Category Archives: Claire Wright

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2 Nov 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, General Election, Hugo Swire

“Independent candidate Claire Wright hopes to end 150 years of Conservative rule in East Devon”

“I hope that the election in East Devon will reflect the mood of the nation in that my opponents will be respectful and polite when challenging me and I in turn, also pledge to operate in the same way.”

Devon County Councillor Claire Wright has confirmed that she will be standing in the upcoming December General Election.

The Independent councillor for the Otter Valley ward has twice stood for election to Parliament and on both occasions came second behind the Conservatives.

The incumbent MP, Sir Hugo Swire, has announced he will step down from his role, and Claire, confirming that she will stand, said that she hope that this time the East Devon constituency will finally break its 150 year Conservative rule.

There will be a general election on the December 12, which will be the first December election since 1923, and her campaign was launch at the Royal Beacon Hotel in Exmouth on Saturday afternoon.

Claire said she is excited that the countdown to what is being dubbed the most unpredictable and epic general election in living memory has started and is adamant she can change the course of political history in East Devon.

She said: “I’ve always been an Independent. I’ve always been elected because of my hard work and the way I stand up for people, not because of the party I’m from.

“It’s a complete myth that you need a party around you in the Commons. You don’t. It’s all about the person. The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas is probably one of the best known and effective MPs in the country.

“I’ve worked cross-party for the last 10 years to achieve a range of things and I’d be exactly the same if I was in Parliament.

“In 2015, I was an unknown. Now, after two campaigns, I can really challenge. I just think I can do so much good.

“There’s nothing certain about this election. National predictions don’t really apply to East Devon, because I am independent and the only viable alternative because I have a track record.

“I think I can attract voters from across the political spectrum. I’m a hard-working and effective councillor and will be a hard-working and effective MP. I know I can win.”

She added: “The last December election was almost 100 years ago, and campaigning is going to tough, with dark nights, cold and possibly pretty awful weather.

“But despite the challenges of leafleting and door knocking, last night the air of excitement was palpable and we sensed the enormity and potential of what we’re about to enter.

“I hope that this time the East Devon constituency could finally break its 150 year Conservative rule and see an Independent MP elected, whose manifesto is based on local people’s views and who intends to truly represent the people of East Devon, with no party whip to get in the way of that representation.

“This is my third general election. I have effectively been campaigning to be East Devon’s MP for six years, including over a year of preparation for this one. And who would have thought that in this election, in a supposedly safe Conservative seat, an election would have been called with no Conservative candidate.”

She added: “This time feels different. It has a different energy about it. I’ve been a councillor for a decade. And I’m a seasoned campaigner, having fought five elections (this is the sixth) since 2011 and once again, I have a strong, committed and extraordinarily motivated and hardworking team around me. I am also very fortunate to have a much wider team of hundreds of leafleters and door knockers.

“Independent candidate Claire Wright hopes to end 150 years of Conservative rule in East Devon
“I hope that the election in East Devon will reflect the mood of the nation in that my opponents will be respectful and polite when challenging me and I in turn, also pledge to operate in the same way.”

Devon County Councillor Claire Wright has confirmed that she will be standing in the upcoming December General Election.

The Independent councillor for the Otter Valley ward has twice stood for election to Parliament and on both occasions came second behind the Conservatives.

The incumbent MP, Sir Hugo Swire, has announced he will step down from his role, and Claire, confirming that she will stand, said that she hope that this time the East Devon constituency will finally break its 150 year Conservative rule.

There will be a general election on the December 12, which will be the first December election since 1923, and her campaign was launch at the Royal Beacon Hotel in Exmouth on Saturday afternoon.

Claire Wright and her election team
Claire Wright and her election team
Claire said she is excited that the countdown to what is being dubbed the most unpredictable and epic general election in living memory has started and is adamant she can change the course of political history in East Devon.

She said: “I’ve always been an Independent. I’ve always been elected because of my hard work and the way I stand up for people, not because of the party I’m from.

“It’s a complete myth that you need a party around you in the Commons. You don’t. It’s all about the person. The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas is probably one of the best known and effective MPs in the country.

“I’ve worked cross-party for the last 10 years to achieve a range of things and I’d be exactly the same if I was in Parliament.

“In 2015, I was an unknown. Now, after two campaigns, I can really challenge. I just think I can do so much good.

“There’s nothing certain about this election. National predictions don’t really apply to East Devon, because I am independent and the only viable alternative because I have a track record.

“I think I can attract voters from across the political spectrum. I’m a hard-working and effective councillor and will be a hard-working and effective MP. I know I can win.”

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She added: “The last December election was almost 100 years ago, and campaigning is going to tough, with dark nights, cold and possibly pretty awful weather.

“But despite the challenges of leafleting and door knocking, last night the air of excitement was palpable and we sensed the enormity and potential of what we’re about to enter.

“I hope that this time the East Devon constituency could finally break its 150 year Conservative rule and see an Independent MP elected, whose manifesto is based on local people’s views and who intends to truly represent the people of East Devon, with no party whip to get in the way of that representation.

“This is my third general election. I have effectively been campaigning to be East Devon’s MP for six years, including over a year of preparation for this one. And who would have thought that in this election, in a supposedly safe Conservative seat, an election would have been called with no Conservative candidate.”

