New Statesman article shines spotlight on independent East Devon

Since the outcome of the general and local elections Zorro has mused about how local issues influence national political outcomes. East Devon is very much a case in point here and this has been espoused on a few occasions in recent months and the general election result locally seems to support the argument that the two are very much intertwined.

Claire Wright’s http://www.claire-wright.org/ high profile political campaigning whilst an East Devon District Councillor stood her in good stead when, as the local independent candidate, she challenged Hugo Swire for the Westminster seat. Polling in excess of 13,000 votes by any candidate in any seat is a credible result, but for a first time rooky candidate without any party machine or money behind her was a truly remarkable achievement.

However, this result told us more than Claire’s ability to win over a substantial number of electors. It demonstrated that local dissatisfaction with the politically arrogant Conservative majority of the District Council was able to be translated into votes for someone who had shown a commitment to championing local issues on behalf of local residents.

Claire’s District Council activities, alongside a number of other prominent non-Conservative District Councillors had created the environment from which East Devon Alliance formally created a framework within which independently minded residents could be offered an alternative vision of local politics from the politically arrogant Conservative dominated world that has inhabited the District Council for far too long.

So, what we saw at the general and local elections this time around in East Devon was a symbiotic relationship that provided a platform from which independent politics could challenge the established order. In both elections this produced good results. It also produced the spring board from which independent activity can grow and become stronger. Bloodless revolutions don’t often happen overnight and independents in East Devon need to be patient and dig in for the long haul.

The latest edition of the New Statesman magazine carries an interesting article about independent politics. In the article it majors on Claire Wright’s general election campaign and her local political activity. It also draws comparisons with other significant independent political activities including citing where independents have managed to take control of their local councils, most notably in a neighbourhood not too far away.

Zorro has previously highlighted the fact that in Frome the independent candidates won all the local council seats in the recent elections and now have total political control in Frome. Zorro has also commented that lessons could be leant from the way in which independents in Frome have built a successful local alternative political narrative.

For East Devon the starting point has to be two-fold.

Firstly, making sure that the East Devon Alliance District (EDA) Councillors http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/ do now actually respond to the wishes of the local residents and that the EDA builds a meaningful political base within the wider East Devon electorate. This will solidify support and votes in the next bout of local elections and allow a wider set of targeted District Council seats to be won because the East Devon Conservatives are unlikely to find political humility during the next four years!

Secondly, there is a real opportunity in light of both the East Devon general and local election results to start to build a broad alliance across those parties and independents who have a common goal of turning East Devon’s politics at the Knowle and in Westminster from the deep blue hue that has been the local colour for so long to something that is more in keeping with what electors prefer.

Local and national issues are so often intertwined. Local issues can influence how local residents vote. Building a local political based is very much the key to changing the political direction in a locality. The short New Statesman article reminds us of that and is worth reading, if for no other reason than to take inspiration from the actions of Claire Wright, the EDA and successful independents elsewhere.

One day maybe instead of the Guardian newspaper reporting the 7 May Frome independents’ local council victory as “Welcome to the People’s Republic of Frome” it will be able to say “Welcome to the People’s Republic of East Devon”!

The News Statesman article is at – http://sites.google.com/site/realzorro1/NewStatesmanArticle.pdf

It’s still time for challenge!