CLACTON’S UKIP chairman has blasted MP Douglas Carswell for not holding a by-election claiming he is worried he would not win.

Anthony Finnegan-Butler, of UKIP Clacton, first heard Mr Carswell had stood down from the party on Saturday.

It caught Mr Finnegan-Butler off-guard, who claimed just weeks before the pair discussed Mr Carswell being re-selected as UKIP's prospective MP for the 2020 General Election.

Calls have been made for Mr Carswell to hold a by-election as he is now standing as an Independent MP.

However, Mr Carswell has refused to do so.

Mr Finnegan-Butler said: “It’s absolutely shameful and completely tarnishes what people expect from an MP.

“I was shocked and felt betrayed by his frangible reasons for not holding a by-election.

“This is a man who in 2014 was a forerunner of promoting the MP recall system and at the first chance he couldn’t follow his own views.

“Secondly he’s leaving UKIP but joining the Carswell party, of which he’ll be the chief whip, leader and chief policy advisor.

“Listening to interviews, his ideas are taken from Labour, Conservatives and the Communist party. Unfortunately, he will vote on all these policies without any reference to the electorate.

“No constituency wants an MP who’s all things to all parties.”

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission explained there is “no legal compulsion” for a by-election to be held in these circumstances. Holding one is based more on convention.

Mr Finnegan-Butler agreed, saying it is up to the MP, but it will do him no favours to refuse.

Mr Finnegan-Butler added: “Throughout the next three years he’ll be consistently reminded he’s changed sides so many times - how can we trust him? He’s not exactly a team player and this is the problem we have.”

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and UKIP donor Arron Banks have both called for a by-election.

Mr Banks is reportedly paying for the Electoral Reform Society to canvas Clacton constituents on whether they want one.

Mr Carswell said, however: “I will not be switching parties, or crossing the floor to the Conservatives, so do not need to call a by-election like I did when switching from the Conservatives to UKIP.

“I will simply sit in the Commons as your representative, answering directly to you, my boss.”

Mr Finnegan-Butler dismissed Mr Carswell’s claim it was because he did not want to enforce another election.

He said: “He knows he wouldn’t win”.