STEWART Gardiner made an impassioned plea to voters on the letters’ page, before the recent elections, not to vote for UKIP.

His fears for UKIP’s success were justified by the results which confirmed public hostility to the coalition government’s policies on such as the EU, immigration, HS2, fracking, NHS and the ongoing austerity measures.

It was odd therefore that candidates from the other main parties distanced themselves from the north west, preferring to follow the party line rather than engage with the electorate which left UKIP as the only party to hold public meetings in our area including Knutsford.

Potential voters also found it very appealing that Nigel Farage took time to walk around the streets of Knutsford chatting with prospective voters giving them the feeling that their views matter rather than their vote being taken for granted as with the other parties.

Lessons to be taken on board for 2015?

Mabel Taylor Knutsford