Claire Wright
She added: “This time feels different. It has a different energy about it. I’ve been a councillor for a decade. And I’m a seasoned campaigner, having fought five elections (this is the sixth) since 2011 and once again, I have a strong, committed and extraordinarily motivated and hardworking team around me. I am also very fortunate to have a much wider team of hundreds of leafleters and door knockers.

Devon Community Insight Survey

Devon residents are being asked what matters most in a survey run by Devon County Council.

The Community Insight Survey asks about experiences of a range of services and the County Council’s strategic aims.

It also asks questions about Council Tax increases, community resources, if people have good access to green spaces, and if the council’s decision make sense.

A council spokesman said: “We are committed to building a Devon where everyone can live their lives well, and to do this we need to understand what matters most to you and where you experience difficulties. The results will be shared across services and used to inform budget decisions and how services are provided in future.”

The survey can be filled in online at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=gzehjWjLP0S7S5l_d_1b-3k2zoamfoJKgcKfgFq7GXBUQ0lXOFI1MVlPQkQ3N1Q0NUZPWFM1R1VENy4u

“I hope that the election in East Devon will reflect the mood of the nation in that my opponents will be respectful and polite when challenging me and I in turn, also pledge to operate in the same way.”

Former Independent MP Martin Bell OBE helped to launch her official General Election campaign on Saturday. Mr Bell, 81 who was Independent MP for Tatton (1997 – 2001) said: “I served as an Independent MP for four years and was privileged to represent the people not a party. Claire Wright will do the same. I am confident that she will be an outstanding MP.

Martin Bell
Martin Bell
“Claire Wright has forged a reputation as a formidable local government politician in Devon and I am in no doubt that she will do the same in the House of Commons.

“Contrary to popular misconception, independents do have a strong voice in parliament and, such is the current, mass disillusion with mainstream parties, their voice will only become louder.

“By supporting Claire, who has a proven track record of standing up for her constituents and instigating real change, the people of East Devon have, what is likely to be, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the future of politics in Devon, and indeed, the rest of the UK.”

East Devon has been a Conservative seat since the establishment of the constituency in 1997 and under previous boundaries as far back as 1868.

But she was the runner-up with more than 21,000 votes at the last General Election in 2017 and was the most successful Independent PPC in the country, by more than 10,000 votes.

A local politician of 10 years, Wright has a track record of overturning the odds.

In 2011, she won the seat from the Leader of East Devon District Council, Sara Randall Johnson which she’d held for a decade after 62 per cent of voters turned out to vote.

And in 2013 Wright won 74 per cent of the vote in the Devon County Council elections for the Otter Valley ward, taking over from Roger Giles who stood down after 20 years and winning the largest majority in the South West.

In the 2017 General Election, sitting Conservative MP Hugo Swire – who has been the MP for East Devon since 2001 and has announced that he is not standing again – won 48 per cent of the vote with Wright winning 35 per cent.

As of yet, no Conservative candidate for the seat has been announced, and the Conservative Party have been contacted for comment about who their candidate will be and when they will be selected.

Sir Hugo Swire
Announcing his decision to stand down, Hugo Swire, who has been the MP for the area since 2001, said: “My greatest privilege has been to serve my constituents, regardless of their political allegiance, I am truly grateful for consistently returning me at elections and will continue to serve them to the best of my ability until an election is called.”

In addition to Claire Wright, candidates have also been confirmed by the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/independent-candidate-claire-wright-hopes-3484074

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31 Oct 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, East Devon Tories, General Election, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, Voting

How to vote tactically in East Devon if you are a Remainer

Vote Lib Dem in Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish)

DO NOT VOTE LIB DEM IN EAST DEVON (Hugo Swire) – vote Claire Wright (Independent)

Tactical voting site says vote Lib Dem in Tiverton & Honiton constituency and Claire Wright, Independent, in East Devon

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30 Oct 2019

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Claire Wright

Claire Wright’s thoughts on the upcoming general election

Her election team – so YOUNG, so diverse – hurrah!

“The news broke last night when I was in one of my regular election campaign team meetings.

Subject to approval by the Lords, there will be a general election on the 12 December.

So we’ve started the countdown to what is being dubbed the most unpredictable and epic general election in living memory.

The last December election was almost 100 years ago, and campaigning is going to tough, with dark nights, cold and possibly pretty awful weather.

But despite the challenges of leafleting and door knocking, last night the air of excitement was palpable. We sensed the enormity and potential of what we’re about to enter.

An election that is alive with possibility. Anything could happen, according to polling experts, like Professor John Curtice.

The next six weeks are for us, stretch gloriously out, full of intense activity, inspiring interactions with others and above all, hope. Hope that this time the East Devon constituency could finally break its 150 year Conservative rule and see an Independent MP elected, whose manifesto is based on local people’s views and who intends to truly represent the people of East Devon, with no party whip to get in the way of that representation.

This is my third general election. I have effectively been campaigning to be East Devon’s MP for six years, including over a year of preparation for this one.

The preparation we’ve put into this campaign is in sharp contrast to the snap election of 2017 where I was completely taken by surprise by the announcement, which arrived in the middle of the Devon County Council elections.

