THE UKIP leader is confident the party can hold Clacton in the General Election, saying they would give the people what they want following Brexit.

Party leader Paul Nuttall and Clacton’s parliamentary candidate Paul Oakley stopped off on their battle bus in the town centre on Saturday morning.

The question everyone had to ask was, is UKIP’s job done now Britain is leaving the European Union?

Mr Nuttall said: “We are putting the country above the party which is an honourable thing to do.

“We are only half way there- we have won the war and now we have to win the peace and get full control of our waters and borders.

“I think we could hold Clacton.”

Mr Oakley, 48, who is standing as prospective MP for Clacton, described himself as “The first proper UKIP MP”.

Douglas Carswell won UKIP’s only seat in Parliament in 2015, having defected from the Conservatives a year earlier.

But he quit soon after the EU referendum, claiming UKIP’s job was done.

Kevin Watson, UKIP district councillor representing Jaywick, said Mr Oakley was the best man for the job.

He said: “72 per cent of people here wanted to come out of Europe, we want to make sure what people voted for goes through.

“All along Carswell was against our policies.”

Numbers were relatively low when the two arrived in Pier Avenue, but Mr Watson said he was not surprised.

Some residents were less confident in the member of UKIP’s National Executive Committee.

One UKIP supporter, who did not want to be named, said: “If we hadn’t accepted Paul Oakley we would not have had a candidate.

“Some people did not like what happened when Jeff Bray was not accepted.

“However I do think Oakley is the right person.”

Local UKIP councillor Jeff Bray was picked as the town’s candidate by three votes.

However, the party’s ruling committee later changed its mind, announcing that London-based Mr Oakley will be its candidate. Mr Oakley had been accused of being ‘parachuted in’, which he denies.

The pair were a day late visiting after the wing mirror of the battle bus was knocked off by a passing lorry- they were due to visit the town on Friday but said the bus was not safe to drive.

Mr Oakley met with local councillors earlier this month, saying he would work arm-in-arm with them.

He is standing against Natasha Osben (Labour), David Grace (Lib Dem), Chris Southall (Green), Robin Tilbrook (English Democrats) Nick Martin (Ind), Caroline Shearer (Ind) and Giles Watling (Con).