UKIP’s glass is half full...

UKIP leader Nigel Farage pulls a pint with Royal Oak landlady Lynda Sweeney

Election 2011

UKIP leader Nigel Farage got behind the bar while meeting local licensees during a tour of Oldham’s pubs.

As part of his visit to the borough Mr Farage stopped off at the Royal Oak in Union Street to speak to landlady Lynda Sweeney about issues affecting the trade such as the smoking ban and cheap alcohol in supermarkets.

Speaking about the by-election, Mr Farage said UKIP and its candidate Paul Nuttall, UKIP MEP for the North West, believed in controlled immigration, and being patriotic without being extremist.

He said UKIP was increasing in popularity among voters who were disillusioned with the main three political parties, and believed it was set to take votes from the British National Party (BNP) and the Lib-Dems.

He said: “I’m not saying we can win the by-election but we’re going to do very well, we are strongly the fourth party.” Mr Farage said although the BNP did well in elections following the 2001 Oldham riots, they were imploding as a party.

He said: “So many people who voted for the BNP voted for them holding their noses.

“We are taking significant votes off the BNP in this by-election and we can help send them into destruction. The Lib-Dems were a protest against the establishment but now they are the establishment and they’ve broken promises such as tuition fees. UKIP is the alternative vote.”




Nick Griffin MEP, leader of the BNP, joined party candidate Derek Adams in Oldham on Tuesday for a day of action.