A prospective Brexit Party candidate is unhappy with a town council decision against holding a political stand in the town.

Eastern Daily Press: Picture: Ruth Jolley, Brexit Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for South West Norfolk. Picture: Ruth Jolley.Picture: Ruth Jolley, Brexit Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for South West Norfolk. Picture: Ruth Jolley. (Image: Archant)

Ruth Jolley, the South West Norfolk Brexit Party prospective Parliamentary candidate, is shocked by Downham Market Town council's decision to not allow her to have a political stand in the town's market place.

But the town council have said they are apolitical and that Downham Market has historically, from their knowledge, not held them.

The 40-year-old has been a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Brexit Party since August and says she want to ensure that the result of the 2016 referendum is upheld and that we leave the EU in a proper and meaningful way.

The prospective parliamentary candidate recently held a stand in Thetford town centre on Saturday, September 28 and was hoping to do the same in Downham Market on Saturday, September 5.

Ms Jolley said: "I wanted to run a small political stand in Downham Market town centre, so I could engage with local people, hear more about local issues and provide an opportunity for voters to meet me face to face.

"I think being able to look someone in the eye and talk to them one-to-one is really important.

"However, I've been informed by the town clerk that Downham Market town council have made a resolution not to have political stands in the town.

"I must admit I was pretty surprised and shocked that political stands are not allowed as I had thought public spaces could be used for this, as a matter of course."

The town council responded by saying they are apolitical and that the decision to not hold a political stand in the town was in relation to the market place.

Elaine Oliver, the town clerk, said: "Historically you cannot hold a political stand on the market to our knowledge.

"We're not political at the town council, we've never done it.

"We're representing a town that is not political and so we don't want to be aligned to a political party.

"We cannot stop people renting the town hall but this is about the market place."