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Devon County Councillor Claire Wright has confirmed that she will be standing in the upcoming December General Election.

The Independent councillor for the Otter Valley ward has twice stood for election to Parliament and on both occasions came second behind the Conservatives.

The incumbent MP, Sir Hugo Swire, has announced he will step down from his role, and Claire, confirming that she will stand, said that she hope that this time the East Devon constituency will finally break its 150 year Conservative rule.

There will be a general election on the December 12, which will be the first December election since 1923, and her campaign was launch at the Royal Beacon Hotel in Exmouth on Saturday afternoon.

Claire said she is excited that the countdown to what is being dubbed the most unpredictable and epic general election in living memory has started and is adamant she can change the course of political history in East Devon.

She said: "I’ve always been an Independent. I’ve always been elected because of my hard work and the way I stand up for people, not because of the party I’m from.

“It’s a complete myth that you need a party around you in the Commons. You don’t. It’s all about the person. The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas is probably one of the best known and effective MPs in the country.

“I’ve worked cross-party for the last 10 years to achieve a range of things and I’d be exactly the same if I was in Parliament.

“In 2015, I was an unknown. Now, after two campaigns, I can really challenge. I just think I can do so much good.

“There’s nothing certain about this election. National predictions don’t really apply to East Devon, because I am independent and the only viable alternative because I have a track record.

“I think I can attract voters from across the political spectrum. I’m a hard-working and effective councillor and will be a hard-working and effective MP. I know I can win.”

She added: “The last December election was almost 100 years ago, and campaigning is going to tough, with dark nights, cold and possibly pretty awful weather.

“But despite the challenges of leafleting and door knocking, last night the air of excitement was palpable and we sensed the enormity and potential of what we’re about to enter.

“I hope that this time the East Devon constituency could finally break its 150 year Conservative rule and see an Independent MP elected, whose manifesto is based on local people’s views and who intends to truly represent the people of East Devon, with no party whip to get in the way of that representation.

“This is my third general election. I have effectively been campaigning to be East Devon’s MP for six years, including over a year of preparation for this one. And who would have thought that in this election, in a supposedly safe Conservative seat, an election would have been called with no Conservative candidate.”

She added: “This time feels different. It has a different energy about it. I’ve been a councillor for a decade. And I’m a seasoned campaigner, having fought five elections (this is the sixth) since 2011 and once again, I have a strong, committed and extraordinarily motivated and hardworking team around me. I am also very fortunate to have a much wider team of hundreds of leafleters and door knockers.

Devon Community Insight Survey Devon residents are being asked what matters most in a survey run by Devon County Council. The Community Insight Survey asks about experiences of a range of services and the County Council’s strategic aims. It also asks questions about Council Tax increases, community resources, if people have good access to green spaces, and if the council’s decision make sense. A council spokesman said: “We are committed to building a Devon where everyone can live their lives well, and to do this we need to understand what matters most to you and where you experience difficulties. The results will be shared across services and used to inform budget decisions and how services are provided in future.” The survey can be filled in online at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=gzehjWjLP0S7S5l_d_1b-3k2zoamfoJKgcKfgFq7GXBUQ0lXOFI1MVlPQkQ3N1Q0NUZPWFM1R1VENy4u

“I hope that the election in East Devon will reflect the mood of the nation in that my opponents will be respectful and polite when challenging me and I in turn, also pledge to operate in the same way.”

Former Independent MP Martin Bell OBE helped to launch her official General Election campaign on Saturday. Mr Bell, 81 who was Independent MP for Tatton (1997 – 2001) said: “I served as an Independent MP for four years and was privileged to represent the people not a party. Claire Wright will do the same. I am confident that she will be an outstanding MP.

“Claire Wright has forged a reputation as a formidable local government politician in Devon and I am in no doubt that she will do the same in the House of Commons.

“Contrary to popular misconception, independents do have a strong voice in parliament and, such is the current, mass disillusion with mainstream parties, their voice will only become louder.

“By supporting Claire, who has a proven track record of standing up for her constituents and instigating real change, the people of East Devon have, what is likely to be, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the future of politics in Devon, and indeed, the rest of the UK.”

East Devon has been a Conservative seat since the establishment of the constituency in 1997 and under previous boundaries as far back as 1868.

But she was the runner-up with more than 21,000 votes at the last General Election in 2017 and was the most successful Independent PPC in the country, by more than 10,000 votes.

A local politician of 10 years, Wright has a track record of overturning the odds.

In 2011, she won the seat from the Leader of East Devon District Council, Sara Randall Johnson which she’d held for a decade after 62 per cent of voters turned out to vote.

And in 2013 Wright won 74 per cent of the vote in the Devon County Council elections for the Otter Valley ward, taking over from Roger Giles who stood down after 20 years and winning the largest majority in the South West.

In the 2017 General Election, sitting Conservative MP Hugo Swire – who has been the MP for East Devon since 2001 and has announced that he is not standing again – won 48 per cent of the vote with Wright winning 35 per cent.

As of yet, no Conservative candidate for the seat has been announced, and the Conservative Party have been contacted for comment about who their candidate will be and when they will be selected.

Announcing his decision to stand down, Hugo Swire, who has been the MP for the area since 2001, said: “My greatest privilege has been to serve my constituents, regardless of their political allegiance, I am truly grateful for consistently returning me at elections and will continue to serve them to the best of my ability until an election is called.”

In addition to Claire Wright, candidates have also been confirmed by the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

Daniel Wilson will stand for Labour, Eleanor Rylance, who is a councillor for Broadclyst on East Devon District Council, will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

Michael Amor had been announced as a candidate to represent the Brexit Party, but it is understood that they will no longer be contesting the seat.

The Green Party, the Conservatives and UKIP have not yet confirmed who their candidate will be, and neither of the two other Independents who stood in 2017 have announced if they will stand again.