John Bickley, UKIP candidate for Heywood and Middleton by-election, vows to represent the people

John Bickley

UKIP candidate John Bickley is the first candidate to announce that he will be standing in the Heywood and Middleton by-election on Thursday 9 October.

In an interview with Rochdale Online, Mr Bickley, who lived in Langley as a young boy, explained he joined UKIP in 2011. He was approached by the party to stand in the by-election after the election was announced by the Labour party last week.

Mr Bickley, who runs his own software company, is a father-of-two whose father was a "staunch Labour supporter and trade union member". He joined UKIP three years ago and has been an active member of the party's Cheshire West branch.

He recently stood in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election, where he came second.

He said: “I was honoured to be asked to stand in the election by the party. I have family from the North West and I do see a lot of similarities between voters in Heywood and Middleton and those in Wythenshawe.

“A lot of the voters from both areas are from working class backgrounds and are more than likely disillusioned with the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. I think many voters have lost faith in the Labour Party and many of the people who would usually vote Conservative have more in common with what UKIP believes in than what the Conservatives do. I think the Conservatives are dead in the North West,” said Mr Bickley.

He added: “We are confident that one day we will have a seat in parliament. Whether Heywood and Middleton is the first then we will have to wait and see but the results we have had are showing that we are making waves and I think that is leaving the Labour Party running scared.”

UKIP and Mr Bickley say they hope to help bring power back to the local community and believe in giving power back to the people who know their community best.

The party also want to reintroduce grammar schools – something that they believe help with education in local communities. Mr Bickley said: “Grammar schools were something that was done well in the 1950s and 1960s but then Labour did away with them and that is something we want to help reintroduce.”

Mr Bickley also wants to call for a fresh enquiry into the grooming scandal. He said: “What has happened in regards to the grooming scandal has left me and others horrified. I would like to try and run a party led enquiry so we can look at not letting this, and the impact it has had on Heywood and Middleton, happen again."

He has also vowed to listen to the people of Heywood and Middleton. “We need Parliament to represent the people and to do the bidding of the people with the MP representing those people. I will listen to what people have to say. I will go out and talk to people and hear what they are saying,” he added.

The by-election for Heywood and Middleton will be held on Thursday 9 October but despite being the first party to announce their candidate, UKIP is critical of Labour for calling the election before the burial of Jim Dobbin.

Mr Bickley said: “I think it is disrespectful to Mr Dobbin and his family that the usual protocol for calling an election after someone has died has not been followed. Yes we are the first to announce our candidate but we waited until Labour announced the election before putting someone forward.”

Having not known Mr Dobbin, the UKIP candidate didn’t want to comment on him and his work but said: “It would be wrong for me to say if he was good or bad but obviously people voted for him so I assume they were happy with him and his work.”

Mr Bickley also didn’t want to comment on Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk. He said: “I am aware of him and have seen him in news but again I don’t know him so couldn’t comment. I obviously disagree with his Labour policies and that is something we would argue about.”

Residents of Heywood and Middleton will chose who they want to represent them as their Member of Parliament on Thursday 9 October.