The View from Jaywick, by Dan Casey

Jaywick is the poorest village in England. I am a Labour District Councillor representing it, and I live there. It is within the Clacton parliamentary constituency, where a by-election is being held today.

Jaywick has been the most deprived ward in the country for the last four years. Not one penny has come from central government. Douglas Carswell  has been the MP for the last nine years. The local investment group was brought to the table by the two Labour Councillors.

Carswell has been part of the most uncaring government of our time, and for him to jump ship to UKIP sums him up: blaming everyone but himself. UKIP has done nothing apart from take vast salaries and expenses from the EU while biting the hand that feeds it.

Taking action on GP services, I did not see Carswell in Golf Green Hall when we had two meetings of over 100 upset residents. He was going to secure a new unit in Clacton's Kennedy House, but this did not happen, and people now have to travel long distances for care.

But the classic was "saving the maternity unit in Clacton". All that Carswell did was to lead a march of 30 to 40 people with himself at the front. It was for him. The mothers and expectant mothers walked behind him. 

At Harwich, which is now outside the constituency, there were 250 people, led by the mums. When the mums led 150 people in Clacton, Carswell was not there. It is shameful that he now claims to have saved the day. If, indeed, the units are safe.

The party of which Carswell was part made choices on planning, and what a mess they have made. He voted for their policies, as part of the uncaring lot under whom the rich have grown richer and the poor here have grown poorer. Their doctrine has done nothing for ordinary people.

What do we do for all the people in this County of Essex who find themselves with no job or no home? Carswell wants to stop the immigrants' benefits, thereby putting more people onto the streets. Immigration here has gone up on his watch.

Carswell has now joined a party that does not believe in the EU, yet which has 24 MEPs who take the money but who do nothing for the people who elected them.

Having worked in retail all my life, from the shop floor to group controller with Tesco, if decisions have been made with discussion and debate, then there is no point in coming out of a meeting and throwing your toys out of the pram.

The future of our young people lies in Europe, our main trading partner, as 80 per cent of business people understand. The party that Carswell has joined thinks that we still have an Empire.

Contrary to Carswell's claims, the sea front was not his baby, and I am surprised that his former party has not pointed that out. I wonder why not?

Douglas Carswell is an opportunist who wants to be the first UKIP MP. Can you trust someone like that? No. Can you trust UKIP with our country or our county? No.