Dylan Burtoft is a Young Conservatives Co-ordinator in Devon
In Devon, the local election results weren’t just disappointing, they were abysmal. We lost 32 seats, fell to third place behind Reform UK, and are now facing a Lib Dem–Green administration in areas once seen as true-blue strongholds.
So how did it happen?
A big part of the problem was a lack of preparation, a lack of resources, and frankly, a false sense of security. Too many assumed things would be “the same as usual”.
They weren’t.
This election loss has made one thing crystal clear: we cannot carry on like this. Things need to be done differently.
Ahead of the 2025 local elections, I travelled across the county and met with candidates, activists, and campaigners from every corner of Devon. The pattern was depressingly familiar. Many campaigns were left to run on their own. Candidates were given a budget, little guidance, and sent off alone to fight an election, often with no campaigning experience. Many didn’t even know how to use VoteSource.
In many associations, there’s an extremely hostile internal culture. Infighting and poor communication led to fractured campaigns, with different agents for different candidates within the same association, disproportionate focus on certain wards due to internal politics, and major disparities in funding. These issues don’t just weaken a campaign, they torpedo it.
For any campaign to succeed, it must be centralised, coordinated, and united. Campaigners must work together for the good of the party, not be distracted by bitter rivalries or personal agendas. Of course, every candidate has a natural drive to win their own seat, and that’s a good thing and all candidates should have that winning mentality, but it cannot come at the cost of the association’s overall success.
That means candidates must generally accept the campaign directive set by their association. In the final six weeks especially, everyone must be on the same page. While candidates should absolutely have input, it has to be remembered, you are standing as a Conservative, not an independent.
Another major mistake in this year’s local campaign was our messaging. We ran a hyper-local campaign, avoiding national issues entirely. We were told at a pre-election event in February to “stay local” and “promote what the council is doing”. The problem? Devon County Council hasn’t had much to shout about over the last five years and, frankly, most people didn’t care.
They cared that their taxes are going up. They cared about immigration. They cared about the economy, the winter fuel allowance, the future of family farms, real issues that affect real people. But barely any of our leaflets even mentioned these things.
We gave voters nothing to hold onto, no strong narrative, no national connection. And in the absence of our message, Reform and the Lib Dems filled the void.
One association I worked closely with took a unified and skilled approach. They began campaigning as early as September, long before the elections in May, and that made a huge difference. They ran a centralised campaign, embraced modern electioneering, and built a strong, diverse campaign team. At the heart of that team? Young people: university and college students, local young members, and first-time campaigners.
What made this campaign different wasn’t just tactics, it was energy. Older members told me clearly: they were out on the doors because they saw the young team putting in the hard graft. It inspired them. That mutual respect and momentum made all the difference.
The young team thrived because of a few simple principles:
- They felt they were making a difference for the future
- They were trusted with campaign leadership roles
- They built strong friendships and team spirit
Sometimes, it was the little things, a pub trip after a long canvassing session, a team meal, or just having fun along the way. While other associations collapsed due to infighting, we kept moving forward together, not out of self-interest, but because we genuinely believed we were building something bigger.
And this wasn’t just about one election. Campaigns like this show that success starts months, even years, before polling day. We can’t keep falling into the trap of switching on the campaign machine just six weeks out. It needs to be a continuous build-up, not a last-minute scramble. If we want to win in two or three years’ time, we need to start preparing now, building data, running visible local campaigns, and engaging with voters outside of election time. Too many people tell us, “We only hear from you when there’s an election.” That has to change.
We also need to face reality, we no longer control the district or county councils in Devon. Our voice in local government is weaker than it has been in decades, and that makes the role of Associations even more important. Without elected representatives leading the charge, it’s down to our associations to fill that void, to be visible, vocal, and campaigning all year round. If we don’t step up, nobody else will.
At the general election, we had that young team in my association. We had the manpower, we had the momentum, and the result was a win against the odds. But at the locals this year, the association failed to build on it. The young team had been pushed out, nothing new replaced it, and the result? Reform UK is now the largest party in that seat.
That’s why, as the new Devon Young Conservatives Co-ordinator, I’m focused on one key mission: rebuilding our youth movement across the county.
Right now, we have fewer than 150 registered YCs in Devon, and that’s simply not good enough. But this isn’t just about numbers or leaflets. It’s about building a network, forging friendships, and creating pathways into long-term activism and leadership.
We don’t have elections for a few years, and that gives us the perfect chance to start building. Not just a campaign machine, but a community. Events, social meet-ups, and casual campaigning, that’s where we’ll start. Because the way to win a war is by rallying the troops long before the battle begins.
And we need to be clear about something: Young Conservatives are not just manpower. We’re not just activists. We’re equal to our older counterparts, and we deserve to be treated as such. We put in long hours. We walk the pavements. We write the leaflets, make the calls, and get out the vote. We do a damn lot.
But too often, we’re treated like an afterthought, or worse, as expendable foot soldiers. That has to change. It starts with respect, and unfortunately, that’s something too many in the old guard still haven’t figured out.
As one association chairman rightly told me:
“Never berate a volunteer.”
It’s a simple phrase, but one that should be engraved on the wall of every association office. Volunteers are the beating heart of this party, young or old. And if we don’t value and support them, we’ll lose them. And then we’ll lose elections.
If we want to build a winning Conservative Party in Devon, we need to radically rethink how we select candidates. We’ve been running the same slate of individuals for years, often people with 10 or 20 years of political baggage, who’ve become known quantities to the electorate.
Reform UK’s candidates sounded different, people felt they were hearing voices that reflected their everyday lives, from lorry drivers to farmers, small business owners and young professionals, not the usual career politicians. That difference resonated with voters and helped them gain ground. If we want to win back trust and support, we need to find our own fresh, authentic voice that connects with communities in a real and meaningful way.
We need new faces, people who understand the real world. If we want to win unitary council elections in 2027/28, or even come a respectable second we need candidates who can represent their communities authentically, build incumbency, and bring something fresh.
If we want to rebuild, we can’t just think short-term. Community champions aren’t built overnight. They need training, support, mentoring, and time. To have a lasting impact in a community, candidates need to be there for the long haul. That means investing in the next generation, and backing candidates who are ready to grow into long-term representatives.
We need to be creating a genuine pathway for Young Conservatives: not just knocking on doors, but stepping up into leadership, standing as candidates, and representing their communities. Nothing motivates Young People more than the fact that what they’re doing can lead to something, the opportunity to progress in the party, in politics, the opportunity to run for election.
The last election was a brutal reminder of where we are. But it was also a clear signpost of where we could go, if we’re willing to change, invest in our young people, and build something that lasts beyond the next cycle.
conservativehome.com (Article Sourced Website)
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