I had to gather a team and funding at what felt like 100mph, while still campaigning to retain my county seat!

And who would have thought that in this election, in a supposedly safe Conservative seat, an election would have been called with no Conservative candidate! Sir Hugo Swire, of course has announced his intention to resign.

This time feels different. It has a different energy about it. I’ve been a councillor for a decade. And I’m a seasoned campaigner, having fought five elections (this is the sixth) since 2011 and once again, I have a strong, committed and extraordinarily motivated and hardworking team around me. I am also very fortunate to have a much wider team of hundreds of leafleters and door knockers.

That’s not to say we don’t need more though. We do!

I hope that the election in East Devon will reflect the mood of the nation in that my opponents will be respectful and polite when challenging me and I in turn, also pledge to operate in the same way.

I’m really looking forward to getting out there and meeting lots of you!

I’m signing off now. There’s much to do!

I can’t wait!

Pic: Here’s some of my core team last night a few moments after we heard the general election confirmed for the 12 December.”

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29 Oct 2019

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Claire Wright, East Devon Tories, General Election, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, Voting

“Professor John Curtice Makes Surprising Prediction For General Election 2019”

East Devon: be a trendsetter – elect Claire Wright – Independent!

“Professor John Curtice Makes Prediction On General Election 2019

The UK’s leading election expert Sir John Curtice told LBC he expects parties other than the two major ones to have a record number of MPs in the upcoming General Election.

The UK is expected to go to the polls on 12th December after Jeremy Corbyn told Labour MPs to back Boris Johnson’s proposal for an early General Election.

Sir John is the man who predicted Brexit and has been in charge of the accurate exit polls in the recent elections in 2015 and 2017.

And speaking to Shelagh Fogarty, he gave a surprising prediction of what we can expect.

He said: “I think the safest prediction is that we will have a record number of non-Conservative and non-Labour MPs in this parliament.

“The SNP look set to win the vast majority of seats in Scotland. The Liberal Democrats given their position in the polls should do extremely well. We expect Caroline Lucas and the Green Party to hang on to her seat.

“We could have more than 100 MPs that do not belong to either of the other two parties.

“That matters for two reasons. The first is that it makes it difficult for either Conservative or Labour to win an overall majority if you’re taking the fact that 100 of the seats are already spoken for.

“Secondly, it matters because this is an asymmetric election. It’s an election that Boris Johnson has to win. If he does not get a majority or something very close to it, he will not be able to stay in government because the Conservatives do not have any friends elsewhere.

“The Labour Party, by contrast, at least has the possibility of doing a deal with the SNP, a deal with the Liberal Democrats, getting support of the Greens and maybe even the DUP not standing in their way.

“Bear in mind, this is not an election that Labour have to win to stop Brexit, but it is an election that they and the other opposition parties simply need to deny the Conservatives a majority.”

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/shelagh-fogarty/professor-john-curtice-makes-surprising-prediction/

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29 Oct 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, East Devon Tories, General Election, Voting

Tactical voting – and how Claire Wright could be a VERY powerful MP!

“The major UK political parties go into the election with radically different positions on Brexit. In short:

A vote for the Conservative party is a vote to take Britain out of the EU.

A vote for the Labour Party is a vote to put any Brexit deal to a referendum, in which voters could vote to remain.

A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit.

A vote for the Brexit Party is a vote for a no-deal Brexit.”

https://www.insider.com/tactical-voting-guide-how-to-vote-tactically-2019-general-election-by-constituency-brexit-2019-10

AND A VOTE FOR CLAIRE WRIGHT (INDEPENDENT) IS A VOTE FOR EAST DEVON!

Claire Wright could be a powerful figure if elected to Parliament. She could be amongst a handful of MPs that could tip the balance in a hung parliament.

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11 Oct 2019

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Claire Wright, East Devon Tories, General Election, Hugo Swire, Tories, Voting

New Statesman: Tories very worried about Claire Wright in East Devon

“… Very few surprises in terms of the Labour-Conservative battlegrounds. But noteworthy is that – as is echoed privately by many Conservatives from the area – the government regards Claire Wright, of the independent campaign in East Devon, as a serious challenger for the seat. …”

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/elections/2019/10/where-boris-johnson-thinks-next-election-will-be-won-and-lost

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2 Oct 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Hugo Swire, NHS (local)

Swire making promises he can’t keep before he exits

Swire says the only community beds in his constituency that have closed may have a brighter future ahead.

This comes from a speech made by the Health Secretary at the Tory Party Conference about ALL community hospital beds in England, not just the one in his constituency. It was a very vague statement about cons “no further cuts”.

That’s as much as Owl will report on this except to say: seeing is believing, don’t believe any promises made at any party conference just before a possible election – and especially don’t take any notice of Swire, whose only job now is to sabotage the (excellent) chance of Claire Wright replacing him …

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1 Oct 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, East Devon Tories, Phil Twiss

Sky News headline brings back memories …

The headline:

“John Lewis culls top jobs with Waitrose management merger”

https://news.sky.com/story/john-lewis-culls-top-jobs-with-waitrose-management-merger-11824503

The memories:[

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/01/28/twissgate-londons-victoria-and-albert-museum-makes-claire-wright-famous-and-councillor-twiss-infamous/

and

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/12/19/cullgate-spreads-through-the-blogosphere/

and

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/11/28/councillor-twiss-gets-his-dictionary-in-a-twiss/

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26 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Democracy, East Devon Tories, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, Tories

How do you purge Parliament of the spreaders of hatred (and muck)?

