Steven Woolfe will stand as the UKIP parliamentary candidate for the Labour-held constituency of Stockport in the upcoming 2015 General Election, it was announced last night.
Mr Woolfe, an MEP for the North West and UKIP’s current Immigration and Financial Affairs Spokesman, was born in Moss Side and grew up in Burnage.
When UKIP’s controversial leader Nigel Farage announced that he would be contesting the 2010, leadership election, Mr Woolfe was one of several senior spokesman in Farage’s corner.
In a Twitter post last night, he said: “As a boy my 1st job was helping my mum sell shoes in #Stockport market.
“This battle to rid the borough of Labour is a labour of love for me.”
Labour MP Ann Coffey has held the seat for the past 22 years, having defeated Anthony Favell in 1992 and in 2010, her fifth General Election, she retained her seat with more than a 17% majority.
Mr Woolfe has made headlines before, chairing a meeting at Westminster as a keen advocate of racial diversity within UKIP.
Controversially he said: “I am a proud Englishman, I am a proud Briton, I am a proud mixed race person and I am a proud member of UKIP.”
At the last general election, in 2010, UKIP candidate for Stockport Michael Kelly recorded only 2.2% of the vote, finishing fifth behind the British National Party.
Given the success that Ukip enjoyed at the 2014 European Parliamentary Elections however, picking up more than 20,000 votes, more than any other party, Woolfe will be expecting a far better performance next year.
Journalist and political commentator Owen Jones, from Stockport, last night tweeted Mr Woolfe on expressing scepticism about the success UKIP will have in next year’s election.
He said: “Stockport will send you, UKIP and your tax-cuts-for-the-rich, turn-on-your-neighbour policies packing.”
Image courtesy of Steven Woolfe, via YouTube, with thanks.
