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Claire Perry demonstrates that she has hit the ground running as Michael Ancram's successor in Devizes

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Claire Perry, who was selected at the beginning of November for Devizes in Wiltshire, where Michael Ancram is standing down at the general election, bequeathing a notional majority of 12,259. Claire is married with three children and prior to her selection worked in the office of George Osborne, developing policy on jobs and value for money for the taxpayer. She says that the selection six weeks ago now seems "like a lifetime ago" and maintains it is a complete honour to have been chosen as Conservative candidate for "the most wonderful seat in Britain".

Monday 7th December
Drive up to Pewsey from South Wiltshire for my regular weekly meeting with Michael Ancram where he passes on as much information as he can and we plan our campaigns on local issues.  A big local problem is the lack of a primary care centre in Devizes (which was promised when the local hospital was partially closed) and I went to a very unsatisfactory “public consultation” on a proposed new site last Friday, so there much to discuss.  Set up three walkabouts for early in the New Year.  Michael has a huge personal following here and I am so fortunate to be working with him

I then head over to Chippenham to campaign for Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones whom I met last week.  To form a government we must win Chippenham and other marginals across the country and Wilfred is a fantastic candidate.  Deliver letters in the pouring rain with other stalwarts from my Association until it gets dark and then back to Devizes.  There is a public display of the Wiltshire Area plan in the Corn Exchange and I want to talk about the traffic and spatial impact of the new PCC in Devizes with the council bods – most unsatisfactory answers.  This new location is being rammed through and while it might make financial sense, there is no clarity on the numbers. 

Meet up with local councillors there (Cllr Mayes is in the photo with me here) and review the plans together.  I’m still in my wet weather campaigning gear and feel distinctly underdressed.  Rapid change in the loo of the Bear Hotel and then off to Marlborough for an evening meeting of the Marlborough Area Board, which is a brilliant forum for understanding the local issues, meeting local activists and being seen.  Drive up to London at 10pm, M4 shut so it takes hours.  Dog tired tonight.

Tuesday 8th December
Based in London today.  Write a letter to the local paper for Devizes called “Give us the Facts”.  The consultation over the location of a new Devizes Primary Care Centre is marked by a complete absence of facts and figures and is very reminiscent of what happened when NHS Wiltshire shut down the minor injuries unit at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough.  NHS Wilts, like most quangos, acts in a completely unaccountable manner and takes the public for fools.  Pick up the children from school which is sadly a very rare event.  Eliza announces that she needs 45 Christmas goodie bags for Holly House at school (of which she is Captain).  I respond that surely we should use the money to give an Oxfam goat called Holly to Africa and she gives me a withering look.  Dash out, cursing, to get sweets, cellophane and ribbon and organise a bag-making party.  Take five calls from candidates interested in Salisbury.

Claire Perry selected to fight Devizes

Claire Perry from George Osborne's office fought off Victoria Atkins, Paul Hearn, Jeremy Quin, Nadhim Zahawi and Zehra Zaidi to inherit Michael Ancram's projected majority of 10,982. Nadhim Zahawi came second.

The 45-year-old mother of three develops policy for the Shadow Chancellor, focusing on jobs and value for money for the taxpayer.

She was educated at Nailsea comprehensive school and went on to read Geography at Oxford, before taking an MBA at Harvard. Before working for George Osborne, she worked at Credit Suisse First Boston, McKinsey and Bank of America.

She has been a Conservative Party member since 2006 and is chairman of her local party branch within the Salisbury constituency, living as she does just outside the Devizes constituency.

Monday update - Claire has released the following statement:

"I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Devizes. I am not a typical political candidate and this was the first seat I had applied for.  I hope that as a business person and mother I can bring a breath of fresh air to traditional politics.

"I am determined to fight tirelessly for the issues that matter to us in the Constituency including helping our local economy to survive this recession, making sure we have the right transport links and broadband connections in Wiltshire and getting the services we need in Savernake and Devizes hospitals. I also want to see Britain return to economic health and tax payers’ money spent wisely at all levels of government.

"It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Michael Ancram who was such a distinguished politician at both the local and national level and I am looking forward to living and working with everyone in this wonderful Constituency."

Jonathan Isaby

Final six for Devizes

The following six have been shortlisted to succeed Michael Ancram:

• Victoria Atkins
• Paul Hearn
• Claire Perry
• Jeremy Quin
• Nadhim Zahawi
• Zehra Zaidi

More on the Devizes Conservative Association website.

UNCONFIRMED: Michael Ancram set to step down

ConservativeHome has learnt that Michael Ancram, MP for Devizes, is likely to announce his retirement imminently - perhaps even today.

If confirmed Mr Ancram will leave behind a projected majority over the Liberal Democrats of nearly 11,000.

A Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office during the beginning of the peace process, Mr Ancram helped William Hague steer the Conservative Party through the very difficult early years of opposition as a popular Party Chairman.  In 2001 he stood for the Tory leadership, warning against Michael Portillo's candidacy as an attempt to fight stardust with stardust.

He has not been uncritical of David Cameron's leadership in recent times and has courted controversy by advocating talks with Hamas and through his own expense claims.

Eric Pickles recently said he expected fifteen to twenty more Tory MPs to retire before the next General Election.  We can hope that these others will follow Mr Ancram's lead and step down in good time for a successor to be chosen and to 'bed in'.

More soon.

1pm: The Telegraph has confirmed our intelligence.

4pm: Michael Ancram's statement:

"I have for the past six years successfully been on medication for coronary problems. I have however recently had to consider the effects of the pressures of another five years of parliamentary and constituency duties upon my health.

"I have also taken into consideration the fact that I will be almost 65 at the time when the Election is likely to be held. I have reluctantly concluded that for the sake of my family and myself the time has come for me to stand down.

"This has not been an easy decision. I speak for my wife Jane as well when I say that the seventeen years during which I have represented the Devizes Constituency in Parliament have been the happiest and most fulfilling of our political lives.

"We have appreciated with genuine affection all in the constituency who have unfailingly treated us with courtesy and warmth even if politically we did not always see eye to eye.

"I hope they will feel that I have worked conscientiously for them as I have always tried to do, even when I was heavily involved in the peace process in Northern Ireland or as Conservative Party Chairman or indeed when I travelled a good deal as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

"It goes without saying that until the Election I will continue to work as before, both in Parliament and locally, for all my constituents.

"Thereafter it is Jane's and my intention to share our time between Scotland and Wiltshire so that we can maintain the many friendships we have made over the years and continue to enjoy Wiltshire life.

"This is a sad day for Jane and me and we thank everyone for their understanding."

Tim Montgomerie