Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Paul Nuttall: Ukip leader announces he will stand in the General Election

The Ukip leader did not reveal where he intends to stand, but he is campaigning in Hartlepool on Saturday

Tom Peck
Thursday 27 April 2017 16:45 BST
Comments
Paul Nuttall has said he will 'lead Ukip into battle' in the 2017 election
Paul Nuttall has said he will 'lead Ukip into battle' in the 2017 election (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has squashed criticism that he is running scared of the general election, by announcing he will be a candidate.

“I will be leading the party into battle,” Mr Nuttall said – but without revealing in which seat he will stand.

The confirmation comes just days after Mr Nuttall was accused of hiding in a broom cupboard to escape journalists attempting to find out his intentions.

The party is launching its election campaign in London on Friday morning.

Though Mr Nuttall has not yet confirmed where he intends to stand, he is scheduled to be campaigning in Hartlepool on Saturday.

It is two months since the Ukip leader stood in the by-election for Stoke-on-Trent, which he lost to Labour by a large margin, in a hapless campaign that attracted constant ridicule.

Ukip's former leader Nigel Farage said the election campaign had left Mr Nutall with "six weeks to prove himself."

In an interview with The Independent the party's major backer, Arron Banks, described Mr Nuttall as "quite weak."

Since last year's EU referendum Ukip has dipped to around seven per cent in the polls. On Tuesday it announced a series of policies on integration, which included annual inspections for teenage girls from communities perceived to be at risk of femal genital mutilation. It also proposed banning face coverings in public, a policy which was subsequently questioned by the British Beekeepers' Association.

Mr Nuttall responded by comparing himself to Mahatma Gandhi, citing a quotation in which the Indian independence leader said, "First they ridicule you, then they attack you, then you win."

Mr Gandhi never actually said it.

more to follow

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in