East Yorkshire Independents Party to fight May 2011 council elections

THE EAST YORKSHIRE INDEPENDENTS PARTY (EYIP) is actively recruiting people to fight the local elections in May 2011 for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) .

The new political party, launched in September 2010, is already standing candidates in Pocklington, Market Weighton and Driffield. However, the EYIP intends to be for the whole county of East Riding and the party is asking people to contact them about joining and becoming candidates.

Tony Marron, a Pocklington councillor and the chair of the new group, believes that the national mistrust of politicians following the MP's expenses scandal will benefit the new party: "The recent MP’s expenses scandal added fuel to fire that is burning inside the electorate that politicians are not listening to them and are there either to feather their own nest or to do as they are told by the main Party managers, whips and officials. What happened on the national stage is also happening right here in the county we live in East Riding of Yorkshire."

The new party will act on the real needs of local people claims Mr Marron and not in the interests of party dogma: "East Yorkshire Independents have no party line and have no managers, whips or officials telling the candidates what to do. When elected next year, if ERYC have a good policy that benefits the many and is fair and can really help our community we will support it no matter who proposed it. We will not vote against it just because the ‘other side’ thought of it like politicians do today."

It will certainly be interesting to see if the new party is able to build enough support to stand candidates locally under its banner. The formation of the EYIP is one of a number of factors that will make the May 2011 elections memorable. Will the national Government coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats temper the normally robust competition between those two parties? Will Labour or other candidates benefit from "anti-cuts" campaigns. Will the BNP build on the inroads it made during the general election?

HU12 hopes to bring you regular updates on election news 2011 from the South West Holderness ward.