They say a week is a long time in politics.

That has certainly been true recently given the seismic changes which culminated in two top Conservative Councillors, Suzanne Evans and Richard Hilton, defecting to UKIP.

We are pleased to welcome them to the UK’s fastest growing political party.

The recent County and by election results prove Suzanne and Richard have become part of a significant movement for change.

UKIP is attracting disillusioned Labour voters who feel let down by Labour’s policies, as well as former Liberal Democrats and even more significantly, people who have not voted at all, for any party, for five years or more.

Clearly UKIP’s common sense policies are attracting a broad range of support.

So what does this mean for you locally?

Firstly, Richard and Suzanne are now free to champion UKIP’s messages on low Council Tax, crime, controlling immigration, and prioritising local people for local services.

They will also shake up the cosy status quo on the Council which has seen the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems let residents down again and again for many years.

They each have considerable business experience and have the interests of council taxpayers in mind when they scrutinise how your money is being spent.

Both believe there are significant opportunities to improve efficiency across Merton Council’s wide range of services by driving out unnecessary bureaucracy and overheads.

Like many of our members I had never been a member of any political party in my life before joining UKIP four years ago.

If like me, you recognise the need for change in our political system, take a positive step and join us.

Mark McAleer, Chairman of UKIP Merton

Send your own letter to letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.