UKIP aiming for poll success

THE UK Independence Party in Sheffield has launched its campaign for the European elections.
The launch at St Mary's Conference Centre at Bramall Lane was attended by Paul Nuttall, UKIP party chairman, and Jonathan Arnott, UKIP general secretary, together with 25 local activists.

Mr Arnott is a candidate for the Yorkshire and the Humber region and chairman of the Sheffield branch.

The party say they are confident of success in the June 4 elections as last time the European elections were contested, in 2004, UKIP took more than 2.6 million votes nationally, knocking the Liberal Democrats into fourth place.

Sheffield members say they have already delivered more than 20,000 leaflets in what they describe as the "most professional national campaign that the party has ever run".

Mr Arnott said: "We're in the middle of the biggest global recession in my lifetime and we're fighting it with one hand tied behind our backs with Brussels red tape.

"Our small businesses are being strangled before they can become big businesses. If you're right-wing, you should oppose the EU for its interference in sentencing and belief in unlimited immigration. If you're left-wing you should oppose it for its callous foreign policy and state aid rules that won't let the government help failing businesses.

"But whether you're left, right or centre we should all be opposing the EU for its wastefulness, bureaucracy and cost.

"If you're in favour of the European Union you have a wide range of choices – Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat or Green. If you're opposed to the European Union then there's just one moderate show in town and that is the UK Independence Party." Sheffield Star.