Real Zorro

Mission - to challenge in East Devon. To hold elected representatives & their officials to account.

Thursday 1 June 2017

Back The Winner In A Two Horse Race


We are now only a week away from the 2017 general election; one called as a snap election by Prime Minister Theresa May presumably because she thought it was politically advantageous to the Conservative Party that she leads. The calling of a quick election gave parties and candidates just over seven weeks to create their manifestos, determine their local candidates, raise campaign war chests and put in place effective campaigns.

 

As hard as all of that will have been for the established political parties, think how much harder it will have been for anyone who considered standing without party support, such as an Independent.

 

In the East Devon Constituency the political campaigning that has taken place over the past few weeks has played out, as one might expect, in part around local issues and local engagement, as well as being framed by the wider political and economic backdrop that the main parties have played (up) to.

 

Nationally Theresa May has decided that the best way to win the campaign is by not debating directly with other party leaders, rather she has preferred to speak to small groups of invited party members at media events. Until yesterday the Labour party leader had also decided not to engage in major inter party debates, rather concentrating on speaking to his faithful in his guise of the new messiah of the political left. A mantle that has left many who aren’t members of the Socialist Party or the Socialist Workers Party from refraining “he’s not the messiah, he’s a naughty boy!”

 

Frankly, there seems little point thinking too much about the activities of the leaders of the other main English parties – Liberal Democrats, Greens and UKIP – as whilst they may influence local outcomes by the number of voters who do and don’t vote for them, nationally none will gain power or, if the polls are to be believed, influence who forms the next government.

 

As always Zorro argues that whilst you may (no pun intended) or may not like a particular national political leader, what voters should really concentrate on is who will be representing them and their Constituency in parliament. Because after all we have a representative democracy with your MP there to represent the interests of their constituents and their constituency, rather than dogmatically following a particular party line regardless of local concerns.

 

It is for these reasons that Zorro looks primarily at the East Devon political landscape. In doing so the past six weeks have shown that most of the candidates don’t merit being elected to represent the Constituency. In response to this Zorro hears the cry “that’s a bit unfair they’re just doing their best!” well, is it unfair and have they been doing their best?

 

For those who have paid no attention to the election in East Devon a brief reminder that the candidates standing are –



  • Claire Wright – Independent
  • Hugo Swire – Conservative Party
  • Janet Ross – Labour Party
  • Alison Eden – Liberal Democrats
  • Brigitte Graham – UKIP
  • Michael Val Davies – Independent
  • Peter Faithfull – Independent

 

Before turning to the two main protagonists Claire Wright http://www.claire-wright.org/ and (Sir) Hugo Swire, Zorro casts his eye over the five other candidates.

There was a time when the Liberal Democrats could reasonably have seen themselves as the real and only challengers to the Conservative party dominance in this Constituency. But, their time came and went in part because local independent politics became the main force that challenged the North Korean style political leadership that the Conservatives use to run East Devon District Council. The Liberal Democrats’ appeal also disappeared when in the last general election they were virtually wiped out of British politics following their flirtation with coalition government propping up a minority Conservative government led by David Cameron. Even if the Liberal Democrat candidate lived in the Constituency Zorro can’t believe she would poll any better.

 

The Labour Party knows that hell will freeze over the whole of East Devon before anyone sporting a red rosette will win the seat. More than anything the candidates that the Labour Party put up in East Devon are either those like the previous candidate Steve Race who saw this as good experience for (hopefully) a more winnable seat or like the current candidate the party determines someone (anyone) has to stand.

 

There was a moment in recent political history when UKIP believed their own hype that they could become the great white (literally) hope for the dispossessed and bigoted right in this country. But, since their multi-time leader Nigel Farage fell in love with Donald Trump and found a new career as a radio shock jock and handed over to fantasist Paul Nuttall the party, its supporters and its votes have all been in freefall.  

 

In East Devon the fact that both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats are standing means that those voters who are in the political centre or centre left and decide to vote for either of these parties candidates will waste their time and vote. This will be to the detriment of progressive Independent candidate Claire Wright. In whose interests do these parties and their candidates stand? It has to be the Conservative Party’s interest as they will split the anti-Tory vote once again.

 

Those who see UKIP a politically attractive seem to be turning to the Conservative Party obviously to the benefit of Hugo Swire.  

 

There are two unknown Independent candidates – Michael Val Davies and Peter Faithfull. Michael still remains unknown and Peter has made it clear that he is fighting the election in the forlorn hope of standing up in the House of Commons to use parliamentary privilege to speak about the tragic disappearance of Genette Tate all those many years ago. This is not a good use of our political system.

 

So, electors are left with a straight choice for their MP – Claire Wright or Hugo Swire.

 

Hugo seems to have decided to follow in his leader’s footsteps by deciding that the electors who turn up to the various hustings are not worthy of his time. Zorro can appreciate that when one lives outside of the Constituency, as Hugo does, it must be a real hassle to have to keep travelling to and from it day after day in an election campaign. Also Hugo found out the hard way in the last election how effective a candidate Claire Wright is. So, his approach in this election has been to avoid head to head public discussions!

 

Perhaps Zorro has been a bit unfair to Hugo. After all he was “grilled” by locals as his own website quoted. In fact the headline to the story behind this was MP Hugo grilled by St Peter’s”. Yes, Hugo allowed pupils in years 7 and 8 at St Peter’s preparatory school to ask him questions! That really must have tested Hugo!

 

But Zorro feels that as St Peter’s “is set in 28 acres of beautiful countryside” it must have been a welcome respite from the occasional accidental encounter with a real live adult voter!

 

The candidate who has made herself very widely available whether on the doorstep or at organised hustings has been Independent candidate Claire Wright. Claire has no party or wildly rich backers to fund her campaign.

 

She has had over the past six weeks to decide to stand in the election, create a campaign team, get publicity poster and a manifesto printed, fit in extensive campaigning into her already busy life, recruit hundreds of volunteers to help get her message across to voters on the doorstep and to fund raise over £10,000 to pay for all of this!

 

It’s still not too late to help financially support Claire Wright’s campaign. Just follow this link and have your bank card to hand – https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/2644/claire-wright. 

 

There is a genuine buzz about Claire and her campaign. She has attended all of the hustings organised across the Constituency. She has pounded the streets knocking on doors across the Constituency. She has fought this campaign as if she wants to win and to become our MP. Indeed the respected pollsters YouGov put Claire Wright ahead of Hugo Swire and to win in the election. This is highly significant!

 

The real choice in East Devon falls between Claire Wright and Hugo Swire. Voters will have seen Claire as a visible campaigner across East Devon. Whereas Hugo has used the campaign as an excuse not to be in London and to direct his attention to those who he feels most comfortable with – school children at a fee paying prep school.

 

Zorro and Mrs Zorro know who will make the best person to represent them, family and friends in parliament for the next five years. It certainly isn’t a man who has hidden whilst in parliament and hidden away from voters in this election campaign. Rather it’s a young woman with a vision and enthusiasm.

 

It’s time for East Devon voters to make their minds up – more of the same or something different! Zorro sees it as time for change!

 

Vote Claire Wright! Free to speak. Free to act.

 

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