Claire Wright, the only credible alternative to Hugo Swire has not only made this pledge she has actively campaigned as Devon County Councillor to scrap it and start again with a clean sheet and full public and health service input.
Hugo Swire, who voted for the Health and Social Care Act 2012 that inevitably leads to cuts and privatisation has not. He still channels Jeremy Hunt and witters on about the “elastic” £10 billion for the NHS.
Claire Wright
Manifesto Launch Q&A –
Thursday 18 May,
7.30pm.
Sidmouth College Main Hall.
Press release:
“A closely fought election contest is underway in East Devon where the Conservative candidate is being hard pressed by an Independent County Councillor who could cause an upset.
The latest betting odds from William Hill show Claire at 9/2, placing her as the main opposition candidate to beat the Conservatives who have held the seat since it was created in 1997 being hard pressed by an Independent County Councillor who could cause an upset.
The latest betting odds from William Hill show Claire at 9/2, placing her as the main opposition candidate to beat the Conservatives who have held the seat since it was created in 1997.
A spokesman for William Hill said:
“We see Claire Wright as the official opposition in that constituency. It’s a head to head contest between her and the Conservatives and the odds reflect that.”
The Devon East constituency includes the towns of Exmouth, Sidmouth and parts of Exeter. Now County Councillor Claire Wright is fighting hard to become its first independent MP. In the 2015 General Election Mrs Wright came second, with a 24 per cent share, outperforming Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
Mrs Wright says she was motivated to stand because of strong local feeling that the government is ignoring people’s concerns. Mrs Wright says:
“People are telling me that they are angry and frustrated with the current government’s policies. East Devon residents are looking for someone different, someone who will work solely for them without being tied to a political party.
“As a direct result of this government’s policies local NHS provision is under threat, education budgets face massive shortfalls, local businesses will suffer hikes in business rates, local council services have diminished under massive government cuts – and national debt has actually increased.
“As well as this there are real fears of a damaging hard Brexit if the Conservative government is re-elected with a substantial majority, as is predicted.
“In 2015, although a long-standing and hard-working local councillor, I was a parliamentary newcomer. Now I have a track record that shows how local people are prepared to back me. I am the only candidate who can win this seat from the Conservatives.
“I am calling on everyone in this constituency from the youngest to the oldest voter to join in a campaign based on progressive values to return me as their MP.
“As an Independent MP I would be free from the party whip and I would campaign on the issues that local people tell me are important to them. I would be free to speak and free to act. I can campaign on the issues that local people tell me are important to them.
“If every resident who would like to see change in East Devon votes for me, history can be made in East Devon.”
Facebook post from Nick Harvey, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate in North Devon:
“LOCAL NHS PLUNGED INTO CRISIS –
HARVEY CALLS ON NHS ENGLAND TO COME CLEAN ON THEIR PLANS
News release
11 May 2017
Contact: 012710375317
North Devon Lib Dem candidate NICK HARVEY has written to Simon Stevens – head of NHS England – calling on him to make a statement about the future of NHS services in Devon.
The respected Health Service Journal is reporting a that in a shock move, NHS England is to take over Devon CCG as it goes bust. North East and West (NEW) Devon CCG must produce emergency savings in Devon’s health services by Friday (12 May) or face having it done to them.
The CCG is ending the year with a worse than expected £42 million deficit. The CCG’s cumulative deficit since 2013-14 now stands at £120m.
“What has been the point of the Sustainability & Transformation Plan and the ludicrously ill-named Success Regime if this is the end product?” asks Nick Harvey. “It is no surprise that NHS managers couldn’t identify further savings without having a severe impact on patient care.”
“Now we are warned Devon could become subject to a new ‘capped expenditure process’ which sounds extremely ominous.”
“We should be clear that the blame for this crisis lies squarely with the Government. They have not given the NHS the funds they promised in the 2015 election, and that has plunged us into this mess.
“Local MPs have been much too willing to wring their hands from the sidelines, instead of tackling their own ministers on the headline politics.
“If a modest tax rise for all of us is the price of rescuing the NHS, so be it. I’m prepared to pay and so are most people I talk to.
“There is no point clearing the deficit in a hurry if we wreck vital national services like the NHS in the process.
“Devon needs to elect MPs who will fight this battle. June 8th offers them that chance.”
In East Devon, this HAS to be Claire Wright.
Special Q and A evening
Hosted by Claire Wright
Independent Parliamentary Candidate For East Devon
21 May 2017
7 pm – 9 pm
The Grapevine Brewhouse, 2 Victoria Road, Exmouth
“Claire to stand for East Devon seat
Since the snap election was announced I have been inspired by hundreds of emails and calls urging me to stand and offering help. Following my decisive win in the county council elections, I have decided to say YES to my army of supporters by once again challenging the sitting Conservative MP.
In the 2015 parliamentary election I came second, with a 24 per cent share of the vote – more than Labour and the Lib Dems combined.
