Nigel Farage hits campaign trail in Walton ahead of General Election

The Reform UK leader is running to win the Clacton constituency, which is a seat currently held by Conservative MP Giles Watling.

Mr Farage, 60, was followed by an entourage of about 12 people and was pictured walking along Walton pier on Sunday whilst he talked to members of the public.

He said Reform UK offered an alternative to disillusioned Conservative voters.

He said: “Huge numbers of people who have been traditional Conservative voters don’t feel represented.

“The Sunak D-Day stuff for a lot of voters feels like the end – they feel so disgusted by what he has done.”

Presence – the emergency services ensured they were visible as Nigel Farage hit the campaign trial (Image: Lorne Spicer)

When asked whether he would be able to make a difference on local issues as opposed to a national picture, Mr Farage said: “I am not standing in the local council.

“We sometimes get it wrong in terms of what district councillors, county councillors, and MPs are for.

“Local issues are huge to people, but the one thing I can do – and I can do it better than anyone – is make a fuss.

“This is a constituency at the end of the railway line which is ignored not just by nationally, but partly by Essex County Council but by national as well.

“When it comes to cutting the verges, I can’t promise anything, but I would have thought the council wouldn’t want to pick a fight with me.

Entourage – Farage was surrounded by about a dozen people on the campaign trail (Image: Lorne Spicer)

Mr Farage said it was not for him to answer whether Clacton constituents were voting for him or what he stood for.

He said: “That’s a very good question but it is something you will have to ask them.

“But I was the outlier for 20 years on leaving the EU – this constituency was the second highest in the country in terms of its majority in favour to leave.

“I feel I am as in touch with them now and I was then.”

The other candidates running to become Clacton MP are Matthew Bensilum (Liberal Democrat), Craig Jamieson (Climate Party), Tony Mack (Independent), Natasha Osben (Green), Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Labour), Tasos Papanastasiou (Heritage), Andrew Pemberton (UKIP), and Giles Watling (Conservative).