West Shoebury Runners and Riders

The deadline for nominations has passed and the runners and riders for West Shoebury on the 22nd May are as follows:

Tony Cox
Matthew Dent - Labour
James Moyies - United Kingdom Independence Party
Charlie Row - Liberal Democrats

Upon looking through all the candidates in each ward it was hardly a surprise that the Independent Party Group have once again done a grubby little deal with Ukip as no Ukip candidate is standing against one of their 'approved' candidates.

To prove this point we only have to look at the Ukip candidates in neighbouring Rochford District Council. In Rochford ward, the Ukip candidate is none other than Jacqi Moyies, a Shoebury resident and the husband of the West Shoebury Ukip candidate.

Now being a Shoebury resident, why not stand in Shoeburyness ward where there is no Ukip candidate. The reason, Ukip will not stand against the 'official' Independent Party Group candidate Nick Ward.

This is somewhat surprising considering that my Ukip opponent only last year claimed that the Independents in Southend were done. As the Independent Party Group are clearly working together with Ukip, does this now mean that they support official Ukip policy like a Thames Estuary Airport?