If you found the language and behaviour used by Boris Johnson and his cronies objectionable, how do you object? How do you change things?

You can’t write to MPs Swire (retiring) or Parish as they will stick up for him.

You can’t write to most local, regional or national newspapers because they are his sycophantic mouthpieces. And the people who need to know it is objectionable and why don’t read newspapers critical of him.

You can demonstrate, but those demonstrations will be ignored or misrepresented.

Just one thing left – get a decent (and I mean decent) candidate to oppose him, make it a STRAIGHT fight between him and that candidate in his constituency and make every effort to persuade the voters there to

VOTE HIM OUT

Use the democratic processes he scorns and despises to oust him.

The same way a Tory candidate should be in a straight fight with Claire Wright in East Devon and even (hope beyond hope here) against Parish in Tiverton and Honiton.

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24 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Tories

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“Prime Minister should ‘apologise to the Queen’ and resign, says parliamentary candidate”

Owl says: Tories don’t apologise!

“Boris Johnson suspended – or ‘prorogued’ – Parliament for five weeks earlier this month.

Supreme Court judges have now said the move, which stopped MPs carrying out duties in the run-up to Brexit on 31 October, was unlawful.

Speaking to the Herald, Councillor Wright said: “The term ‘constitutional crisis’ has been used so often in recent months, associated with the actions of the Conservative government that it has ceased to have much impact – until today.

“Amazingly, we have almost come to expect that Boris Johnson’s Tory government will offend the practice of fair play, will not observe democratic traditions, and will not even respect the rule of law.

“But the Supreme Court ruling this morning is of a different magnitude.

“In a disastrous decision for the government and personally for the Prime Minister, eleven judges ruled unanimously, that suspending parliament was ‘unlawful, void and of no effect’.

“They said he had not put forward a reason, let alone a good reason, to shut down parliament, and stop it doing its proper job.”

“Boris Johnson’s actions in seeking to prorogue parliament go way beyond his kicking 21 moderate Tory MPs out of the party, and turning it into an extreme right wing group.

“Johnson has also been found guilty of misleading the Queen. It’s a rather squalid state of affairs when our Queen gets dragged into supporting the actions of our unscrupulous Prime Minister.

“The defiant Boris Johnson must now apologise to the Queen unreservedly, apologise to parliament unreservedly, apologise to the electorate unreservedly, and resign.”

Mike Gordon, professor of constitutional law at the University of Liverpool, has argued that the court decision raises the issue of what powers the monarch should hold and the need for the introduction of a law on prorogation.

He told the PA news agency that the Queen had been placed in a ‘no-win’ situation when asked to act on Mr Johnson’s advice.

“She’s in a no-win position here because of the nature of our constitutional monarchy,” Prof Gordon said.

“Convention says she has to comply with what the Government requires of her, but now she’s been told by the Supreme Court that what they told you to do was unlawful.

“But it would have been very difficult for her to challenge that advice at the time, and if she had that would have brought her into very difficult political territory.”

He added: “These are powers that probably, if we want to maintain the image of a monarch who is impartial and above politics, then this is probably not a power that such a figure can possess.”

The court’s ruling stated that it was ‘not suggested in these appeals that Her Majesty was other than obliged by constitutional convention to accept that advice’.

It added: “In the circumstances, we express no view on that matter.”

It also declares that is not known what discussions went on between Mr Johnson and the Queen when the PM telephoned the monarch at Balmoral at 6pm on Tuesday August 27 to formally advise prorogation.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on the ruling.”

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/calls-for-prime-minister-boris-johnson-to-apologise-to-his-queen-and-country-and-resign-1-6288301?

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23 Sep 2019

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Claire Wright

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Claire Wright asks for funds for parliamentary campaign

Message to supporters:

Dear Supporter
 
Once again I am preparing for an election – my third in four years – and this time the stakes are as high as they’ve ever been!
 
I’ve spent the last year preparing for a general election with my fantastic team, on the assumption there would be one caused by a likely Brexit impasse at some point. It now looks as though there will almost certainly be an election some time between November and the end of January.
 
I have been dismayed but unsurprised, by the government’s delaying and disingenuous approach under Theresa May’s leadership and appalled at Boris Johnson’s wrecking ball tactics.
 
I’m baffled as to how thinks he won’t break the law but will leave the EU on the 31 October, when there is now a law delaying our exit from the EU until 31 January!
 
And things are almost as turbulent here for me as they are in parliament!
 
You may be aware that on Thursday (12 September), Sir Hugo Swire announced he would be standing down at the next election, prompting speculation that he was worried that I would win.
 
This has got the media quite excited. And of course me and my team too!
 
Patrick Maguire, the political correspondent of the New Statesman tweeted in response to Sir Hugo’s announcement: “This is fascinating. Apart from North Down, East Devon is just about the only seat in the UK that could plausibly be won by an independent (in this case, anti-austerity councillor Claire Wright) at the next GE.”
 
