Former Lord Mayor Councillor Terri Beer has thrown her weight behind Plymouth's mayoral referendum, citing a culture of "bullying" and backroom deals that she says denies Plymouth residents a real voice in their city's leadership.
Speaking to Plymouth Plus about the July 17th referendum, Cllr Beer's support comes with the authority of someone who's experienced the city's political machinery from the inside - and bravely walked away from it, whilst putting her residents at the heart of her role.
"I fully support the request for a referendum," Cllr Beer confirms. "Residents have signed the petition, and we as elected representatives should listen and act."
Her backing of the referendum, triggered by 10,856 Plymouth residents, carries particular weight given her dramatic exit from the Conservative Party in March 2022, when she accused the leadership of "bullying" and claimed then-leader Nick Kelly had been "mentally tortured by certain members."
At the time, she became Plymouth's first Independent Lord Mayor, presiding over the very council chamber where she'd witnessed what she described as systematic intimidation. Cllr Beer declared:
"Residents are fed up with the main political groups and it's right they should get a say in who leads the City."
Now, Cllr Beer is lifting the lid on how Plymouth's leadership is really chosen:
"Residents in Plymouth need to know that I don't get a say on who the leader and cabinet are. It's forced on us by the main two political groups."
The independent councillor, who represents Plympton Erle ward, paints a picture of democracy subverted by party machinery:
"They say they follow due process but what that means is they cook up a decision to make you think it was fair in their group rooms before a meeting. The whips are always on."
Party whips - the enforcers of party discipline - feature heavily in Cllr Beer's critique.
Politics Desk
"If you don't comply the whip is removed to isolate and intimidate you," she explains, speaking from personal experience. "I'm not governed by a whip so I can't be bullied or tormented by those groups no matter how much they try. I stand up to the bullying."
Cllr Beer's journey from party insider to independent voice reflects a striking pattern at Plymouth City Council. She is now one of nine councillors who defected from the two main parties to become Independents. Six former Conservatives now sit as Independents: Cllr Beer herself, Steve Ricketts, Sally Nicholson, Patrick Nicholson, Andrea Loveridge, and Maddi Bridgeman.
In a dramatic development, Labour has now suffered three councillor defections in just one week. Last week, Carol Ney and Dylan Tippetts resigned from the party, and today Zoe Reilly followed suit - all three now sit as Independents, dealing a significant blow to Labour's reputation and raising serious questions about Plymouth Labour Leader Tudor Evans' authority.
The defections come at an awkward time for Labour nationally, as the party faces mounting claims from long-standing members of abandoning its core values and traditional principles.
In her 2022 resignation statement, Cllr Beer warned about "unelected chair persons not from South West Devon" running the local Conservatives, denying "brilliant and well experienced people" the opportunity to serve because "their face didn't fit."
This experience appears to have crystallised her support for direct democracy. "There is no fairness, it's Labour or Conservative and no one else gets a chance," she states bluntly about the current system.
The mayoral referendum offers Plymouth voters a stark choice: continue with the current leader and cabinet model, where party groups select the leadership behind closed doors, or move to a directly elected leader accountable to all residents.
For Cllr Beer, who earned cross-party respect during her term as Lord Mayor - receiving praise from both former Conservative leader Nick Kelly and Labour leader Tudor Evans - the choice is clear. "I will listen to my residents and act with the majority view," she promises.
Her support adds significant momentum to the 'Yes' campaign, particularly given her unique perspective as both a former party insider and the city's first Independent Lord Mayor. Having witnessed what she calls "questionable things" within the party system, Beer now champions a model where power flows directly from voters to leader.
Plymouth, a city steeped in political history and democratic firsts where Nancy Astor made history as the first woman MP to take her seat in Parliament, now faces another potentially historic moment. Just as Astor broke barriers in 1919, will Plymouth's voters once again make history by breaking free from what Cllr Beer describes as a failing political system?
As Plymouth approaches this historic vote, Cllr Beer's voice carries the weight of experience - someone who's seen the current system from the inside and concluded it needs fundamental reform. Her message to voters is simple: it's time for people power to replace party politics in Plymouth, and perhaps make history once again.
Plymouth Plus has contacted all current Independent Plymouth councillors for their views on the mayoral referendum. Responses received will be published in due course.
Sign up for free below to get notified with all the latest breaking news from Plymouth Plus.
