An MP has denied accusations that he took money from a developer planning to build 700 homes in Exmouth. David Reed, the MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, said the claim was untrue and told critics: "I play by the rules."
Reed was this week accused of taking a bung from the developer behind Exmo_20, which is proposing to build St John's Woodland Village on the edge of the town. The accusation came from district councillor Charlotte FitzGerald, who has been selected by the Liberal Democrats to stand against Reed at the next general election. She said Reed muscled in to arrange and chair a public meeting with the developer, and questioned his impartiality over a £5,000 donation made in 2024 before he was elected.
FitzGerald said she was "appalled" that Reed accepted cash from the developer and failed to tell residents of the link. Reed denied any wrongdoing, said the donation had been made public at the time, and accused FitzGerald of "spreading mistruths."
He said: "It's very sad to see that Cllr Fitzgerald has started her tenure as the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Exmouth and Exeter East by spreading mistruths. Honesty and integrity are core principles for anyone in public life, and she has chosen to abandon both. However, I'm not surprised by someone who stood as an independent candidate in the election only to quickly switch to the Lib Dems once elected."
He added: "Cllr Fitzgerald has claimed that, after the general election, I personally accepted thousands of pounds from a developer. This claim is 100 per cent untrue."
Reed also said: "I play by the rules. It's essential that our politicians do so, so that we can have trust in the system."
FitzGerald attacked Reed's integrity after he invited her onto the panel at his Exmo_20 meeting on September 24, alongside the developer keen to build 700 homes on a site near St John's Road. She criticised his move to hold the public meeting and cast doubt on his ability to remain impartial, claiming he had hushed up the developer's £5,000 donation. She feared the donation could cloud his decision making and that he would "muddy the waters" if the meeting went ahead.
Reed confirmed the Conservative Association received a donation before he was elected in 2024, which was made public at the time. He said: "As per the rules, I made public that the Conservative Association received a donation prior to me being elected. I did not want there to be any risk of impropriety, and making this public was essential."
Reed said he called the public
Exmouth MP Denies Developer Cash Claim, Says He Plays by Rules