The newly-formed Liberal Democrats of the soon-to-be East Wiltshire constituency have announced David Kinnaird as their prospective parliamentary candidate.

The majority of East Wiltshire will be formed by the current constituency of Devizes, running down the east of the county from Wanborough to just north of Wilton.

Kinnaird will be challenging Conservative Devizes MP Danny Kruger for the new East Wiltshire seat.

The Liberal Democrat served in the Army for 15 years, achieving the rank of Major, before leaving for the “warmth of Wiltshire life.”

Along with his wife Lisa, he has made his home in Wiltshire for the past 29 years, moving from Bulford to Chiseldon, to Wroughton, and to Urchfont, before ultimately settling down in Marlborough.

According to Kinnaird, the county has given his three children “the best start in life”, all having attended “outstanding” local state schools.

He claims to have always been involved with his community – from helping with school fundraising and setting up a youth club, to being a school governor and hosting a Ukrainian family.  

Through his lived experience in Wiltshire, he believes he would better represent the residents of the area than Kruger.

Kinnaird is currently the director of a software and network company and says he is not a “career politician.”

His decision to become involved in politics has instead been driven by “a strong sense that the UK feels broken.”

When asked about his focus for the constituency, Kinnaird explained that the plan is to consult the people and ask them directly what they want.

He said: “We’re going to find out the things that are really upsetting the people of East Wiltshire.”

He noted, however, that he had some overarching plans, such as a desire to promote less “divisive and destructive bipolar politics.”

He also believes that Brexit has damaged the country’s economy and living standards, and that there is a need to work towards rejoining, or at the very least to “stop pretending that Brexit has been a success, or that it has not made the UK and Europe weaker and more fragmented in a dangerous and brittle world.”

Kinnaird said: “People should be able to access decent healthcare, education, transport, and justice.

“People should have a safe, warm house to live in.

“Our waterways and beaches should be clean.

“Industry and business should have the confidence to invest for the long term, powered by an educated workforce and enabled by the infrastructure the state supplies.”

Kinnaird sees the new constituency as a fresh opportunity for its people, and is hosting his first “Pint and Politics” discussion evening from 7.00pm on February 5 at the Green Dragon in Marlborough.

Kinnaird concluded: “I am grateful for the opportunity to stand to serve in an area that I know so well.

“I want to represent the people of East Wiltshire with honesty and integrity, and I will do whatever I can to improve the services that impact all of our lives here.”

He added: “These are tough times for local people.

“Our public services are broken, and our economy is stagnant.

“To begin to fix this we must get more diverse experience in parliament, people with technical and practical expertise of our connected world, not academic political theorists.

“Under the Tories I have witnessed years of decline in living standards.

“And Brexit has absolutely made things worse.

“It has been the continued failure to confront these realities with honesty that has driven me to stand.

“Only the Lib Dems can beat the Tories here and I will do my utmost to make sure we do.

“I look forward to meeting you and hearing your views over the coming months.”