Tory councillor says ‘Vote UKIP’

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

A Tory councillor in Thurrock is causing a stir by backing the UKIP candidate in the upcoming election. Veteran councillor John Cowell has put up posters in the window of his hardware shop backing the party, reports Your Thurrock, who were told by the renegade Tory:

“Young Tim Aker is a fine candidate and I agree with many of his policies, especially with respect to immigration and the European Union.”

It seems that Thurrock – which is an area in which Labour are looking to make gains in, has a rather…tricky, local Tory party. Your Thurrock also report:

“Cllr’s Anne Cheale and Ian Harrison broke away to form the Thurrock Concerned Conservatives, Cllr Stuart St-Clair-Haslam left to join them and then left them to join UKIP.”

A spokesperson for the Conservative group said: “Cllr Cowell has left the Conservative Party.”

We’ll be filing that one under ‘obviously’.