UK retiree re-elected to town council in south of France

A British woman has spoken of her delight at being re-elected to her local council, six years after stepping down due to Brexit.

Retiree Karen Blakemore, 65, has had dual nationality since 2020, but the confirmation came a week too late for her to stand in the election in March.

It meant she lost her seat in Saint-Merd-de-Lapleau in Corrèze six years after her first election in 2014 shortly after she and husband Tim came to France in 2013.

She has been welcomed back with open arms, including by re-elected mayor Marion Guichon, who was also mayor during her first mandate - and has been appointed second adjointe (deputy).

The Connexion first spoke to Mrs Blakemore in autumn 2018, shortly after she applied for nationality. She said at the time she had always planned to apply, but the situation had made her concentrate her efforts.

She said: “I have to admit in 2020, having campaigned with the mayor that I'd worked with for six years during 2014-20, I was so disappointed, as indeed were many people in the commune, to see that my nationality was a week too late.

“Everyone had been asking if I was going to present myself again – I said of course I am!”

Having to drop out also presented a problem with there being enough names on the list, though a volunteer was found at the last minute, she said.

“For our commune, which is less than a thousand people, our current team is 11 councillors and two in reserve, in case anyone resigns or dies. 

"And as of this year there are rules on gender parity too, but that wasn’t a complication for us, thankfully. So, we've got a fabulous team of 13 and we're all very enthusiastic to get started.”

It was agreed with Ms Guichon a year ago that she would be on the list, she said. “She said ‘would you like to?’ And I said I can’t wait, I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

In the village there was only one list, and only one round. Her main responsibilities will include communication: such as a newsletter, events, culture and heritage. 

She is also looking forward to organising clearing overgrown communal footpaths, to recreate a circular walk around the area, and returning to her old role keeping records of who is on the electoral register.

“We are having a new salle polyculturelle built and I'm looking forward to bringing together all the multi-generations of people that we've got for social and cultural activities. We’ve got a very wide spread, from babies right through to a 91-year-old.”

Mrs Blakemore added: “The other councillors congratulated me and when I went out in the village the week after the election strangers came up to me, who had seen my photograph in our local paper. We're in a very small community and word gets around.”

Mrs Blakemore was formerly a university administrator in the UK.

She has never felt treated differently due to her British nationality, but the couple were initially a “novelty” as the only Britons, and some people affectionately call her la petite anglaise.

Ms Guichon said: “We lived through that difficult period with her - it was sad and complicated and we tried to do what we could to help, but there wasn’t enough time. 

"She’s very committed and really wanted to make herself useful. Her professional experience is also a plus as is the fact she speaks English, but it’s her personality and the person she is that really makes the difference.”