RETIRED sales manager Reg Kemp today threw his hat in the ring and declared himself an independent candidate to fight a vacancy on Fenland District Council. The ebullient campaigner – whose prolific outpourings have ranged from cleaner streets to a ban on

RETIRED sales manager Reg Kemp today threw his hat in the ring and declared himself an independent candidate to fight a vacancy on Fenland District Council.

The ebullient campaigner - whose prolific outpourings have ranged from cleaner streets to a ban on freemasons being councillors- will contest the March West vacancy caused by the death of Peter Skoulding.

"Membership of freemasonry has always been, and still is, by invitation only," he once said. "They wouldn't have riff raff like me".

Mr Kemp, who for four years was a councillor in Ely, moved to March some eight years ago, and took on a driving role for FACT.

He is now steward for Trinity Church and is involved in fund-raising activities for the church and is the Trinity representative for Churches Together in March and Christian Aid. He is also a volunteer at Peckover House in Wisbech.

This will be Mr Kemp's second foray into local politics this year for in June he polled 560 votes in a county council seat for March West, coming runner up to the Conservative John Clark but comfortably ahead of Lib Dems and Labour.

He promised that if elected he could campaign for cleaner streets and better public toilets and zero tolerance policing in relation to anti social behaviour..

He also wants more action to encourage businesses to the town "closer scrutiny of members' allowances, real community involvement in decision making rather than paying lip service, and no more Mat Taylor (the former Fenland finance chief) type deals done behind closed doors."

He added: "I've always taken a great interest in national and local politics as one of our most important democratic freedoms and was greatly disturbed by the recent exposure of our MPs betraying the trust of the electorate.

"The challenge as I see it is to show that I can act with integrity, responsibility and Christian values to get things done for the good of the community.

"Local politics should be about local issues in my view."

March West 2007 result:

Stephen Court (Lib): 727

*Jan French (Con) 1045

*Kit Owen (Con) 1049

*Peter Skoulding (Con) 883

(*elected)

Reg Kemp. 3795BP89