Councillor Joins UKIP.

Cllr Rod Scott, who has represented Raynes Park for the past seven years has joined UKIP today, bringing the UKIP group on Merton Borough Council up to three. He joins Cllrs Suzanne Evans and former Tory Group leader, Richard Hilton who both joined the party a few weeks ago.

Cllr Scott said: “I agree with and accept the principles and policies of UKIP. They are on the whole what Conservatives already believe and should be supporting. I have supported the UKIP core policies, including leaving the EU, for many years as a member of the Conservative Party. I also support gay marriage.”
“I served as a Conservative Councillor for seven years. I soon discovered having been elected, that Merton`s Tory council group did not on the whole follow what a number of us regarded as conservatives policies, they followed Labour by annually raising the council tax. Some of us then tried to change things inside the conservative group and managed to install an impressive new leadership team only to see this leadership destroyed by unfair means. The reaction of some of we Councillors to these events led to my suspension from the Tories and my wish to support UKIP led to my resignation.
“I would like to assure Raynes Park residents that I will continue to do my best for them as their councillor until the borough elections next year.”