Youngest Skegness Tory councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke jumps ship to join UKIP
A SKEGNESS Conservative councillor has left the party because he says it no longer represents the views of its voters.
Robin Hunter-Clarke, who at 19 is the youngest person to serve on Skegness Town Council, announced his defection to UKIP at its national party conference on Friday.
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PARTY CHANGE: Former Conservative councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke announced his defection to UKIP at their party conference on Friday. He is pictured with leader Nigel Farage and East Midlands regional chairman, Chris Pain.
Robin said: "The Conservative Party no longer represents the views of local Conservative voters.
"However, the views that UKIP hold are much more in tune with core conservative values which is why I have defected.
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"The people of Skegness voted me as a Conservative and I am still a conservative, however the Conservative Party no longer is – UKIP is the 'Conservative Party in Exile'.
"I hope the residents of Skegness understand – it will change nothing.
"Nationally my reasons for leaving including feeling let down and betrayed by the party over issues such as the European Union.
"The National Conservative Party wants us to stay in the European Union and this is a disgrace. It costs us £55 million a day to be a member and it is the issue this country demands a referendum on and the people of Skegness.
" It will be great that I can now speak and vote for the benefit of the town without fear of not toeing the local party line.
"UKIP is a real alternative and I'm proud to represent it."
Robin was welcomed to UKIP by being asked to join party leader Nigel Farage MEP on stage at the conference.
East Midlands regional UKIP chairman, Chris Pain, said: "It is a delight to welcome someone as politically astute as Robin into UKIP.
"He will join one of our many county council candidates for next year which will follow on from Conservative MEP, Roger Helmer who joined UKIP in March 2012.
"This proves the fact that we represent the core conservative views."
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