People are telling me that they are angry and frustrated with the current government’s policies. East Devon residents are looking for someone different, someone who will work solely for them, without being tied to a political party.
As a direct result of this government’s policies local NHS provision is under threat, education budgets face massive shortfalls, local businesses will suffer hikes in business rates, local council services have diminished under massive government cuts – and national debt has actually increased.
As well as this there are real fears of a damaging hard Brexit if the Conservative government is re-elected with a substantial majority, as is predicted.
In 2015, although a long-standing and hard-working local councillor, I was a parliamentary newcomer.
Now I have a track record that shows how local people are prepared to back me. I am the only candidate who can win this seat from the Conservative MP.
I am calling on everyone in this constituency from the youngest to the oldest voter to join in a campaign based on progressive values and to return me as their MP.
As an Independent MP I would be free from the party whip and I would campaign on the issues that local people tell me are important to them. I would be free to speak and free to act.
If every resident who would like to see change in East Devon votes for me, history can be made in East Devon.”
Does anyone else find it ironic that Tory candidates are saying that they will “fight for” local hospitals, fairer funding for schools and our precious environment when it is THEIR party that brought the CCG’s that are already cutting beds by stealth, the unfair school funding and which wants to loosen environmental regulations as soon as possible to enable more building on green fields and who are trying to stop frightening air pollution figures being published?
The Tory battle cry seems to be:
“What do we want?”
“No bed cuts, fairer funding for schools and a healthy environment!”
“When do we want it?”
“Er, whenever Mrs May says we can have it, pretty please?”
“When will it be?
“Brexit means Brexit!”
Have fun with that one – and if you vote for the Tories in Devon just hope you, your children and grandchildren can afford a private education and health care and never need to go to an NHS A and E or GP – or breathe the air in our towns, cities and countryside – tall order!
We need a credible opposition at DCC to fight for us. Claire Wright has done a magnificent job fighting for our schools, our hospitals and our environment at DCC – but could do even more with an army of like-minded councillors alongside her whose battle cry would be:
“What do we want?”
“Our fair share in a clean, green Devon”
“When do we want it?”
“When our voters empower us to get it”
“When will it be”?
“When you vote Independent on 4 May!”
“Devon County Council yesterday, voted in favour of my motion on sending a strong message to central government that nature MUST have at least the same level of protection after we leave the European Union.
Only one councillor voted against the motion, which is below.
Devon is thought to be the first council to endorse such a motion in the country. …
and
“At their meeting this week, members of Devon County Council backed a motion by Claire Wright, Independent councillor for Ottery St Mary, asking for retention of at least the same level of protection for wildlife and environment, as provided by EU law. …
… Only one councillor voted against the motion – Cllr Richard Hosking of Yealmpton – who said the EU habitats regulations had “very many shortcomings”. Great crested newts were either “very successful at parachuting into every environmental impact assessment I have seen, or they are much more prevalent than their protection suggests”, Cllr Hosking said.”
““An Exeter Tory election candidate has been forced to apologise on social media for a series of shocking and offensive messages he sent from his Twitter account.
Aric Gilinsky, candidate for St David’s & Haven Banks in next week’s county council elections, made several inappropriate remarks in 2011 concerning members of the Catholic Church and other Twitter users, including one he branded ‘some nutter feminist bitch.'”
Well, at least he didn’t suggest a cull of councillors … THAT remark led to EDDC Tory Phil Twiss reporting Claire Wright to the police – even though his Leader used exactly the same words in an article in the Daily Telegraph:
No such worries for THIS candidate – he just has to apologise and all is forgiven.
Phil Twiss is hoping to follow in the footsteps of disgraced fellow Tory Graham Brown, and latterly independent councillor Claire Wright to represent the ward of Feniton and Honiton in the forthcoming County Council elections.
Leaflets currently adding to EDDC’s recycling efforts include a testimonial from MP Neil Parish that “Phil will be an asset in a number of matters, such as helping positively to continue with the work put together, to make Feniton more secure from flooding”.
Strangely there seems to be no room to acknowledge Graham Brown’s inability to get a flood scheme going for Feniton, Claire Wright’s dogged success in ensuring that the scheme was not forgotten, and independent District Councillor Susie Bond’s determination and success in getting the £1.6m programme implemented. Not to mention Susie Bond’s tireless work as a flood warden and information broadcaster each time danger has struck the village.
Any “continuation” is totally down to the efforts of these two ladies.
Whether Mr Twiss is willing to acknowledge their contribution on the stump remains to be seen.
Readers will recall it was Mr Twiss who, in 2014, took offence at a metaphor on Ms Wright’s blog about the need to “cull” Conservatives in East Devon.
Police subsequently declined to investigate. Hardly surprising since Conservative Leader David Cameron used the word in exactly the same sense in 2012:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/sep/04/david-cameron-cabinet-reshuffle-deliver
Truth or post-truth in Feniton’s election?
An army of helpers are required if I am to run as a parliamentary candidate again!
