Leader spells out party vision to voters during stop in Carlisle

The last of the party leaders and perhaps the most controversial – Nigel Farage of UKIP. They launched their manifesto in Carlisle city centre ahead of the local council elections.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says a record number of contenders from his party will challenge for political office in Cumbria.

He stopped off in Carlisle as part of a 10-day nationwide tour and addressed shoppers in the city centre ahead of next month’s county council elections.

Mr Farage said that UKIP support was growing in the north west – especially in Carlisle – and a total of 53 candidates will be standing for election compared with just three in the last poll in 2009.

Party membership in Cumbria has grown by 40 per cent in just nine months.

He said: “In an age where people aren’t joining political parties that is good. I am delighted.”

Mr Farage said that he felt the recent growth in popularity was because they were offering answers to national issues and people were also disenchanted with mainstream parties.

“People look at Lib Dems, Labour and the Conservatives and they all look the same they are looking for an alternative,” he added.

Mr Farage also argues that the three parties were also taking UKIP policies, such as the EU and immigration, for themselves.

He said: “They are trying to match us in terms of rhetoric but they are not able to provide the solutions. I feel now we’ve got them on the pitch with us and we’ve got a goal to kick at.

“An overwhelming majority of British people say that enough is enough when it comes to open door immigration and over two thirds of the country think that the EU should be based on trade.”

He added that another key manifesto area was “ugly windfarms” – which he claimed did not work and better alternatives, such as shale gas, were readily available.

He said: “People realise they are being asked to pay the bill to subsidise rich land owners.”

The party is currently riding high in the wake of the recent Eastleigh Parliamentary by-election, where the UKIP candidate was placed second ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives, as well as Thursday’s victory in the North Lincolnshire Council by-election with 42 per cent of the vote.

From the Carlisle News & Star on Saturday, April 6, 2013.