UKIP leader

Perhaps UKIP are being more successful because they are actually listening to what people want. For too long both major parties have ignored what the voting public have been saying. UKIP listened. I am not a supporter of UKIP but see their rise as a failure by the main political parties.

Daphne, again I will say places with low immigration can FEAR immigration so it can be the reason, I am not saying it is , I am saying it can.

f77ms I find it disturbing too. It's 1932/3 Germany all over again.

I get that, so what positive change is UKIP offering?

They seem very negative. Change isn't always for the better. I wouldn't want their changes either.

Stoke had a very low turn-out in the last genersal election. I think (but could be wrong) that it was lower than 50%. I can understand that, but I don't understand why having a UKIP MP would improve the situation.

and it is a very depressed area so cannot understand why anyone would vote for him with his views .

That might be it in that case.
They want change.

I think some parties promise change and dont deliver.
Not that I would want the UKIP changes.

He comes across as your typical `angry little man` . I live about 25 miles from Stoke and it is a very depressed area so cannot understand why anyone would vote for him with his views . I have heard him say that he would like more competition in the NHS , that can only mean privatisation . I find the move to the far right with the rise of the anti abortion , anti immigrant, bring back hanging brigade very disturbing .

Yes, plenty. Five minutes with Google will find it.

Any evidence for your detailed claims for Nuttalls views, espcially the privatisation of the NHS?

So why? It seems like nothing more than a protest vote by angry people. Stoke does not have a high number of immigrants, so that can't be the reason. It does, however, have high unemployment. Nuttall is in favour of reducing benefits even further and, to my knowledge, has never said anything about encouraging business, which is what the town needs. He would also be in favour of selling off more of the NHS, cutting taxes for the more wealthy and not increasing funding for social care - he's on record as saying this quite recently. So how does any of that help people who are struggling? He's a former Conservative, who thought the Conservatives were too soft.

No more difficult than knowing why UKIP are increasing dupport in other parts of the country

It's difficult to know what people in Stoke think UKIP would do for them. I think everybody realises the problem is that Stoke's former industry has collapsed, but I have never read anywhere about UKIP having any kind of expansionist industrial policy.

Sorry, on the short list for labour

There were four on the short list for Stoke, but one, a doctor from A & E has withdrawn

I think this is an interesting article
[those who are anti Daily Mail look away now]
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4145858/Paul-Nuttall-claims-Labour-betrayed-working-class.html

I was reading the comments on a local Stoke newspaper earlier and I think he probably stands a good chance. The reasons being given seem similar to those which some people claim that people in the North East had for voting Brexit ie a protest vote, everybody else is cr*p, so we might as well vote UKIP. Frightening!

Sorry, forgot this link from 2015:

www.thetablet.co.uk/news/1834/0/ukip-claims-to-be-in-line-with-catholic-thought-ahead-of-meeting-with-bishops

Nuttall is a practising pro-life Catholic, who is totally opposed to gay marriage. He has already been using his beliefs to try to attract Catholic votes.

And you say he is 10% ahead in the polls?

That is really frightening.

Oh I forgot climate change denier.

Silly billies

There must be a lot of them in Stoke...

The Poles?

I can't find a ukip manifesto that covers the entire country. Is there one?