On Monday (16 September), Ladbrokes bookmakers, commenting on polls predicting another hung parliament, tweeted: “Looks like @Jzadrozny and @clairewrightind will get to choose who the next prime minister is.”
 
This prompted this article from Devon Live, which made me laugh out loud… but it could be true!?
 
https://www.devonlive.com/news/how-independent-devon-councillor-could-hold-the-fate-of-the-country-in-her-hands
 
I’ve had dozens of offers of help and people wishing me luck. The anticipation is building and give or take a few tweaks, I stand ready to take my seat in parliament.
 
I attend meetings in Westminster with the Local Government Association quite regularly, which involves me walking past the Houses of Parliament. I never fail to experience the pull of wanting to be inside and fighting for the people of East Devon.
 
This time it seems the signs are right and everything is in place for a victory.  Third time lucky perhaps!
 
As you can imagine, the Conservatives will have a large reservoir of cash to use for the election and we always spend a fraction of what they spend.
 
You are receiving this letter as a supporter and/or volunteer who has helped me previously which I’m extremely grateful for. Requests for funding aren’t made lightly but as an Independent candidate I don’t have the financial backing of either trade unions or businesses to win this election hence this email.
 
The following gives an idea of what your funding will provide:
 
500 A4 Election Boards for gardens – £1,000
 
Printing of election manifesto £750
 
100 rosettes – £250
 
Any donations will help the possibility that I can win this vital election £10 £25 £50, or whatever you feel you can offer.

Finally, any sharing of my posts on social media (@ClaireWrightInd on Twitter and Claire Wright Independent Parliamentary Candidate for East Devon on Facebook) that you can do would be brilliant as this all has a huge impact on my profile  – and once I publish my manifesto, the likelihood of me getting elected.
 
With huge thanks and appreciation for your support.
 
Kindest regards
 

Claire”

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16 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, General Election, Hugo Swire, Voting

“How an Independent Devon councillor [Claire Wright] could hold the fate of the COUNTRY in her hands”

“Devon County Councillor Claire Wright could hold the fate of the country in her hands, bookmakers Ladbrokes are suggesting.

The Independent councillor for the Otter Valley ward has twice stood for election to Parliament and on both occasions came second behind the Conservatives.

But following Sir Hugo Swire announcing last week that he will be stepping down from his role as the MP for East Devon at the next election, Cllr Wright has declared that she will once again be standing. She is now the favourite to take over from Sir Hugo.

Flavible Politics, making projections based on a ComRes poll from September 12 have her winning the East Devon seat in their latest election predictions.

New Statesman political correspondent Patrick Maguire, had also said that apart from North Down, East Devon is just about the only seat in the UK that could plausibly be won by an independent.

Ladbrokes have set the odds on who will have the most seats after the next election at 10/11 for both a coalition of the Conservatives, DUP and the Brexit Party and a coalition of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and the Social Democratic and Labour Party, any elected Independents could determine who the next Prime Minister is.

Posting on Twitter, Ladbrokes said: “It looks like Jason Zadrozny and Claire Wright will get to choose who the next PM is.”

Cllr Jadrozny is the leader of Ashfield District Council, currently run by the Ashfield Independents.

Cllr Wright said on Twitter that she could handle the pressure and that if there is an election soon, she hopes to be East Devon’s MP.

She said: “Over the last three years the Conservatives have been focusing on two things. One to save the party from Nigel Farage and to do that they have basically turned the party into the Brexit Party. Secondly, they have been focusing on cutting public services.

“I see the damage that those austerity policies have done in my ward every single week. Party politics does seem to be broken. The two main parties are irretrievably split. The Conservatives in particular seem to be intent on self-destruction and I think Hugo Swire’s resignation is very much part of that.

“East Devon residents deserve someone who is not going to be tied to the party whip, who is not going to be chasing a ministerial career, but someone who is going to have one agenda only, and that is to put their views and needs above everything else.

“If there is an election in the next few weeks, I hope that I can be that MP.”

She said that the announcement that Mr Swire would not stand in the next election was a shock, but that she has been preparing with her team for a year and that they have recently ramped up their preparations.

Predicting a November election she said: “This will be my third election and my team and I are ready to build on the two previous elections.

“The momentum in 2017 and the excitement and energy was incredible – it felt then that I could win, and now we are that much further on.

“I was a serious threat. Brian May backed me before the last election as one of his ‘common decency’ election candidates.

“I think East Devon will be close whoever the Conservatives put forward. This is the Tory heartland. East Devon has been Conservative for 150 years. That’s what I’m up against. It’s a huge challenge.

“This will be my third general election and my manifesto will be based on a survey I carried out at the beginning of this year. Hundreds and hundreds of people filled out the survey and I feel confident I know the issues that people are concerned about in East Devon.

“The Conservatives have just been disastrous for the country – they have gone from one crisis to the next. It’s been like watching a slow car crash – and in the last few weeks it’s turned into absolute meltdown.

“The whole Tory agenda is simply about saving their own skin. The rhetoric seems to be about how they can out-Brexit the Brexit party and turn themselves into the new Brexit party.

“The things they should have been focusing on are public services and the environment. Devon County Council has lost £100m from its budget and all the people in Devon have lost out on services as a result of those cuts.”

