Corby Conservatives expel councillor for defying London

Corby Conservatives have expelled one of their councillors from the Conservative group on the borough council for defying an order from London to vote against fire service cuts.

Cllr Stan Heggs chose to vote in favour of replacing a fire engine with a smaller Cobra appliance when he had been instructed to vote against it. The Conservatives - like Labour and the Lib Dems - have a whipping system that means even town and parish councillors are told how to vote by their party's head office in London and by the whips in their own constituency association. Cllr Heggs has defied orders to vote against any perceived cuts in emergency services after being forced to sign a "blue light promise" along with every other Conservative who wants to stand for election anywhere in the country.

UKIP has no whipping system and all elected UKIP representatives at any level are encouraged to vote according to their conscience and what is right for the people they represent rather than what the party thinks they should do.

Labour councillor suspended for swearing at whip

Brighton & Hove Labour Party have suspended Cllr Leigh Farrow and told him he isn't allowed to seek re-election.

Farrow successfully appealed against a decision not to allow him on the approved candidates list earlier this year but he is now in trouble for swearing at the Labour Party whip before a meeting while she was telling him how to vote.

UKIP is unique amongst mainstream parties in that it doesn't operate a whip and elected representatives are encouraged to do what they think is right, not what they're told to do.