Devizes
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 22017 (49.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 11035 (24.7%)
Labour: 9637 (21.6%)
Other: 1972 (4.4%)
Majority: 10982 (24.6%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 27253 (48.5%)
Labour: 12519 (22.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 14059 (25%)
UKIP: 2315 (4.1%)
Majority: 13194 (23.5%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 25159 (47.2%)
Labour: 13263 (24.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 11756 (22.1%)
UKIP: 1521 (2.9%)
Other: 1550 (2.9%)
Majority: 11896 (22.3%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 25710 (42.8%)
Labour: 14551 (24.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 15928 (26.5%)
Referendum: 3021 (5%)
Other: 826 (1.4%)
Majority: 9782 (16.3%)
Boundary changes: major changes. Around a third of the old oversized Devizes constituency moves into Wiltshire North and the new Chippenham seat, including Calne and Melksham. Devizes gains Durrington and Bulford from Salisbury.
Profile: A safe Conservative seat with the opposition split between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Devizes is largely made up of rural countryside, dotted with historic market towns. Main population centres include Devizes itself, home to Wadworth`s brewery, and Marlborough, with its famous public school. The seat has important military associations; to the South the constituency extends over part of Salisbury Plain and includes the Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill, Bulford Camp (12 Mechanised Brigade) and Tidworth (1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)).
Current MP: Michael Ancram(Con) born 1945, London. Educated at Ampleforth College and Oxford University. Barrister. Contested East Lothian in 1970. MP for Berwick and East Lothian between February 1974 and October 1974, MP for Edinburgh South from 1979 until 1987 and MP for Devizes since 1992 (making him a rare care of a “double re-tread”, an MP who has lost his seat twice and been re-elected elsewhere). He served as Chairman of the Scottish Conservative party between 1980 and 1983, a junior minister at the Scottish Office between 1983 and 1987 and Minister of State at the Northern Ireland office between 1994 and 1997. After the Conservative defeat in 1997 he briefly served as Constitutional Affairs spokesman before being made Party Chairman in 1998. In 2001 he resigned to contest the party leadership, running as a unifying continuity candidate, but was eliminated at the early stages of the contest. He was deputy leader of the Conservative party under Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard, also serving as Shadow Foreign Secretary and, briefly, shadow defence secretary. In 2005 he stood down from frontbench politics. Ancram`s real name is Michael Kerr, he is known as Michael Ancram since until the death of his father he held the courtesy title of Earl of Ancram as the heir to the Marquess of Lothian. He succeeded as 13th Marquess of Lothian in 2004, making him one of three hereditary peers to sit in the House of Commons, but continues to be known as Michael Ancram (more information at They work for you)
Candidates:
Claire Perry (Conservative) Educated at Nailsea Comprehensive and Oxford University. Former banker, now a policy advisor to George Osborne.
Sharon Charity (Labour) born Omagh. Educated at Bristol University. Former journalist and press officer for Wiltshire wildlife trust. Contested Devizes 2005.
Wendy Johnson (Liberal Democrat) Educated at Ashfield School and the University of the West of England. Barrister and company director. Wiltshire county councillor from 1985-1993. Former Swindon Borough councillor. Contested Ashfield in 2005.
Alan Wood (UKIP) Educated at Southern Grammar School and Royal Naval College Greenwich. Retired chartered mechanical engineer. Kennet councillor. Contested North Wiltshire 1997, Devizes 2001, 2005. Contested UKIP leadership in 2009.
David Carpenter (English Democrat)
Nic Coome (Libertarian)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 87573
Male: 50.9%
Female: 49.1%
Under 18: 23.6%
Over 60: 19.1%
Born outside UK: 7%
White: 98.6%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.3%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 78.4%
Full time students: 1.7%
Graduates 16-74: 19.3%
No Qualifications 16-74: 22.4%
Owner-Occupied: 63.2%
Social Housing: 18.3% (Council: 2.7%, Housing Ass.: 15.6%)
Privately Rented: 7.5%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 4.7%
Although she is a special advisor, Perry is a former banker and was also, in effect, the local candidate, being chairman of one of the branches of Salisbury association bordering the constituency directly, so she isn’t a complete Westminster clone by any means.
Zehra Zaidi apparently wowed many but put off an equal number by saying what she meant, and meaning what she said.
Wiki has the candidates as above but an extra English Democrats name, David Carpenter
He is on the main English Democrats site as a candidate – so he should be added. I did send a link to Anthony Wells about a week or more ago about their list, so he’s probably going to add these when he has the time.
Ray – didn’t get the list (though just found it myself, so no need to resend)
Thanks Anthony.
Atiq Malik has confirmed on the Brent North thread that he’s standing there, presumably as an Independent.
well it was an interesting afternoon…
General Jackson was amazing…
Claire Perry got it as the most local candidate but was a little lucky as the two men – Quin and Zahadi split the vote
She is good but clearly a banker and policy light – in truth no one candidate stood out – hence why there had to be several votes to get a winner.
Of more concern is the fact she was inactive in politics / not a conservative until 2006 when she was 43 – one asks why anyone would join a party, and fight previous elections [as both men had done] now that long term commitment to a cause is deemed such a dirty word? She is Osborne’s protege
Both men had more cabinet material about them, although claire is obviously not stupid
I have to say the comments re Z Zaidi are wrong – she was knocked out first with next to no votes, gave a terrible hectoring speech [ most notable was her "the country needs me comment"] and was more arrogant / in love with herself than anyone I have ever met..