Announcing his decision to stand down, Hugo Swire, who has been the MP for the area since 2001, said: “At a meeting earlier of the Executive if the East Devon Conservative Association I announced that I would not be standing for re-election as the Member of Parliament.

“It was my original intention to stand down in 2022, when the next general election was scheduled to be held.”

He continued: “I served in a number of different roles in opposition, including in the shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. In Government I was first appointed as Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office and then Minister of State in the Foreign Commonwealth Office.

“Whilst I was honoured to have been appointed to these roles, my greatest privilege has been to serve my constituents, regardless of their political allegiance, I am truly grateful for consistently returning me at elections and will continue to serve them to the best of my ability until an election is called.”

Reaffirming his support to Mr Johnson, he added: “We live in challenging political times, but I remain convinced that to bring the country back together we need to deliver on Brexit and I shall continue to support the Prime Minster and the Government in their endeavours.”

Bruce de Saram, chairman of East Devon Conservatives, said: “East Devon Conservatives would like to thank Hugo for his outstanding work as our MP since 2001 and also his service as a Northern Ireland and Foreign Office Minister, where he developed a passion for the Commonwealth among his many other interests.

“Hugo rose to the challenge of being our MP, winning five general elections. He has continually challenged injustice with great passion and been very visible in the constituency, standing up for local residents.

“We are very sorry to say goodbye to him and wish him well for the future.

“We will now begin a process to select a candidate to build on Hugo’s excellent work.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/how-independent-devon-councillor-could-3324854

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13 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Hugo Swire, Tories

“All eyes on Devon independent politician Claire Wright ahead of pending General Election”

Owl says: it would be tragic if other mainstream parties put up candidates against her which might bring a Tory back to power.

“National political pundits are predicting that independent Devon politician Claire Wright could be about to make history.

It comes after last night’s shock announcement that East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire will not stand in the looming General Election. The Conservative saw his majority dwindle in the 2017 General Election after a serious challenge from independent candidate Ms Wright, who came a close second in the traditional Tory heartland – she gained 36 per cent of the votes with 21,270 votes and Sir Hugo took 48 per cent with 29,306 votes.

New Statesman political correspondent Patrick Maguire, said: “This is fascinating. Apart from North Down, East Devon is just about the only seat in the UK that could plausibly be won by an independent (in this case anti-austerity councillor Clair Wright) at the next General Election.”

Historically very few seats in Parliament have ever been won by candidates with no political party backing.

Although there are currently 31 independents in Parliament, they were all elected as members of different political parties and have later quit.

Today the independent Devon County Councillor for Otter Valley admitted she was shocked when she heard Mr Swire’s announcement that he won’t stand in the upcoming General Election. She said: “I had heard a few rumours but I didn’t believe them. There were no signs – in fact he had been more active in recent weeks.

“I think he knew he would have a stiff challenge.

“I have been preparing with my team for a year and we have recently ramped up our preparations rather swiftly. Now I am excited.”

She has been aware that nationally political pundits have begun to watch her with interest. She said: “It’s always nice to get a tweet from a National journalist. I have noticed on my Twitter feed that national journalists have started following me recently.”

Predicting a November election she said: “This will be my third election and my team and I are ready to build on the two previous elections.

“The momentum in 2017 and the excitement and energy was incredible – it felt then that I could win, and now we are that much further on.

“I was a serious threat. Brian May backed me before the last election as one of his ‘common decency’ election candidates.

“I think East Devon will be close whoever the Conservatives put forward. This is the Tory heartland. East Devon has been Conservative for 150 years. That’s what I’m up against. It’s a huge challenge.

“This will be my third general election and my manifesto will be based on a survey I carried out at the beginning of this year. Hundreds and hundreds of people filled out the survey and I feel confident I know the issues that people are concerned about in East Devon.

“The Conservatives have just been disastrous for the country – they have gone from one crisis to the next. It’s been like watching a slow car crash – and in the last few weeks it’s turned into absolute meltdown.

“The whole Tory agenda is simply about saving their own skin. The rhetoric seems to be about how they can out-Brexit the Brexit party and turn themselves into the new Brexit party.

“The things they should have been focusing on are public services and the environment. Devon County Council has lost £100m from its budget and all the people in Devon have lost out on services as a result of those cuts.”

The anti-austerity councillor is also known for her strong stance on protecting the environment. She said she likes to be totally independent: “I like to plough my own furrow. I don’t want to have to answer to a party and told what my policies are.

Bruce de Saram, chairman of East Devon Conservatives, said: “East Devon Conservatives would like to thank Hugo for his outstanding work as our MP since 2001 and also his service as a Northern Ireland and Foreign Office Minister, where he developed a passion for the Commonwealth among his many other interests.

“Hugo rose to the challenge of being our MP, winning five general elections. He has continually challenged injustice with great passion and been very visible in the constituency, standing up for local residents.

“We are very sorry to say goodbye to him and wish him well for the future.

“We will now begin a process to select a candidate to build on Hugo’s excellent work.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/eyes-devon-independent-politician-claire-3316742

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13 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, General Election, Hugo Swire, Voting

Claire Wright on Swire, politics and East Devon

Looking forward to Swire’s better explanation of his reasons for standing down, given that he adores Boris and supports a hard Brexit.

