Having listened to Laura Kuenssberg and others on the national news recently saying, “what is the point of UKIP?”, I too am starting to wonder.
They have no MP, no leadership (nationally or locally), no policies, locally or nationally and no influence. At a local level at the last county elections they were, for a few days at least, the second biggest party on the county council. That soon disappeared with internal squabbling over policies and who should be leader.
Some UKIP councillors defected to the Independence from Europe Party, some went back and forth and two have now defected to the Conservatives. Many are now standing down as they see their job as done.
At district level the leader of the UKIP group, who had the opportunity to challenge the Conservative administration at every full council meeting, apparently has asked just three questions in two years.
UKIP leaflets say there is a need for strong challengers and a viable opposition. However, based on the last few years experience, clearly neither is likely to happen.
Allan Beal
Whaplode
