Southend UKIP: where the vanities of their councillors seemingly out-weigh the concerns of residents

I once had someone tell me that any publicity is good publicity. The famous Oscar Wilde quote comes to mind: “there is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

This is not a universal truth. There are occasions when a period of quiet is welcome, especially when the alternative is a series of own goals.

UKIP High Command is of a similar opinion it appears, especially when it comes to their five councillors in Southend-on-Sea.

The last week has seen the effective dismantling of the UKIP group locally. Cllr Waterworth, expelled last week, now looks like he is UKIP’s sole official representative following the suspension of Cllrs Burling, Callaghan, Davies and Moyies.

According to the press release from the Acting Chairman of UKIP’s Southend and Rochford branch (one Cllr Floyd Waterworth) the four suspended councillors cannot

• Use the UKIP logo
• Attend party meetings
• Participate in campaigning
• Use websites to promote UKIP
• Use UKIP in dealings with the media

I think James Moyies and Tino Callaghan need to amend their Twitter accounts prompto.

The press release also includes this gem: ‘However, our campaigning in the constituency is going well. Private polls show we are ahead of the Tories now’. This is a quote from Cllr Waterworth.

I do not believe that Southenders will appreciate a party that has engaged in a civil war for the last six months, and from what I can tell their campaigning has stalled, if not stopped completely. This is a party that has expended more energy fighting each other than it has on working for those who they represent. This is self-obsession on a grand scale, where the vanities of their councillors seemingly out-weigh the concerns of residents.

My message to UKIP in Southend-on-Sea: You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately… Depart, I say; and let us have done with you.