UKIP on the rise, says local MEP Paul Nuttall

MEP Paul Nuttall

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Wind turbines, immigration and grammar schools were among topics of a hard hitting speech by local MEP Paul Nuttall.

Addressing a crowded North West UKIP conference in Liverpool at the weekend the party's deputy leader also spoke of the rapid rise in membership, currently standing nationally at 30,000.

"This is a party on the move. We are the only growing political party in Britain," said Mr Nuttall.

It is also commonly known as the party of 'common sense', he said and that was needed in education in this country. In order to give all children right across the board a chance UKIP would establish grammar schools in every town, he said.

Turning to immigration Mr Nuttall pointed out, "It is not racist to want controlled borders" and he suggested a points skill system should be introduced similar to that used in Australia.

"We should also not be allowing immigrants to claim benefit from day one when they have never paid into the system," he said.

He went on to point out the folly of wind turbines, which make land owners richer through subsidies and energy users poorer through higher prices. "Wind power does't work and what I would like to see is every single one ripped out, taken away and sent to the waste bin."

The keynote speaker at the conference, which attracted both members and non-members, was party leader Nigel Farage, who received a rapturous reception.

Among issues he highlighted was the fact that from 1 January next year 28 million citizens of Romania and Bulgaria are free to come here.

"Regardless of whether they are good, hard working people or members of criminal gangs, we are opening up our doors and benefit system to those people unconditionally at a time when we have 1 million of our own young people out of work and there is nothing the others can do about this because they are committed to the EU and freedom of people.

"I make you a prediction, if anything like the numbers come from year from Romania and Bulgaria that I think will, that issue alone will have a more dramatic affect on British politics next year than you have seen from UKIP this year.”