[4] On 18 July 2002 the Devizes Guardians contested and won a Kennet District Council by-election in the Devizes East ward, the successful candidate being Tony Duck, who commented "I think there is a movement for more grass roots representation, free from the shackles of party politics and hopefully enabling us to challenge local issues.
The question of the future of the hospital has been paramount in the issues expressed by the people we have talked to, with transport coming a close second.
In the Kennet District Council elections of May 2007, the Guardians won two seats (Ody and Duck being re-elected, but Carter being defeated)[6] and also three on Devizes Town Council, to which Jane Burton, Ted East, and Peter Smith were elected.
[8] On 1 April 2009, the District of Kennet was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, and the Devizes Guardians contested four seats in the first elections to the new Wiltshire Council unitary authority held on 4 June 2009.
[9][10][11][12] At an annual general meeting held on 27 October 2009, the party celebrated its successes and stressed the importance of a new public consultation on planning policy for Wiltshire.