UKIP takes control of Lancing Parish Council

UKIP took control of Lancing Parish Council in last week's local elections, becoming the third council in England to be controlled by UKIP.

Ramsey Town Council came under the control of UKIP in 2011 when nine of the 17 available seats went to UKIP candidates. Even the anti-UKIP Independent newspaper couldn't find fault with Ramsey's UKIP councillors when they went to Ramsey to see what life was like under a UKIP-controlled council.

More recently Thanet District Council came under UKIP control last year. After a handful of defections and resignations over plans for Manston Airport the party has exactly half the seats on the council. Thanet Council was recently commended by an independent panel peer reviewing its progress who highlighted its "respected political leadership" and "improved cross-party relationships" with UKIP at the helm.

UKIP won 10 of the 16 available seats on Lancing Parish Council last week with the Conservatives taking 4 and Labour 2. The Lib Dems lost their three councillors.

Conservative councillor in Lancing defects to UKIP

A Conservative councillor on Lancing Parish Council has defected to UKIP, losing the Conservatives their wafer thin majority.

Cllr Leslie Sampson's defection means that the Conservatives and UKIP both have 7 councillors each on the council whilst the Lib Dems have two, paving the way for a challenge to the Conservative Party's leadership of the council.

The current Chairman of Lancing Parish Council, Conservative councillor James Butcher, said that Cllr Sampson should resign and stand for election as a UKIP candidate. Both of UKIP's MPs resigned after defecting and were re-elected under a UKIP banner. None of the UKIP councillors or MEPs who have defected to the Conservatives have ever resigned.

UKIP wins Lancing by-election with nearly 50% of vote

We missed this pre-Christmas piece of election news: UKIP candidate wins big in Lancing by-election seat.

UKIP candidate, Dr Sidney Hilsum, beat the Conservatives and Lib Dems in a by-election for Lancing Parish Council, taking almost 50% of the vote.  Cllr Dr Sidney Hilsum becomes the third UKIP councillor on Lancing Parish Council, along with Cllrs Jean Turner and David Bamber.

The council controversially didn't send polling cards to electors resulting in a turnout of just 10%.

The final result was:

Party	Votes	%
UKIP	174	49%
Con	95	26%
LD	84	25%
Turnout 10%