A FORMER Tory activist who campaigned for MP Rebecca Harris has defected to Ukip.

James Parkin, owner of the Movie Starr cinema on Canvey, decided to part ways with the local Conservative association and join Ukip after meeting local councillors.

Ukip’s prospective parliamentary candidate Jamie Huntman welcomed Mr Parkin with open arms.

Mr Huntman said: “James used to work for Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris and went to conference with her and was an activist who supported the local association. It’s quite a coup for us. He was fed up and had enough and he decided to join us. We are moving forward and it is very exciting.”

Mr Parkin said: “I used to work closely with the Conservatives and helped Rebecca in the 2010 election. I believed in 2010 there was going to be a change, but it is more of the same.

“I met Jamie and he is a local businessman like myself and I really agreed with a lot of their policies.

“I’ve not had a fallout with the local Conservatives, I’ve just drifted away from them. I’m going to help Ukip with the wider issues on Canvey and help them work closely with the Independent Party and work on our social media campaign.”

The move comes after Ukip and Canvey Island Independent Party announced they were forming an alliance and would support one another in upcoming local and general elections and former Tory MP Douglas Carswell became Ukip’s first MP in Clacton.

Mr Huntman said: “We are building momentum and it is very exciting.

“We are not a party of career politicians, but who knows who could be next to join us.

“We are working hard on Canvey and we are working hard in Benfleet, Thundersley and Hadleigh.

“We have been picking up support from a lot of former Conservative voters.”

THE president of the Castle Point Conservative Association said Ukip votes could result in a Labour government.

Vera Partridge from the association said: “In Castle Point there’s only one way to stop Ed Miliband and Labour getting into power and that is by voting Conservative and supporting our hard-working MP Rebecca Harris.

“Ukip is taking votes from the Conservatives, which is helping Labour. I don’t think they realise they are making it more likely that Labour could win at the general election. Mr Parkin delivered a few leaflets for us, he has never beenamember of any of our committees or managed anything like that.

“He was a member, who at the time of Rebecca Harris’s election campaign, came out of the woodwork.”

Joe Cooke, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Castle Point, added: “What residents need to look at is whether they are happy with the policies of the Government, and will Ukip do a better or worse job.

“I know the Labour Party is the underdog in Castle Point, but, hopefully, we can get our message out there.”