Long-time Plymouth Labour leader Tudor Evans to step down in 2027
Evans cites health and family as priorities after political career spanning 38 years
Five times leader of Plymouth City Council and huge political force in the Labour party Tudor Evans has announced he will be standing down at next year’s elections.
After 38 years in politics he said he had made the decision “after much consideration” and it was time to “put my health and family first” following two health scares over the last three years.
The news comes off the back of a recent exclusive interview with the local democracy reporting service and The Herald in which Cllr Evans said he had submitted his nomination papers to stand for election and did not intend on retiring any time soon.
He said on Tuesday: “After much consideration I have decided that I will not be seeking re-selection in Ham Ward ahead of next May’s local elections.
“In the past three years I have had two extended stays in hospital and I think now is the time to put my health and my family first.
“By the time I retire next May I will have served 39 years as a Labour and Co operative councillor in Ham Ward and spent 29 of those years as leader of the Labour Group on Plymouth City Council.
“This is obviously not a decision that I have taken lightly and it comes after much reflection on all the Labour Party has achieved for Plymouth over the past four decades.”
He referred to The Box, Drake Circus, The Barcode, the UK’s first National Marine Park, Armada Way’s regeneration and the transformation of North Prospect as just some of the highlights.
“I will, of course, be sad to leave the council in 2027 but I am looking forward to more time with the grandchildren and with my partner Jane, whose constant advice and support has made such a huge contribution to my success in this role.
“I want to finish by thanking the people of Ham who have elected me 11 times in a row. They have given me an extraordinary opportunity to represent them in the council chamber, I will be forever grateful for the faith they have repeatedly placed in me.
Cllr Evans came to Plymouth from South Wales as a university student in the 1980s and fell in love with the city, entering local politics at the age of 28 after learning the ropes of public speaking through the Student Union, volunteering at a social action centre and being an active member of the local Labour party.
He fought off the SDP to win a seat on the council against the odds in 1988, ten years later he was made leader and since then has led the council on five occasions and been in opposition four times.
Cllr Evans has been at the forefront of a new era in Plymouth marking the regeneration of the city, with billions of pounds coming into the dockyard and plans for 10,000 homes.
A grandfather six times over, he said he was immensely proud that the unemployment level in the city was now below the national average
“The opportunities in the next 20 years are going to be pivotal.” he said.
Cllr Evans will remain leader until the elections in May 2027 when he will stand down.