UKIP Vote Collapsed

Dear Sir,

The Conservatives are relieved that they have not suffered the scale of losses which they had been expecting in this May's local elections.

However, we need to look behind the figures to obtain the facts.

The U.K.I.P. vote has completely collapsed as of the 126 seats they were defending, they have only been able to retain two of them. However, they did gain one seat.

The Conservatives' better than expected performance is down to the significant majority of those former U.K.I.P. voters now changing their allegiance to the Conservatives.

Professor Sir John Curtice, the renowned political scientist, has stated that the difference in the Conservative performance in Leave and Remain areas compared to that of two years ago has been very stark. Sir John Curtice continued by stating that in most of the wards where over 60% voted leave the large collapse of the U.K.I.P. vote disproportionately benefited the Conservatives.

This is a damning indictment of what Theresa May's Brexit Conservatives have become.

Matthew Parris was Conservative M.P. for West Derbyshire from 1979 until 1986 when he decided to leave politics for a career in journalism.

In July, 2017, Matthew Parris wrote that when he returned home from Spain "I return to England ashamed to be a Conservative".

The time is now ripe for Conservatives who feel like Matthew Parris to look elsewhere for a party of moderation in the centre of politics now that Theresa May has steered her party so violently to the right.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Douglas,

2 Hollycroft,

Congleton CW12 4SH