The former Conservative leader of Leicestershire CC, Cllr David Parsons, has switched his political allegiances to UKIP, it emerged today.

Cllr Parsons, who is currently a district councillor with Blaby DC, was forcibly ejected from Leicestershire's ruling Conservative group in the aftermath of allegations surrounding his use of travel expenses for European responsibilities as a councillor, and of his personal use of a chauffeur-driven authority car.

At the start of the year, police and the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed they had ended their investigations into the allegations concerning trips he had made to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Subsequently, Cllr Parsons demanded an independent inquiry into the council's standards procedures.

It is understood Cllr Parsons seeks to contest a Leicestershire constituency as a UKIP candidate in next year's general election.

Before joining the Conservative Party, Cllr Parsons had been a member of the Labour Party. 

‘I believe that UKIP is now the only political party who truly represent the hopes and aspirations of the people in our country,' said Cllr Parsons – who left the Conservative Party in December 2012.

‘I have always been a champion of local government, and in UKIP, we have a party which believes in real democracy at a local level.

‘I'm delighted to have been welcomed into the UKIP family and look forward to taking our message of fresh, common sense politics to the people of Leicestershire,' he added.

Cllr Parsons' switch follows the defection of his previous deputy at Leicestershire, Cllr David Sprason. tp UKIP's cause.

Cllr Sprason stood down as Conservative deputy leader amid a media furore sparked by the disclosure that a council IT official had found a pornographic DVD, entitled, ‘She likes it rough' in a council laptop computer he had sent in for repairs.