My election win will show people demand Brexit, says Ukip chief
EXCLUSIVE
UKIP leader Paul Nuttall is confident he can pull off a shock victory in the Stoke Central by-election because of this week’s Supreme Court ruling on Brexit.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express yesterday, Mr Nuttall said the city’s voters need to “send a powerful message” that the Leave majority “will not be ignored”.
He launched his campaign as it emerged Labour had drawn up a shortlist of three Remain supporters for the seat, which became vacant when Labour MP Tristram Hunt quit to become director of the V&A museum in London.
With the by-election due on February 23, Mr Nuttall said: “It shows that Labour have complete contempt for the people of Stoke and all those working class people who voted for Brexit.”
Stoke, which has been a Labour stronghold since the 1950s, has been described as “the capital of Brexit” after almost 70 per cent of voters backed Leave in the campaign.
Mr Nuttall fears the Supreme Court ruling that Parliament must pass a Bill to trigger Article 50 could lead to a watered-down Brexit.
His attack came as Remoaner Labour MPs said they would fight “hand-to-hand combat” with the Government over Brexit in alliance with Nicola Sturgeon’s Scots Nationalists and the Lib Dems.
Mr Nuttall said the Tories “cannot be trusted” on delivering Brexit and Ukip “needs MPs in Parliament to deliver what people voted for in the referendum”. He said: “Stoke Central is the new frontline in the the battle for Brexit, this is their chance to send a loud message to Parliament.” He added: “I will make Stoke the capital of change.”
The Lib Dems tried to claim their by-election win in Richmond Park, London, last month provided a mandate for a second referendum.
Mr Nuttall said: “This will be a reverse Richmond, it will show that voters want Brexit delivered.”
A Labour Leave survey suggested that Ukip already has a 10 per cent lead in Stoke Central.
Yesterday Stoke voters welcomed Mr Nuttall on the campaign trail.
Valerie Woolley, 70, said she would vote Ukip because she is “fed up with the false promises” of the other parties. Geoff Taylor, 69, said: “We have had a referendum, now we need to get on with Brexit.”