Seconds out in blank for UKIP

Photo: Darren Robinson

Joe Fitzpatrick fails to win a seat

UKIP failed to gain any seats on a disappointing night for the party.

Leader, Councillor Peter Klonowski, said: “We have got a lot of seconds but we have not converted our 2014 result. We have to persuade people that we are not just a one issue party and not just about the EU and that we have got local policies.

“We’ve not done as well as we’d hoped to do. We thought we might get a couple of seats. A lot of seconds is OK but not good enough. We have to do more to translate votes into seats.”

Distraction

It leaves UKIP with two members on Oldham Council: Councillor Klonowski and Councillor Warren Bates.

He said the distraction of the looming EU referendum was not an excuse for the party not making gains locally but UKIP would now turn its attention to that vote.

“A lot of people will be looking forward to June and we will carry on working to try to get people to vote to leave the EU,” he added.

On the low turnout he said: “I want to see more people getting involved in voting nationally. It’s disappointing as lots of countries don’t have the freedom to vote.”