THURROCK Labour has responded to claims the party has been rendered "unelectable" 

Lee Watson, Thurrock Labour vice-chairman dismissed comments from UKIP's Tim Aker as "a desperate attempt to mislead voters."

Ms Watson said: "The people of Thurrock will remember that it was John Kent's Labour Party who led the opposition to the second Thames crossing; and that it has been Labour fighting the Tory council all the way on their plans to close children's centres and impose extra charges on people in Sheltered accommodation.

"While we were forcing the Tories into a series of embarrassing u-turns, Aker's colleagues were standing aside, abstaining from key motions. Those aren't the actions of a party that cares for Thurrock'.

"The people of Thurrock aren't stupid. They will remember that Labour delivered on local services without hiking the council tax, and that Labour led the opposition when the Tories threatened our most vulnerable residents.

"They won't let a slick, Euro-funded campaign pull the wool over their eyes - UKIP offers nothing to the people of Thurrock, but division and stagnation"

"In 2015, despite promising so much, UKIP came last behind the Tories and Labour. The only relevance that UKIP have in this election is that every vote UKIP gets makes it more likely that the Tories will win in Thurrock."