A WAR of words has broken out between two of the local election candidates in East Tilbury.
The councillor defending the seat is former UKIP, former Thurrock Independent councillor Sue Sammons (Conservative).
Her main rival is newspaper editor, Neil Speight, who is standing as an independent.
Mr Speight once stood as a Ukip candidate.
Hope you are all keeping up!
East Tilbury has a long tradition of Independent candidates. For years, John Purkiss and Barry Palmer dominated the local political scene.
The other East Tilbury councillor is Fraser Massey, who as an Independent, seems to have been passed the baton of independence.
In her election material, Cllr Sammons has taken a swipe at Mr Speight.
Mr Speight responded to Cllr Sammons comments on his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/VoteNeilSpeight
Mr Speight said: “I was incredibly disappointed to receive a copy this evening of Conservative Sue Sammons’ election message to the residents of East Tilbury, East Tilbury Village, Linford and West Tilbury.
In it she chooses to have a dig at myself and describes me as a ‘fake independent’. I am not sure what that is based on – especially as Sue later goes on to say ‘Let’s keep East Tilbury independent with local people! – while standing under the Conservative whip.
“She also criticises me for standing as a UKIP candidate in local elections in 2016. I must be missing something as Sue also stood as a UKIP candidate in those same elections and won the seat she is currently defending. In the interim she has been an independent group member and a Tory. Leopards and spots springs to mind but that is the nature of politics”.
You can read the rest of his statement on his Facebook page and/or his website www.neilforeasttilbury.co.uk.
The other candidate is Jacqueline Dobson (Labour) who is, according to Cllr Sammons, not from round here, you know.
