UKIP: Fielding candidates in most seats

A UK Independence Party candidate in the North West is standing in eight constituencies simultaneously.

The party insists the move is legal, though if elected Dr John Whittaker could represent only one seat and would have to make a choice on which one.

The UKIP candidate, who is an MEP for the North West region, defended his decision to stand in all eight seats.

"Although we already had candidates in place in 58 of the 76 North West seats and I had been selected to fight Wigan, I decided to fill some of the gaps where we had no other candidates," he said.

"Three or four thousand people voted UKIP in every local constituency in last June's Euro-election – it seemed wrong to deny any of them the chance to do so again."

Speaking to ePolitix.com, Dr Whittaker said that if faced with the choice, he would choose to represent Wigan where he was originally selected.

But he denied this meant that a UKIP vote in any of the other seven seats was a wasted vote.

"I don't think any vote for UKIP is a wasted vote, because every vote we get is pushing up our credibility," he said.

"The only wasted vote is a vote for one of the other parties, because most of our laws come from Brussels in any case."

Pledging to stand down from the European parliament if elected, Dr Whittaker was also bullish about his party's chances in the North West.

"You never know what will happen up here. There is enormous interest in the north west, partly because there is an enormous number of traditional Labour voters who feel that they just can't trust the party anymore," he said.

"But it's very hard for smaller parties like us, because the media just carries this huge barrage from the three main parties."

The eight constituencies in which Dr Whittaker has been nominated are Ashton-under-Lyne, Crosby, Heywood and Middleton, Hyndburn, Manchester Central, Rochdale, Stalybridge and Hyde, and Wigan.