COUNCILLORS have agreed to automatically trigger a by-election if they defect to another political group.

Members of the Canvey Indepedent Party signed pledges showing their support for the move, which is the brainchild of group leader Dave Blackwell.

It comes after four councillors left the party to join either Ukip or the Tories within the last five years.

Mr Blackwell believes the Canvey Independents are the first in the country to sign official pledges in a bid to stop councillors switching political allegiance without voters having their say.

He said: “It’s not fair on the public, and it’s not fair on the party which could spend its money helping to get the candidate elected, only for them to join another party.

“We have had a case where the Tories are trying to talk our members into joining them as that is the only way they will get councillors onto Canvey.

“What we are hoping to do here is that if any of our members decide to move, then it automatically triggers a by-election. It’s a more fair way of doing things.”

Brian and Anne Wood each left to become independent councillors in 2012, before Mr Wood joined Ukip and subsequently the Tories.

Joan Liddiard and Steven Cole also defected to join the Tories.

At present, the Canvey Independents dominate politics on Canvey - with 15 out of 17 island seats on Castle Point Council. Despite this, the Tories hold an overall majority because of its mainland seats.

Colin Riley, Tory leader of the council, refuted Mr Blackwell’s claims he is trying to tap up Canvey Independent Party members - dismissing them as “political banter.”

He said: “His comments come after one of his councillors came into the Tories room to share a coffee, it was just political banter.

“We have this all the time at County Hall, where if one member ‘crosses the divide’ into another party’s room, we joke that they are joining us.

“I have been a councillor for 20 years and I think Dave is making more of the situation than it actually is. I understand what he is trying to do.

“The Conservatives are quite happy with how our ship is run, so we have no plans to do the same and sign our own pledge.”