The leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage has visited Morecambe on the local elections campaign trail.
Mr Farage arrived on Wednesday morning to meet local Reform UK candidates in the elections on May 1, and Armed Forces veterans.
He got out of a car on the Promenade at around 11.25am, then went into the Pier Hotel on Marine Road Central to meet the veterans at their regular coffee morning, then to the nearby Royal Bar & Shaker for a meeting with Reform party members, and media interviews.
He then walked across the road to the Eric Morecambe Statue for further photos, before leaving en route to a campaign afternoon in Fleetwood.
Speaking to Beyond Radio, he said: "I'm touring the coast today.
"In Morecambe, the Reform branch was only set up in February, so it's very very new, and yet I turn up here and you've got candidates and supporters, the chair of Morecambe Town Council (Russell Walsh) has come across to us, so I can only say, well done!"
Mr Farage is pictured below, arriving on Wednesday morning. Management of the Pier Hotel in Morecambe have asked Beyond Radio to make it clear that he was a guest of Bay Veterans Association and not the pub, which is non political and as a business does not support or endorse any particular party.
There will be full Lancashire County Council elections, as well as a Lancaster City Council by-election in John O'Gaunt, and a Morecambe Town Council by-election in Torrisholme, when the district goes to the polls on May 1.
We asked Mr Farage to explain the main issues local Reform UK candidates will be campaigning on.
"Just have a look at what Labour and the Tories are talking about," he said.
"All they are talking about are national issues. I'm one of the few who is going around talking about debt, and all the things that are happening at county level.
"But you can't disassociate national politics from the county council.
"So the big issues are the cost of living, which is impacting everybody across the country in a very negative way, and the whole immigration (issue) is very very big around the country.
"Locally, it's a judgement, really, on how well you think Lancashire County Council has been run.
"I would argue that they've mis-spent money. Our view is that it needs a shake-up."
Video below of Nigel Farage walking near Morecambe Promenade on Wednesday.
On rising Council tax and concerns about small businesses closing in Morecambe, he said:
"Council tax goes up in Lancashire pretty much by the maximum every single year.
"I do understand that central government gets less money, I do understand there's an aging population. But as far as jobs are concerned, it's a triple whammy. You've got added national insurance costs on any staff you employ, inflation, then you've got business rates. I'd love to see a few experiments. Drastically reduce business rates for a year or so and see what happens."
On the government's plans to merge local councils in areas where there are currently two tiers of local authority, including Lancashire, he said: "Can we have a debate?
"Can someone tell me why we are destroying Lancashire's identity? Please can somebody explain, has anybody been asked?
"Nobody has made any compelling argument."
Of meeting the Forces veterans, Mr Farage said there was "a lovely feeling and sense of community in the room".
Mr Farage is pictured below meeting Forces veteran Dr Graham Blick.
And he said the aim in the local elections was "to win a lot of seats, how many I don't know, as many of these seats will be determined by 100 votes here and 100 votes there."
"But be in no doubt at all, that on the morning of May 2, the political map of Lancashire will be a different colour."
Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green candidates will also be contesting Lancashire County Council seats across the Lancaster and Morecambe District on May 1.
Going into the election, the county council is Conservative-led.
The full list of Lancashire County Council election candidates in the 10 Lancaster District seats can be found here.
Local election candidates announced - Beyond Radio
We have contacted each of the political parties to ask them about the issues they will be campaigning on during the local elections. More to come.
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