Colchester's UKIP chairman insists the party are still relevant despite local election nightmare
The Chairman of Colchester's UKIP branch says the party still has a role to play in British politics, despite suffering a disastrous night so far in the local elections.
The party lost all of its seats on Essex County Council and it was a similar story in Lincolnshire where they failed to make any inroads.
The results are in stark contrast to four years ago when UKIP gained a number of council seats across the country, and although the signs look ominous this time out, Colchester chairman Ron Levy is adamant that the party do have a future.
UKIP's loss in Essex appears to be the Conservatives' gain, with the Tories now having increased their working majority significantly in the county.
The Liberal Democrats are now the main opposition, despite losing two seats compared to 2013, while Labour have slipped into third with just six seats.