Marc Wilkinson
I first met Marc after the Council and Candidates meeting. He immediately struck me as a driving force among the independent candidates, determined to organise people and push forward his idea for locally controlled political parties.
Photo supplied by Marc Wilkinson
Meeting Marc
When I first met Marc after the Council and Candidates meeting, he came across as a real driving force. He was already trying to bring the independent candidates together, asking people to meet as a group and trying to give the whole thing some structure.
To be honest, at the time I found it a bit much. I was already extremely busy, so I left and headed back to work rather than staying for the group discussion.
Looking back, perhaps I should have given him more time and heard him out. Marc went on to play a fundamental part in bringing many of the independent candidates into a small group and in helping to organise the hustings. Standing as an independent is a challenging process, so candidates being able to share information and help each other has been useful.
I still think the idea of setting up more than 100 separate local political parties sounds insane. But I respect his dedication and drive, and there may well be some inspiration in the madness.
My opinion is not what matters here. The purpose of this page is to give Clacton voters a proper opportunity to understand Marc’s ideas, policies and political record, then decide for themselves whether he gets their vote.
Who is Marc Wilkinson?
Marc is an Edinburgh-based businessman and political campaigner. He is standing in the Clacton by-election as an Independent while developing a wider network of local political parties built around direct democracy.
Business and community background
Marc has run Pure Pizza in Morningside, Edinburgh. In 2023 he attracted national attention after offering free pizzas during the cost-of-living crisis. Reporting at the time said he expected the initial scheme to cost around £12,000. Later local reporting said thousands of pizzas had been given away and that he received recognition for the initiative.
He has also founded and campaigned through projects including Edinburgh People, Edinburgh & East Lothian People and the wider People Parties network. His campaigning has included political reform, telecom mast planning and greater local control over elected representatives.
Is Marc local to Clacton?
Marc does not currently live in the Clacton constituency.
Marc’s current candidate information says he rents a flat in Edinburgh. He says that if elected as Clacton’s MP he would move to Clacton-on-Sea.
As with every candidate, I think voters should know the local connection clearly and make their own judgement about how important that is when deciding who should represent them.
Why is Marc standing?
Marc’s campaign is primarily about changing how political parties and elected representatives are controlled.
Stop the Party Whip
Marc argues that national party whips give party leaderships too much control over MPs and councillors.
Local member control
His model would require elected representatives to follow the instruction of participating local party members on individual votes.
Build local parties
His latest statement says he wants to establish 114 Local Community Parties covering areas across the UK.
What is Essex People?
Essex People is the local party Marc says he has applied to register with the Electoral Commission. It is central to his longer-term plan, but it is not Marc’s description on the ballot paper in the current Clacton by-election. He is standing in this election as an Independent.
The stated aim
Marc says Essex People would exist only to represent people living in Essex and would seek to remove outside influence from corporate lobbyists, large funders and national party structures.
Registration status
Marc’s statement supplied to Clacton.org says the Essex People application has been submitted and that he expects a decision in September 2026. Edinburgh & East Lothian People is already listed on the Electoral Commission register, with Marc Wilkinson recorded as its leader and nominating officer.
More than 100 local parties
Marc’s latest published candidate statement says the plan is now to register 114 Local Community Parties across the UK. Earlier descriptions of the project used lower totals as the network developed.
How the direct democracy model would work
Campaign to stop the Party Whip
Marc’s wider project is campaigning to end the Party Whip and block voting. For Clacton he says the plan is to secure thousands of petition signatures and employ local people to work on the campaign.
In information supplied directly to Clacton.org, Marc says he is attempting to crowdfund £100,000, with a plan to employ around a dozen Clactonians for three months and around 5,000 hours of work. I have not linked a live crowdfunder because I have not independently located the current fundraising page.
Marc’s published policies and positions
Essex People policies are still being developed. The clearest current policy framework is published through People Parties and Edinburgh & East Lothian People, so these should be read as Marc’s current wider political platform rather than a final Essex People manifesto for Clacton.
Direct democracy
Oppose the Party Whip and require elected representatives to take vote-by-vote instructions from local party members.
NHS and health
Reverse existing NHS privatisation, stop further privatisation and place greater emphasis on prevention and causes of ill health.
Social care and carers
The current Scottish platform calls for higher care-worker pay and greater financial support for unpaid carers facing hardship.
Winter Fuel Allowance
Maintain the allowance in line with fuel inflation and increase support for the poorest pensioners.
Education
Prioritise literacy and numeracy, strengthen parental information and choice, and increase support for additional support needs.
Small business
Offer a two-year business-rates relief period for new small businesses in empty shops and raise the VAT registration threshold.
