Farage 'going to walk' Clacton poll as voters say UK at 'bursting point' over immigration
Nigel Farage announced this week he would contest the Essex seat as the newly installed leader of Reform UK.
Nigel Farage has been projected to win the seat of Clacton-on-Sea with ease as voters slammed the Government's failure to tackle immigration.
Mr Farage unveiled his campaign on Monday, renewing his commitment to "reduce net migration to zero" and "stop the boats" with a six-point plan.
Residents in the coastal town have long lamented the inability to restrict arrivals from abroad and have warned that the UK is now "at bursting point."
Data from the ONS and the Home Office has shown that the country has experienced an unprecedented boom in net migration – the number of people arriving minus the number of people leaving – over the past five years.
Migration data analysis has also highlighted a surge in migration into the thousands from countries outside the European Union following the implementation of post-Brexit border rules.
The newly-installed Reform UK leader insisted the Conservatives will pay a "big price" at the polls for failing to tackle immigration.
Local resident Colin Spikesley, a retired police officer, suggested Mr Farage is simply "going to walk" the Clacton poll as more and more people turn their backs on the Tories in favour of his party.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Spikesley said: "Nigel Farage is going to walk it. Look around you. He’s charismatic, a good orator. We just came for the hoot and we cannot wait.”
Another local, Steve Schaffer, claimed the whole country is now struggling as migrants increase the pressure public services already face daily.
He said: "This is only a small country. We’re struggling. We can’t build enough homes.
"The schools and hospitals are full. It’s reaching bursting point. We’ve got to stop it or slow it down somehow.
DON'T MISS:
Lee Anderson jokes 'my phone is on fire' as Tories beg him to make major move [INSIGHT]
Nadine Dorries makes shock election prediction - it's bad news for Rishi Sunak [ANALYSIS]
Nightmare for Sunak as Reform UK surges to within 2 points of Tories - new poll [POLL]
Nigel Farage clashes with BBC's Mishal Husain over migration
“Over the last 10 years, the Tories have been going downhill. I’ve voted Tory since 1964 but today they don’t do anything. They’re not going to put people in planes to go to Rwanda because we are still tied to a European court.”
The main concern that emerged from conversations with residents since Mr Farage announced he would contest the Clacton seat was overwhelmingly the immigration rate.
Andy Knoyle said: "Immigration is the biggest issue. You can’t sustain these numbers. 685,000 net last year. 2.4 million over 10 years. No country, perhaps besides America, can put up with that. The Tories don’t seem alarmed or concerned about these numbers.
“I believe Farage will be for the people. He knows our needs. He’s got his finger on the pulse, whether it’s debanking, net zero, immigration, the boats, he knows what to do.”
A Stack Data Strategy found that Clacton-on-Sea is the most migration-sceptic seat in the whole of England, with 67 percent of constituents backing tighter restrictions.
