UKIP can stop BNP says Nigel Farage

The UK Independence Party last night claimed it was the only party that could stop the BNP from securing a North West seat in next year’s European elections.

Speaking at a reception in Liverpool, Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, said the party would expose the “hypocrisy” of the three main European parties in their dealings with the European Union. He said the party was intending to make the next election a proxy referendum on the Lisbon treaty, which the government has steadfastly refused to allow the general public to vote on.

Mr Farage was in Liverpool to launch the campaign of Bootle’s Paul Nuttall, who has been selected by UKIP as their top North West candidate in next June’s poll. He will replace Lancaster University academic John Whittaker, who will stand down as UKIP’s North West Euro MP in June.

Mr Nuttall, 31, was recently made chairman of the party and formed UKIP’s south Sefton branch. He is a political adviser to the Ind/Dem Group in the European Parliament. He was formerly a history lecturer.

Although Mr Farage said the party would do a “very good job” of exposing the hypocrisy of the three main parties, he admitted there was a threat from the BNP.

“We are the only party that can stop them [from getting a seat].”

Liverpool Daily Post