Was there the suggestion he might be deselected?
Was he frit?
Does Boris have the (formerly safe, but not now) seat for one of his mates?
Is a local Tory polutico ready to make his or her mark?

Come on, Hugo – spill the beans!

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13 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, General Election, Hugo Swire

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Claire Wright responds to Hugo Swire standing down at next election

“Independent parliamentary contender Claire Wright has said tonight she ‘stands ready to take on the issues’ important to people in East Devon after a shock announcement from her long time political opponent East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire.

In a tweet sent out tonight the MP said he remained a supporter of Boris Johnson but will be standing down at the next General Election.

Nub News contacted Claire Wright, who came a close second in East Devon in the 2017 General Election, for her views on Sir Hugo’s announcement, she said:

“Party Politics is in turmoil. I stand ready to take on the issues that matter to people here in Devon East of health services straining to cope, underfunded schools and the irreparable damage to our environment under the watch of the current Conservative government which lurches from one crisis to another and has put narrow party political interest above the needs of local people.”

https://exmouth.nub.news/n/claire-wright-says-she-stands-ready-as-east-devon-mp-announces-departure?

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12 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Democracy, East Devon Tories, Voting

“Devon MP Hugo Swire will not stand in the next General Election”

Owl says: FRIT! FRIT! FRIT!

“The Member of Parliament for East Devon says he will not stand in the next general election.

Conservative MP Hugo Swire, who was first elected in 2000, insists that he will continue to support Prime Minister Boris Johnson but says he will not be standing for re-election.

Announcing his decision via social media this evening, he said: “At a meeting earlier this evening of the Executive if the East Devon Conservative Association I announced that I would not be standing for re-election as the Member of Parliament.

“It was my original intention to stand down in 2022, when the next general election was scheduled to be held.”

He continued: “I served in a number of different roles in opposition, including in the shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. In Government I was first appointed as Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office and then Minister of State in the Foreign Commonwealth Office.

“Whilst I was honoured to have been appointed to these roles, my greatest privilege has been to serve my constituents, regardless of their political allegiance, I am truly grateful for consistently returning me at elections and will continue to serve them to the best of my ability until an election is called.”

Reaffirming his support to Mr Johnson, he added: “We live in challenging political times, but I remain convinced that to bring the country back together we need to deliver on Brexit and I shall continue to support the Prime Minster and the Government in their endeavours.”

The announcement prompted quick reaction from the prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC) for East Devon.

Eleanor Rylance, for the Liberal Democrats, said: “Conservative chaos continues.”

And independent PPC Clair Wright simply posted a ghost emoji after Mr Swire shared his announcement on Twitter.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-mp-hugo-swire-not-3314246

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5 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Claire Wright, Democracy, General Election, Hugo Swire, Voting

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“Claire Wright is ‘ready for the fight’ if general election called”

“It’s been an extraordinary and unprecedented few weeks in politics.

A man without scruple is now our prime minister, aided and abetted by a reckless adviser and the most hardline rightwing cabinet we have ever seen in this country.

In practice this means selling the soul of our country and the union, by morphing into the Brexit Party.

Expelling 21 moderate Conservatives on Tuesday evening, including Winston Churchill’s grandson and father of the house, Ken Clarke, has meant that the transition of the Conservative Party into the Brexit Party is already complete.

It was clear from the moment he took office that Mr Johnson’s plan was for a general election, to drive through a no deal Brexit, yet to try and dupe the electorate into thinking he wanted an amended withdrawal agreement from the EU.

He already knew his request for removal of the Irish backstop was firmly opposed by both the Irish government and by default the EU on peace grounds.

But more staggering than anything else has been the determination with which this government has lied, duped, schemed and plotted to achieve its nefarious aims.

Boris Johnson seems to be a man without principle. He has one aim. Power.

We also have a chancellor who is claiming austerity is over following a decade of cuts and misery, imposed by his own Conservative government.

£100m stripped from Devon County Council alone, which has hit children, the poorest, elderly and disabled people and those who don’t have a voice more than anyone else. I’ve seen the impacts of austerity on residents in my ward and it’s deeply disturbing.

But now, despite a no deal Brexit firmly on the table and the economic hit the country will take – around five per cent at least and a potential recession – Sajid Javid has launched an opportunistic vote grabbing budget, which implies that the austerity agenda was never more than a decision for a government determined to shrink the welfare state.

East Devon’s MP Hugo Swire is at the very heart of this government, robustly defending every move Mr Johnson makes.

A passionate supporter of a no deal Brexit, Mr Swire is now the epitome of the newly formed hardline rightwing Conservative-Brexit Party.

So a general election looms. Where does this leave me? Well my team and I have been preparing for a year and are on standby for battle.

This will be my third general election in four years, from a platform of over 21,000 votes in 2017.

I’m ready for the fight to come and I’m ready to enter parliament as a new MP, filled with hope and a desire to work to my best ability on behalf of the people of the East Devon constituency.

For me, there will be no party whip, no wish for a highly paid ministerial position. Just working alongside like minded MPs, representing local people on the issues they tell me are most important to them. I can’t wait!”

