Ukip chair SLAPS DOWN BBC host after he brands Nuttall’s Stoke defeat 'desperate'
PAUL OAKDEN slapped down BBC host Nick Robinson after the presenter branded Paul Nuttall’s Stoke-on-Trent by-election defeat “desperate”.
Oakden: Nuttall was courageous to stand in Stoke-on-Trent
The Ukip leader narrowly missed out on the seat to the Labour Party in what was a “courage” campaign, according to the Ukip chairman.
Mr Nuttall secured 5,233 votes, falling some 2,620 short of his by-election rival Gareth Snell, who secured the seat on a mixed day for his party.
Robinson, challenging his guest on the future of Ukip, said: “It was only last Friday that Nigel Farage said what he said, he knew everything you’ve just said.
“Wouldn’t it be more honest to come on the radio this morning and say, ‘This is a desperate disappointment – our leader stood in possibly the most favourable circumstances, in the most satisfactory place.’
Disappointing Nick,yes, desperate, absolutely not!
“If you can’t win here and you can’t win now – when can you?”
Mr Oakden instantly rebuked the BBC Radio 4 Today programme host, he blasted: “Disappointing Nick, yes, desperate, absolutely not!
“Paul Nuttall is 12 weeks into his leadership, I think it was incredibly courageous of him to put his head above the parapet and stand to be the candidate for our party in the selection.
“He did it hoping he could go forward and represent the voters of Stoke-on-Trent Central, but just as much as that, he did it to unify our party, which is exactly what he promised to do during his leadership bid.”
Stoke-on-Trent resident: Blair is driving people to Ukip
Attempting to analyse the defeat, the Ukip official declared it took “23-odd years to win a referendum” on Britain’s European Union membership and good take “that long” to secure another seat in Westminster.
Mr Oakden added: “Look, something clearly didn’t fire yesterday in as much as the fact that we didn’t win. but this is… politics is a long game.
“We’ve been aware of that for a long time. You know it took us 23-odd years to win a referendum to get Britain out of the European Union.
“It may take that for us to get a seat in Westminster via a by-election. But if that’s how long it takes, then that’s what we will keep doing, because that’s what we’re here for.”
Mr Oakden acknowledged Mr Nuttall had endured a “difficult” campaign, after he had to apologise over a false claim that he lost close friends in the Hillsborough disaster.
“This party is absolutely behind Paul Nuttall as its leader. He is 12 weeks into his leadership. We are all going to support him moving forward. This is one step along a long road for our party,” he said.
Mr Nuttall did not make a concession speech, but reflecting on his defeat said: “We have unified the party like never before.”
The Ukip leader added “Ukip’s time will come”, adding that he planned to stand as an MP in the 2020 General Election.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he concluded.
A spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said: “Labour’s excellent campaign has won a clear victory in an election Ukip and the Tories threw everything at.
“Stoke has rejected Ukip’s politics of division and dishonesty. Ukip’s claim to represent working class people has been exposed as a sham.”