Tudor Evans

Tudor Evans is a British Labour Co-op 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 has previously served as leader of the council from 1998 to 2000, 2003 to 2007, 2012 to 2016, and 2018 to 2021.

From 2022 to 2024 he was a member of the Labour Party's governing body, the National Executive Committee

Early life

Evans was born in Ebbw Vale in Wales. He moved to Plymouth as an undergraduate, studying environmental science. He was a director of a co-operative printing company for thirteen years, and works as a local government consultant. He was subsequently elected as a councillor to Ham ward in 1988, a seat he has held ever since.

After the 1998 local election, the Labour group leader John Ingham stood down, having led the council for seven years. Evans put himself forward as a candidate lead the Labour group against fellow councillors Chris Mavin and David Millar. Evans was elected, saying he wanted to prioritise investment, jobs and the tourism industry. 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. He said he was not opposed to the incinerator, but to the planned location. In 2013, the council established an energy co-operative called Plymouth Energy Community. In 2014, he was a signatory to an open letter to The Observer calling for an end to cuts to local government. He advocated for Plymouth to be included in a national policy of compensation for businesses affected by flooding.

The party lost control after the 2015 election, which left the council under no overall control. Evans initially remained council leader. 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.

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. Evans opposed plans to merge Devon and Cornwall Police with Dorset Police. Labour lost the 2021 council election, and Evans was replaced by the Conservative councillor Nick Kelly as council leader.

In 2022, Evans successfully ran for a position on the Labour Party National Executive Committee as a Councillor representative. He did not run for re-election in 2024.

Labour regained control of the council in the 2023 council election. Evans returned as council leader. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to politics and local government in January 2016.

Elections contested Date Council Ward Party Votes % votes Place Ref 1987 Plymouth City Council Mount Gould Labour 911 22.4 (party) 7th 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