UKIP proposals are pie in the sky

Even if we ignore the fact that what UKIP promises is utterly impossible to deliver – low tax combined with improved care for the elderly, investment in youth services, no front-line police or health cuts, improved roads and public transport, more free parking, re-instatement of student grants and Education Maintenance Allowance - it is amazing that 25% of voters voted UKIP in local elections for national policies that no local authority would ever be able to implement.

If a similar percentage of voters in the forthcoming Rawmarsh by-election were to vote UKIP it would be truly puzzling. There is no way on earth that 25% would vote Conservative yet UKIP is significantly to the right of the Nasty party.

Nationally UKIP has little to offer other than populist rhetoric and even less locally. The local branch chairman clearly has little grasp of the rudiments of local government. In his weekly letter to the editor (Advertiser 3 May) he criticises RMBC for its Council Tax increases and calls for more referenda on the subject.

He appears to fail to recognise the fact that Rotherham’s Council Tax has been frozen for the last 3 years and that a referendum is only required if a local authority proposes to increase Council Tax above the limit set by the Secretary of State. Like UKIP’s pie-in-the-sky national manifesto its local soundbites may strike a chord with voters but don’t stand up to any level of scrutiny.

Robin Symonds, Fraser Road, Rotherham.