Paul Nuttall vows to fight Brexit backsliding and says 'Ukip is more important than ever'
UKIP's role in politics is more important now than ever been before, Paul Nuttall claimed as he vowed to stop any Brexit backsliding by the Government.
Nuttall: Ukip's plans to stop Theresa May 'backsliding' on Brexit
Paul Nuttall said although Ukip was key in ensuring Britain was given a vote to leave the crumbling bloc, the eurosceptic party had an even bigger job to ensure the Government delivered the will of the British people.
Speaking on the BBC’s Daily Politics show, Mr Nuttall revealed his plan to hold Theresa May and her Conservative Government to account during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
“Let’s be clear, what people voted for on June 23 was to control our own borders, to control our own finances and sign free trade deals all over the globe,” he said.
“We forced David Cameron into giving the referendum in the first place by being strong electorally and we intend to ensure Theresa May doesn’t backslide by doing the same thing.
Paul Nuttall said Ukip was more important now and vowed to stop any backsliding over Brexit
Ukip is more important now than it has ever been before
Mr Nuttall took control of the party in November last year after Ukip’s second leadership election of 2016.
He said he took up the job to make sure the Government did not go back on its word over Brexit.
“That’s why it’s important that I came into this role,” he said.
“That’s why I decided to stand and that’s why Ukip is more important now than it has ever been before.”
Paul Nuttall made the comments during an interview on the BBC's Daily Politics show
Mr Nutall said pressures put Mrs May by Ukip would result in Britain getting “the best deal” during the two-year long negotiating timetable.
“Britain will able to look into this century, confident, able to sign its own trade deals, able to protect its own borders, not paying a membership into the European Union,” he said.
“I think that means a strong, confident, democratic UK.”
Theresa May: There is no 'muddled thinking' on Brexit
Mrs May has promised to trigger Article 50 - the official process for leaving the EU by March 2017.
In her first interview of 2017, the Prime Minister dropped the biggest hint yet that Britain would not keep any form of European Union membership.
Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the Prime Minister reaffirmed that her Government’s Brexit thinking “isn’t muddled at all” as they seek the best deal for Britons.
Mrs May said: “I’ve consistently said that the referendum vote was a vote for us to change – that vote for freedom of movement was a vote for us to bring control into our immigration system for people coming from the European Union.
“There’s a variety of ways that can be done – but I’m clear that is part of what we need to deliver.”