It’s been an extraordinary and unprecedented few weeks in politics. A man without scruple is now our prime minister, aided and abetted by a reckless adviser and the most hardline rightwing cabinet we have ever seen in this country. In practice this means selling the soul of our country and the union, by morphing into the Brexit Party.

Expelling 21 moderate Conservatives on Tuesday evening, including Winston Churchill’s grandson and father of the house, Ken Clarke, has meant that the transition of the Conservative Party into the Brexit Party is already complete.

It was clear from the moment he took office that Mr Johnson’s plan was for a general election, to drive through a no deal Brexit, yet to try and dupe the electorate into thinking he wanted an amended withdrawal agreement from the EU. He already knew his request for removal of the Irish backstop was firmly opposed by both the Irish government and by default the EU on peace grounds. But more staggering than anything else has been the determination with which this government has lied, duped, schemed and plotted to achieve its nefarious aims.

Boris Johnson seems to be a man without principle. He has one aim. Power. We also have a chancellor who is claiming austerity is over following a decade of cuts and misery, imposed by his own Conservative government.

£100m stripped from Devon County Council alone, which has hit children, the poorest, elderly and disabled people and those who don’t have a voice more than anyone else. I’ve seen the impacts of austerity on residents in my ward and it’s deeply disturbing.

But now, despite a no deal Brexit firmly on the table and the economic hit the country will take – around five per cent at least and a potential recession – Sajid Javid has launched an opportunistic vote grabbing budget, which implies that the austerity agenda was never more than a decision for a government determined to shrink the welfare state. East Devon’s MP Hugo Swire is at the very heart of this government, robustly defending every move Mr Johnson makes.

A passionate supporter of a no deal Brexit, Mr Swire is now the epitome of the newly formed hardline rightwing Conservative-Brexit Party. So a general election looms. Where does this leave me? Well my team and I have been preparing for a year and are on standby for battle.

This will be my third general election in four years, from a platform of over 21,000 votes in 2017. I’m ready for the fight to come and I’m ready to enter parliament as a new MP, filled with hope and a desire to work to my best ability on behalf of the people of the East Devon constituency. For me, there will be no party whip, no wish for a highly paid ministerial position. Just working alongside like minded MPs, representing local people on the issues they tell me are most important to them. I can’t wait!”

https://exmouth.nub.news/n/claire-wright-is-ready-for-the-fight-if-general-election-called?fbclid=IwAR3fluSS9OIrKYG-Tc-lp2Ng7KwjZQ-3AbO-Njut_sSgOvyy2Y0b3CfqFj0

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21 Aug 2019

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Accountability, Claire Wright, DCC, General Election, Health and Safety, Phil Twiss, Sarah Randall Johnson

Breathtaking hypocrisy of DCC Tories on Adult Health Scrutiny Committee

Below is a story about Sara Randall, Chair of the Adult Health Scrutiny Committee and a County Councillor for Broadclyst, Richard Scott, a committee member and Exmouth County Councillor and Phil Twiss, a committee member and Honiton County Councillor meeting with carers. Sue Younger-Ross and a DCC Officer Timothy Ridgeway were also attendance.

These are Tory councillors who have continuously and viciously thwarted the Herculean efforts of Independent Councillor Claire Wright to get a fair deal for carers, to investigate the county’s provision for health and social care and refused to discuss any aspect of Devon’s Clinical Commissioning Group’s massive funding cuts. A group which also refused to fight the closure of community hospitals in Axminster, Honiton, Seaton and Ottery St Mary, (though Twiss did make a very mild stand, knowing full well he would be outvoted by his pals).

It is a sure sign there is an election brewing and a breathtaking exercise in hypocrisy.

The article is here:

https://honiton.nub.news/n/honiton-carers-meet-the-county-councils-scrutiny-committee

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7 Aug 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Claire Wright, Consultation, NHS (local)

Survey on local health services

Please do fill in this survey – it has a lot of open-ended questions about what you think – but remember this survey is about cuts so it needs to be emphasised that cuts are not the answer – increased funding IS.

From the blog of Claire Wright, Independent Parliamentary candidate for East Devon:

“The local NHS says there’s a funding shortfall so is asking people their views…

The local NHS – Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) – is asking Devon residents their views on health services, after outlining in a presentation sent to councillors, information about a funding shortfall, workforce shortages, a population increase and lengthening waiting times.

They say:

One in 10 nurse jobs and 1 in 12 social worker posts in Devon remain vacant as demand for services increase.
There have been increases in NHS funding, but peoples’ needs for services are growing faster
Devon is struggling to provide timely access to services. In addition, a rise of conditions like cancer, heart disease and dementia will put the health and social care system under more pressure unless more flexible, joined up approaches are taken
The county’s population will rise by about 33,000 people equivalent to the population of Exmouth over the next five years
The number of people aged over 85 in Devon will double in the next 20 years. W e need to be able to offer all the services they need as an even greater priority
The CCG says it does not have all the funding it needs to deliver the ‘current models of service provision.’

Here’s the link to the questionnaire. It closes on 5 September.

I urge you to complete the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BetterDevon

For a full copy of the briefing contact Ross.Jago@nhs.net”

The local NHS says there’s a funding shortfall so is asking people their views…