Name: David Thomas
Current Position: Leader, Torbay Council (since May 2023)
Ward: Councillor for Preston Ward, Torbay Council
Political Career
- Leader, Torbay Council
May 2023 – present- Elected Leader following 2023 local elections and Conservative group success.
- Leads the Council’s policy direction, budget setting and engagement with regional partners.
- Councillor, Preston Ward (Torbay Council)
Dates not fully published; serving as of 2025- Represents Preston ward residents.
- Member of Conservative Group; previous group leader roles documented in council minutes.
Professional / External Roles
- Past directorships noted on Companies House (e.g. Red 1 Devon & Somerset Community Interest Company). Dates available from Companies House.
Notable Responsibilities
- Oversight of council strategy on regeneration, finance and devolution.
- Public spokesperson on local government reorganisation (LGR) and budget consultations.
- Register of Interests updated 2 Apr 2025 (Torbay Council website).
Education & Career Background
- No detailed public record beyond political career; additional early career details not published.
Skills & Experience
- Political leadership and governance in a unitary authority.
- Stakeholder engagement, media relations, group leadership.
- Experience in regional collaboration and local authority finance discussions.
David (“Dave”) Thomas — Full chronology (documented)
Sources are council minutes and published investigation reports plus council profiles and local press; key investigatory documents are linked after entries.
Pre-2023 (background)
- Councillor — Preston ward — David Thomas is a serving councillor (profile and register pages list his role representing Preston ward). See Torbay Council councillor profile pages.
2022 — Formal complaints & investigation
- April 2022 — Two complaints were made covering an incident involving David Thomas: one complaint by six councillors and a second by an officer (Director of Place). Amanda Barlow (Monitoring Officer) appointed an external investigator (C A Jones & Associates Ltd / investigator page shows the April 2022 investigation report). The Council published Issued Final April 22 — Cllr David Thomas (investigation report) as part of Standards / Hearing Sub-Committee papers. This is the formal investigatory record detailing allegations, evidence and the investigator’s findings. Torbay Council+1
May 2023 — Election & leadership
- 4 May 2023 (local election period) — Local elections produced a political change; Conservative group activity and reporting note the party’s success and subsequent selection of David Thomas as Leader. (Local Conservative pages and council minutes reflect the change.) David Thomas elected Leader of Torbay Council in May 2023 (formal leader appointment recorded in council minutes/press). South Devon
2023–2025 — Leader duties, public-facing actions and register
- 2023–2025 — As Leader he has fronted devolution / LGR discussions, council consultations and communications on regeneration and local services; local press and council posts record his statements and leader-level duties. These public communications have been the locus of normal political criticism from opposition and residents. Facebook+1
- 2 Apr 2025 — Councillor David Thomas register of interests entry published on Torbay Council site (register page updated 2 April 2025). This is the public register of interests for the councillor. Torbay Council
Notable governance / investigation points (explicitly documented)
- April 2022 investigation report — The Council’s Complaints against Councillor David Thomas report (C A Jones & Associates Ltd) is the formal investigatory document. It records two complaints (six councillors and an officer), sets out witness list, evidence and the investigator’s findings. It is the authoritative public record for those standards complaints; read the published report to see conclusions and any recommended actions. Torbay Council+1
- Political criticism / media / social commentary — Local press, social media and opinion pieces include criticism of his leadership (typical in political life). These are public sentiment and political commentary and should be treated as such rather than formal findings. Examples are Torbay Weekly social posts and local opinion pieces reacting to leader statements. Facebook