Politician Simon Killane has set his sights on toppling North Wiltshire’s long standing Tory MP, James Gray.

The Wiltshire Council Independent has launched a web campaign to become “the first true people’s MP ever elected in the county”.

Father-of-three Mr Killane, a Malmesbury town councillor, claims, on the website simon@thepeoplesrep.co.uk: “I will transform the way elected representation works by going ‘back to the basics’ of what it means to democratically represent the people.”

He said the internet, social media and new campaign funding methods had created “a unique opportunity” for independent politicians to challenge the party system.

Former Dyson worker Mr Killane is a product designer for a commercial vending and refrigeration equipment firm.

Mr Gray has been North Wiltshire’s MP since 1997 and in the 2010 General Election swept home with a 7,483 majority, winning 25,114 votes; more than half of the 48,699 poll total.