General Election: UKIP will bounce back in the polls, vows Nuttall
Paul Nuttall says UKIP is using its resources sensibly and has a "good chance" of winning seats in the General Election.
Tuesday 2 May 2017 15:44, UK
Paul Nuttall has rejected claims that UKIP is haemorrhaging voters to the Conservatives ahead of next month's General Election.
During a visit to the West Midlands, the UKIP leader predicted his party will gain momentum in the polls over the next five weeks - and said they were in with a "good chance" of getting their candidates elected.
In Dudley, where a clear majority of voters backed Brexit in the EU referendum, he told reporters: "We're going to target sensibly in terms of resources and manpower.
"We're not going to have a scattergun approach like we've had in the past and I think if we do drill down in local constituencies, I think we can get someone over the line."
Mr Nuttall conceded there had been "a slight move" towards the Tories in terms of voting intentions, but expressed optimism that voters will return by 8 June.
In a YouGov poll over the weekend, 6% of those surveyed said they would vote UKIP if an election was held tomorrow - a fall of one percentage point.
Mr Nuttall, who is going to be contesting the seat of Boston and Skegness, said "true Brexiteers" who want a clean break from the EU and a fall in net migration should vote UKIP on 8 June.
On the walkabout, he denied claims that his party's plans to and force schoolgirls to undergo were "anti-Muslim" - and insisted UKIP was in favour of bringing people together rather than dividing communities.
"This is all about having a cohesive society, where everyone signs up to the rule of law, everyone signs up to British values," he said.
On the proposed burka ban, he added: "If you want to enjoy the full fruits of British society, then I think you've got to be prepared to show your face."
But Bill Etheridge, a UKIP MEP for the West Midlands who had accompanied Mr Nuttall during his visit, said of the controversial FGM policy: "I'm not a huge fan of any enforced checks by the state for any circumstance.
"I think the original idea and the original policy has been nuanced and I think we'll see a better approach."
Despite the disagreement, Mr Etheridge said he "wholeheartedly" supported Mr Nuttall - and said the upcoming UKIP manifesto was destined to be "good and exciting".