Claire Wright (politician)

Wright started working in the National Health Service in a public relations role in 2001, served on the Ottery St Mary Town Council and was elected to East Devon District Council in 2011, ousting Conservative leader. Sara Randall-Johnson. She stood down in 2015. Wright was elected to Devon County Council in 2013 with 74 percent of the vote. And re-elected in 2017. She left frontline politics in 2021. {{Cite web|last = Chakelian|first=Anoosh|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/2019/11/who-win-election-east-devon-tory-brexit-rural-revolt-independent-rebellion|title=Rural revolt: The independent rebellion threatening Tory Devon|publisher = New Statesman|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01|date=29 November 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11570165/Meet-the-Ottery-independent-candidate-who-could-take-one-of-the-Tories-safest-seats.html|title=Meet the Ottery independent candidate who could take one of the Tories' safest seats|last=Bennett|first=Asa|date=2015-05-04|access-date=2019-12-01|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|work=The Telegraph}} She stood as a parliamentary candidate in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 elections, receiving progressively larger shares of the vote each time.{{Cite web|last=Parsley|first=David|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2019-disgruntled-conservative-party-voting-east-devon-claire-wright-1328557|title=Disgruntled Tories may not vote in Devon, giving independent candidate a chance|website=inews.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01|date=29 November 2019}} Wright's main policy interests are the NHS, social care and preserving the environment,{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/11/23/hot-seat-east-devon-can-independent-take-tory-seat-150-years/|title=Hot seat: East Devon – Can Independent take Tory seat after 150 years?|last=Capurro|first=Daniel|date=2019-11-23|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-12-01|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} with her manifesto based on a community survey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/eyes-devon-independent-politician-claire-3316742|title=All eyes on Devon's Claire Wright ahead of General Election|last=Smith|first=Colleen|date=2019-09-13|website=Devon Live|access-date=2019-12-01}}

The East Devon constituency has only ever been held by the Conservative Party and was considered a safe seat. With growing support in the 2017 general election for Wright, polling indicated that the seat had become marginal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/uk/poll-suggests-liberal-democrat-defectors-set-to-lose-in-general-election/|title=Poll suggests Liberal Democrat defectors set to lose in General Election|agency=Press Association|date=2019-11-28|website=Evening Express|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-01}} Queen guitarist Brian May endorsed Wright in 2017, while actor Hugh Grant and reporter Martin Bell endorsed Wright at the 2019 election.{{cite web |title=Martin Bell OBE backs Independent Claire Wright to be East Devon MP |url=https://eastdevonnews.co.uk/2019/11/03/former-bbc-war-reporter-martin-bell-obe-launches-campaign-of-independent-east-devon-parliamentary-candidate-claire-wright/ |website=East Devon News |accessdate=11 January 2020 |date=3 November 2019}} However, in the December 2019 election, Wright lost to the Conservative Simon Jupp by nearly 7,000 votes.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000678|title=East Devon parliamentary constituency|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=13 December 2019}} Asked by local radio if she would run again, Wright said she was unsure.{{cite web |title=Independent Wright 'incredibly sad' after defeat |url=https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-politics/independent-wright-incredibly-sad-after-defeat/ |website=Radio Exe |accessdate=11 January 2020 |language=en}} In 2021, she announced she would not stand in the 2021 County Council elections.{{cite news|url=https://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/claire-wright-quits-politcs-7881264|title=Claire Wright quits politics|date=9 April 2021|work=Sidmouth Herald|accessdate=13 January 2022}}

In Diary of an MP's Wife (2020), the memoirs of Sasha Swire, Wright is frequently referred to by the nickname "Claire Wrong".{{cite news|url=https://westcountryvoices.co.uk/diary-of-an-mps-wife-spoiler-alert-it-wont-restore-your-faith-in-politics/|title=Sasha Swire's 'Diary of an MP's Wife' : superiority, sex and sneering|date=28 September 2020|first=Sandra|last=Semple|work=West Country Voices}}

After the resignation of Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, in May 2022, there were some suggestions that Wright would stand in the subsequent by-election. However, she clarified on a statement on Twitter that she would not put her name forward, instead endorsing the Liberal Democrats.{{Cite web |last=Claire |first=Wright |date=2022-05-01 |title=Thank you so much to everyone who has urged me to run in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election... |url=https://twitter.com/clairewrightind/status/1520742377119436802 |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Twitter |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Christine |date=2022-05-01 |title=VIDEO: "Lib Dems can be the main challengers in Tiverton and Honiton by-election" – Ed Davey |url=https://www.markpack.org.uk/169232/lib-dems-challengers-tiverton-and-honiton/ |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Mark Pack |language=en-GB}} Although Tiverton and Honiton had also been a safe seat for the Tories before, Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Foord overturned Parish's 2019 majority of more than 24,000 votes and was elected.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/24/tories-lose-byelections-wakefield-tiverton-honiton-labour-lib-dems |title=Tories lose two key byelections on same night in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton |first=Peter |last=Walker |newspaper=The Guardian |date=24 June 2022}}

