in practice, and it comes on top of other frustrations, from the lack of grip on illegal meat imports to the urgent need to strengthen support for farmers in the grocery supply chain.

“That’s why it was important to bring my colleague Alistair Carmichael, as Chair of the EFRA Committee, to meet local farmers and the NFU and hear directly about what’s happening on the ground. We Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for a fairer deal for farmers and rural communities.”