West Hill or Westminster?, (Paperback)

This is the remarkable story of an independent's first campaign to win the Parliamentary seat of Devon East in the 2015 General Election. Lacking a party label, an experienced party machine and relying on private donations and friends to fight one of the country's safest Tory seats, Claire Wright won the highest number of votes, 13,140, of any independent in the UK. Usually, independents fail to win more than a few hundred votes. This book offers a rare insight into what is necessary to challenge the big parties. Written by a member of the core team, it reveals the problems and successes of the campaign. It explains how the independent, backed by hundreds of supporters, beat three of the four national parties. The drama is put into the context of the national political scene and discusses the immediate aftermath of the general election. The book will appeal to all those interested in grass roots politics and will be a revelation to the inhabitants of East Devon on the mechanisms behind their own election.