The UK Independence Party (UKIP) will at 11am announce that John Bickley, who came a close second in the Heywood and Middleton by-election last year, will be the party’s candidate for the Oldham West and Royton by-election due to take place on December 2nd.
Bickley, who finished just 617 votes behind Labour’s Liz McInness on October 9th 2014, is a local businessman and member of the party’s National Executive Committee.
Favourites for the candidacy following the death of Labour MP Michael Meacher included the party’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall MEP, as well as UKIP’s migration spokesman Steven Woolfe MEP.
But Bickley, having the experience and local knowledge, was selected by the party last week, as broken on Twitter by Breitbart London:
Single source on #UKIP#Oldham may have been incorrect. I’m now told the candidate will be JOHN BICKLEY who ran a close second in Heywood.
— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) October 26, 2015
The party is hosting a launch in the constituency later today, where they are due to focus heavily on the record of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
UKIP sources told Breitbart London that the campaign will be heavily focused on patriotism, defence, and Mr. Corbyn’s views on the monarchy.
The party is targeting the “old Labour” voters in the area, who they believe to be patriotic and concerned with Britain’s sovereignty, security, and independence.
They are set to stress the Labour leader’s flip-flop position on the European Union, as well as his “out of touch” Islington socialism.
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