Mobile telecommunications
Require network roaming so phones can connect to the strongest available network signal.
War and foreign policy
Campaign for an end to war and genocide and reduce the influence and profit motive of the military industrial complex.
Digital ID
People Parties is campaigning against compulsory Digital ID.
Earlier Edinburgh People policy record
Marc’s earlier Edinburgh People material also included positions on Net Zero and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, NHS privatisation and prevention, defence spending, sex-based spaces and sport, telecom mast planning, amateur sport and support for unpaid carers. These are part of his political record but are not presented here as a final Essex People manifesto.
Marc Wilkinson’s election record
Marc has stood repeatedly since the 2024 General Election and has used those contests to promote his political reform campaign.
| Date | Election | Party / description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 2024 | Edinburgh South West – UK General Election | Independent | Not elected – 181 votes, 8th of 8 |
| 14 Nov 2024 | Colinton / Fairmilehead – Edinburgh Council by-election | Independent | Not elected – 173 first-preference votes |
| 23 Jan 2025 | Colinton / Fairmilehead – Edinburgh Council by-election | Independent | Not elected – 256 first-preference votes |
| 5 Jun 2025 | Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse – Scottish Parliament by-election | Independent | Not elected – 109 votes, 9th of 10 |
| 26 Jun 2025 | Fountainbridge / Craiglockhart – Edinburgh Council by-election | Independent | Not elected – 111 first-preference votes |
| 7 May 2026 | Edinburgh Southern – Scottish Parliament constituency | Edinburgh & East Lothian People | Not elected – 524 votes, 6th of 6 |
| 7 May 2026 | Edinburgh and Lothians East – Scottish Parliament regional list | Edinburgh & East Lothian People | No seat – party received 1,073 regional votes |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Clacton – UK Parliamentary by-election | Independent | Current election |
| 3 Sep 2026 | Southside / Newington – Edinburgh Council by-election | Edinburgh & East Lothian People | Scheduled |
In Marc’s own words
Marc Wilkinson
Clacton by-election candidate taking on Farage and Binface plans to register Local Community Parties across the UK
Marc Wilkinson, standing as an Independent, is planning to launch a network of local community parties which he says would be “powered by the people”.
The application for ESSEX PEOPLE has been submitted, and he expects the application to be approved by the Electoral Commission in September. ESSEX PEOPLE would then be on the ballot if there is a second anticipated by-election later this year.
Marc says the aim is to replace the influence corporate lobbyists and funders have over politicians with direct democracy through the parties’ constitutions.
If elected as MP, Marc says he would be bound by that system and would not be able to vote however he wanted or simply follow instructions from a top-down national party. Instead, he says he would vote as instructed by members of the local party within the Clacton constituency on a vote-by-vote basis.
Marc says he has spoken face-to-face with thousands of people through his previous election campaigns and that the feedback has been positive.
For a possible later Clacton by-election, Marc says he wants to build support for ESSEX PEOPLE, secure thousands of signatures for the Stop the Party Whip petition and encourage local champions to come forward to be chosen by members as candidates.
Find out more from Marc himself
Do not rely solely on what I, another candidate or the media says about Marc. These links allow voters to read his own material directly.
Candidate to candidate
Marc and I are competing for the same job, and I do not agree with everything he proposes. In particular, I remain sceptical about whether creating more than 100 separate political parties is practical.
But I have seen first-hand that he has energy, persistence and a willingness to organise. He has also helped independent candidates communicate with each other during what is a difficult process, and he played an important part in helping bring the hustings together.
Whether his direct democracy model is the answer is for voters to decide. What matters here is that people can actually read what he proposes and judge it on its merits.
Martyn OBrien
Independent candidate for Clacton
Sources and further information
This profile uses information supplied directly by Marc Wilkinson together with his published political material, official election records and independent reporting.
- Who Can I Vote For – Marc Wilkinson candidate profile
- People Parties official website
- People Parties published policies
- People Parties constitution
- Stop the Party Whip campaign
- Electoral Commission – Edinburgh & East Lothian People
- UK Parliament – Edinburgh South West 2024 election result
- City of Edinburgh Council election results
- Scottish Parliament 2026 election results
- Worcester News – Clacton candidate wants to launch Worcestershire party
- Bury Times – Bury People could form part of 100-party network in UK
- The Independent – Marc Wilkinson’s free pizza initiative
- The Edinburgh Reporter – November 2024 by-election candidate coverage
The comments describing my personal meetings and dealings with Marc Wilkinson are my own observations. Political claims attributed to Marc or his organisations are presented as their stated positions so voters can assess them for themselves.