For the 2024 general election in the newly created constituencies of Exmouth and Exeter East and Honiton and Sidmouth, Wright has endorsed the campaigns of the prospective Liberal Democrat candidates, and declined to stand in either constituency. https://twitter.com/ClaireWrightInd/status/1761416515042062563?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet https://twitter.com/ClaireWrightInd/status/1685724708040237057

Wright lives in Ottery St Mary in East Devon.

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2019: East Devon{{Cite web|url=https://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/3467461/nop-spn-situation-of-polling-stations-amended-version.pdf|title=Statement of Persons Nominated|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116151337/https://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/3467461/nop-spn-situation-of-polling-stations-amended-version.pdf |archive-date=16 November 2019 |access-date=}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Simon Jupp|votes=32,577|percentage=50.8|change={{increase}} 2.3}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Claire Wright|votes=25,869|percentage=40.4|change={{increase}} 5.1}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Dan Wilson|votes=2,870|percentage=4.5|change={{decrease}} 6.9|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Eleanor Rylance|votes=1,771|percentage=2.8|change={{increase}} 0.3|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Henry Gent|votes=711|percentage=1.1|change=New|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Peter Faithfull|votes=275|percentage=0.4|change={{increase}} 0.2|}}

{{Election box majority||votes=6,708|percentage=10.4|change={{decrease}} 2.9}}

{{Election box turnout||votes=64,073|percentage=73.8|change={{increase}} 0.5}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin||title=General election 2017: East Devon{{cite web

| title = Statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and situation of polling stations: East Devon

| url = http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/2116607/sopn-and-nop-and-polling-stations-a3.pdf

| publisher = East Devon District Council

| date = 11 May 2017

| accessdate = 5 June 2017}}}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000678|title=Devon East parliamentary constituency – Election 2017|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Hugo Swire|votes=29,306|percentage=48.5|change={{increase}} 2.1}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Claire Wright|votes=21,270|percentage=35.2|change={{increase}} 11.2}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Jan Ross|votes=6,857|percentage=11.4|change={{increase}} 1.1}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Alison Eden|votes=1,468|percentage=2.4|change={{decrease}} 4.4}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=UK Independence Party|candidate=Brigitte Graham|votes=1,203|percentage=2.0|change={{decrease}} 10.6}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Peter Faithfull|votes=150|percentage=0.2|change=New}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Michael Davies|votes=128|percentage=0.2|change=New}}

{{Election box majority||votes=8,036|percentage=13.3|change=-9.1}}

{{Election box turnout||votes=60,382|percentage=73.3|change=-0.4}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2015: East Devon{{cite web|title=Election Data 2015|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|accessdate=17 October 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|archivedate=17 October 2015}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Hugo Swire|votes=25,401|percentage=46.4|change=−1.9}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent politician|candidate=Claire Wright|votes=13,140|percentage=24.0|change=New|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=UK Independence Party|candidate=Andrew Chapman|votes=6,870|percentage=12.5|change=+4.4|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Steve Race{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/EastDevonLabour/status/567482751293857792|title=East Devon unanimously and warmly selected Steve Race as their PPC.. Agent Ray Davison said: ' Steve is in every way an MP to be.'|first=East Devon|last=Labour|date=16 February 2015|publisher=}}|votes=5,591|percentage=10.2|change=−0.6|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Stuart Mole|votes=3,715|percentage=6.8|change=−24.4|}}

{{Election box majority||votes=12,261|percentage=22.4|change=+5.2}}

{{Election box turnout||votes=54,717|percentage=73.7|change=+1.1}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=+5.4}}

{{Election box end}}

{{reflist}}

• {{twitter|clairewrightind}}
• [https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/high-hopes-tears-hugh-grant-3660710 "High hopes, tears and Hugh Grant: Claire Wright on almost pulling off the biggest upset of the 2019 General Election"] from the Express & Echo

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Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Independent British political candidates

Category:Independent councillors in the United Kingdom

Category:21st-century British politicians

Category:21st-century British women politicians

Category:People from Ottery St Mary