As the dust settles in Dinnington and the wider Rotherham Borough has anyone from the ruling Labour group realised why so many people voted UKIP here?

UKIP is a protest party, an angry party. You vote UKIP when you want to say that you are unhappy in no uncertain terms with the status quo.

Are Rotherham Labour genuinely surprised that people are so unhappy with them?

Was it the fact that they ignored child abuse in the town for years and put those councillors most responsible for this neglect into positions of greater power?

Was it the greenbelt issues where our local councillors did not one useful thing to oppose Rotherham Council building a thousand houses over our countryside? (In Dinnington’s case)

Was it the fact that when they pay themselves 1.1 million pounds a year and then try to save money by closing children’s centres?

The cuts to our library? The closure of the Council service centre?

The answer is probably yes to all of the above, Dinnington gets a raw deal in Rotherham and we are sick of it.

Labour supporters fought a massive negative campaign against UKIP, accusing them at times of being a Nazi or Facist party.

Which party spent a decade or more undermining our personal freedoms, taking away our right to free speech, introducing draconian legislation and starting two major wars? Labour.

Who allowed uncontrolled immigration and epic abuse of our benefit system? Yep, look in the mirror folks and you’ll see what an oppressive party really looks like.

BUT I didn’t vote UKIP.

In amongst all the excitement did anyone notice the independent candidate running, our tireless local stalwart Dave Smith? Dave took 579 votes and although this wasn’t the thousand and odd the other two got I think it a great achievement for a guy who stands up for Dinnington on his own with no party machine just a few friends and family helping him out. If you don’t like UKIP and want to see change next time consider voting for Dave because if you want someone who will tirelessly fight for Dinnington and not cow tow to a party line he’s your man.

Dave almost certainly took enough votes off Labour to ensure they didn’t escape by the skin of their teeth as Jo Burton and Gerald Smith did in neighbouring wards.

That’s why I didn’t vote UKIP, I voted for Dave.