Ex UKIP councillor stands down in Sheffield

Coun Keith Davis was elected as a UKIP councillor but says he left the party a couple of months ago. He won’t seek re-election in his Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward in May’s local elections.

Coun Davis says he is disillusioned with how the council operates but will remain a community champion and feels he can be more active outside the Town Hall.

“Being at the Town Hall is like banging my head against a brick wall no matter what you try to do.” he said.

“All councillors are only trying to do the job for the people who put them there but Labour can’t recognise or praise any good ideas that opposition councillors put forward.

“There’s no democracy with the Cabinet and Labour has a stronghold on the city which is impossible to break, I don’t think anybody will succeed.

“There are many community organisations that I can represent and I can do more good on the outside being a pain in Labour’s side. I’ll be sat in the public gallery jeering and cheering.”

Coun Davis also criticised his former party leader Nigel Farage. “I blame him for the demise of UKIP. He walked away far too quickly when he should have been leading this battle. He left too soon and that started an exodus in the party.”

Coun Davis says he resigned from UKIP two months ago but continues to sit alongside former party colleagues Coun Jack Clarkson and Coun John Booker in the council chamber.