SINCE the Brexit vote on June 23, two elected district/county councillors of the UKIP party have resigned their positions – Alan Preest, Lydney North, and Colin Guyton, Lydbrook and Ruardean.

Both these gentlemen have opted not only to leave the UKIP party, but to join other parties (Conservative and Independent respectively)

I find this an insult not only to the electorate that voted them in, on the grounds of the UKIP manifesto, which presumably neither of these two will now be working towards, but also to the party which promoted and funded their standing for election.

While circumstances may have changed in the personal lives of these two individuals, if they wish to resign their positions they should be entirely entitled to do so.

But to then claim that they are now Conservative and Independent, when this is not what the electorate voted for is totally wrong.

Had the electorate wanted to be represented by either of these parties, then presumably they would have voted that way at the polling booth.

Furthermore, I feel that as these two ‘turncoats’ – for want of a better description – signed up to represent the UKIP party, then any costs associated with either any ongoing training as is required to sit on the various different committees or indeed the expenses incurred by the party in promoting them to their given positions within the council should be repaid as they have clearly broken their contracted term of office.

Given the fact that they have both changed their allegiances, does this mean that they cannot be trusted to fulfil their roles sufficiently as they clearly do not now support the views under which they were elected?

Something needs to be said and done about this clear betrayal to the public voters.

– Wendy Reedman, Lydney.