UKIP leader: Great Yarmouth defectors 'political opportunists'published at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2017
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
The leader of the UK Independence Party has accused the seven Great Yarmouth councillors who defected from his party to the Conservatives this week of being "political opportunists".
Henry Bolton, who was elected leader in September, was speaking during a visit to the town last night, which had been arranged before this week's defections.
"They moved over to the Tories because they felt that was what was in their own best interests," he said.
"The reason they gave was that they felt the Brexit job was done and they felt the Tories were the best party to take things forward - which is absolute tosh.
"The Conservatives promised to deliver Brexit, they have done absolutely nothing."
Monday's defection was the largest single switch so far of UKIP councillors to the Conservatives and it leaves the party with just five councillors in a town which was once considered a UKIP stronghold.
Mr Bolton addressed about 50 supporters from Norfolk and Suffolk last night.
He insisted that the party still had a future and a distinctive message.