I am seriously considering putting my hat in the ring as an Independent candidate in the 8 June General Election.
I have been for many years, deeply concerned at this government’s attitude towards public services, especially the NHS, social care and education, all of which are underfunded and hugely struggling, especially in Devon.
Devon County Council has seen over half its budgets disappear due to austerity measures. Many services have been cut back, or lost as a result.
I am also concerned about the effect of Brexit on the vast amount of land and species currently highly protected under EU legislation. This is at risk of not being properly protected as we leave the EU.
In Devon alone, there are 122 sites across 115,000 hectares, including at Woodbury and Aylesbeare Commons.
The transfer of this EU legislation to UK law needs carefully monitoring.
Since Tuesday morning I have received hundreds of messages of support and offers of help if I decide to run again, which has been touching and inspiring. This has forced me to consider my options carefully.
To run a successful campaign at such short notice, however, I need an army of leafleters and helpers.
If enough people come forward to offer practical help, I will be able to run.
If you are able to help, please contact me at
claire@claire-wright.org
stating relevant skills you have and how you can help.
Thank you.
If so, Tories or UKIP will undoubtedly satisfy you.
However, if you are equally (or more) concerned about the underfunding of the NHS, school, adult social care and child services, non-existent affordable housing, then that will not be the party for you.
Think carefully. Brexit will go ahead however you vote, underfunding of local services (and the constant financing of vanity projects) will continue if you vote Conservative and they form a majority government.
What to do if you value local services and an MP who will (a) be here and (b) fight these cuts is: in a safe or marginal seat which a Conservative might win – vote for whoever is most likely to come second, except UKIP, whose local policies veer between the very vague and the crazy – in Somerset a UKIP county candidate believes all problems in the NHS are caused by having too many women doctors and he has not been contradicted or thrown out by their national party.
In East Devon this is certainly local Independent Claire Wright ( presuming she stands again); in Honiton and Tiverton it is, perhaps surprisingly, Labour, though much depends on who else stands there in June.
You really do have one chance this year to make local issues count.
We are in the difficult situation in that neither of our MPs – Swire and Parish – have homes in the constituencies they represent. Swire has his second home in Mid-Devon and Parish has his farm in Somerset.
We must assume that Swire’s main home is in London, as he travels widely for his extra jobs and his wife works for him at the Houses of Parliament where he pays her a salary of £35,000 (Parish also employs his wife to work for him there as a “junior secretary” on around £20,000).
Can an MP truly understand the needs of his or her constituency if he or she does not live there?
Should living in the constituency be a requirement of the job (though Swire says it isn’t a job, making it sound in his case as more of a hobby)?
Should the home in the constituency be automatically assessed for their expenses as their main home? This would mean that MPs would be more likely to rent in London – which would not only give them a better appreciation of the cost of living in the city but might also make it more likely that they would spend more time in their constituencies.
Should they have to put in minimum hours IN their constituencies? NOT having half a dozen quick photo opportunities on Fridays when Parliament doesn’t sit and they get away early for their weekend breaks.
Should they have to attend a minimum number of surgeries per month/year to qualify for their salaries and jobs?
Should they have zero-hours contracts? No work for the constituency, no MPs pay?
Of course, if we had a truly local MP such as Claire Wright – born, raised and living in the constituency, steeped in the day to day concerns such as local hospitals, education and social care and with a daughter at school here – it wouldn’t be such a problem.
Venner’s earlier remarks here:
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2017/04/06/tory-dcc-candidate-in-ottery-thinks-hospital-closure-is-progress-and-it-was-just-a-geriatric-home/
Swire’s agreement here:
So, if you think it is positive and right to close your community hospital because it’s just a “geriatric home” – Venner and Swire are your (negative!) candidates and heaven help you when you.
It used to be that geriatric was defined as anyone over 60 – so Mr Swire is nearing that age and Mr Venner looks like he might qualify too – let’s hope neither of them finds the need for NHS geriatric care any time soon as, given local NHS plans, there won’t be any – though, of course, there will be luxury geriatric care for those who can afford it (perhaps at the Knowle in Sidmouth)!
Meanwhile remember that Independent candidate Claire Wright has campaigned tirelessly for a better, more secure NHS, wants to protect your environment – and isn’t geriatric but is willing to fight for anyone in that corner too!
And this information might be helpful for Messrs Swire and Venner:
“Data gathered by the charity Skills for Care, shows that in 2015-16 there were more than 1.3 million people employed in the adult social care sector in England.
Analysing the data, BBC News has found that:
An estimated 338,520 adult social care workers left their roles in 2015-16. That is equivalent to 928 people leaving their job every day.
60% of those leaving a job left working in the adult social care sector altogether
The average full-time frontline care worker earned £7.69 an hour, or £14,800 a year.
One in every four social care workers was employed on a zero hours contract.
There was an estimated shortage of 84,320 care workers, meaning around one in every 20 care roles remained vacant.”
East Devon Watch 