Philip Walling has been announced as the parliamentary candidate for the Brexit Party in Workington.
Philip, who is a writer on country matters, will contest the constituency in the next General Election, standing against Sue Hayman.
On his mother’s side Philip comes from a long line of Cumbrian farmers. He was born in Workington and brought up in Lorton. He went to Cockermouth Grammar School and Newton Rigg Agricultural College. He then farmed in the Lorton Valley for a decade before going to Lancaster University to read law and medieval history.
He then trained in London as a barrister and practised in London and the North, before turning to writing. He is the author of The Sunday Times bestseller ‘Counting Sheep’ and ‘Till the Cows Come Home,’ which has recently gone into paperback.
Philip said: “The Brexit Party polled over 40% of the vote in the constituency in this year’s European Election, with Labour coming second with 14%. In the 2016 referendum 61% of people in Workington voted to leave the EU.
“Along with 17.4 million others I voted Leave in the 2016 Referendum and am dismayed that that majority has been betrayed. MPs of both the major parties refuse to listen and think they know better than their electors. They no longer represent the people. But the political ground is shifting under their feet.
“The people are rising up; they are taking back the power to decide the future of their lives and will no longer be ignored. I will listen to them and do my best to make sure their voice is heard. Politics is changing for good and I want the people of West Cumbria to be in the vanguard of that change.”
Changes that Philip favours include – cancelling HS2 and spending the money on rail, road and infrastructure projects in the north and particularly West Cumbria.
- Provision of free Wi-Fi in a National Wi-Fi Service and high-speed broadband to every household
- Taking back control of our fishing and giving our farmers a financial incentive to produce high-quality food whilst being guardians of the environment.
- Support nuclear power as the only sustainable way to guarantee the electricity supply.
- Reform the House of Lords, the civil service and local government
Philip’s selection was welcomed by Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen MEP for North West England, who said: “It is fantastic that we have such a good local candidate standing in Workington, a candidate that not only knows about the problems locally with regard to investment in transport and infrastructure but also knows the ins and outs of farming in the area.
“I look forward to working with Philip not only about achieving a WTO Brexit but also improving the the lives of people in Workington and the North West.”
Richard Tice, Brexit Party Chairman said: “The Brexit Party stands ready to fight a general election with a full slate of candidates in all the UK’s 650 constituencies. We will take on the major parties, which have failed the British people time and time again.
“The vast majority of our candidates are entering politics for the first time and they come from all walks of life, backgrounds, races and religions. Their greatest strength is that they are not professional politicians, but are competent individuals, connected to their local areas and issues they seek to represent.
“They have achieved great things in their professional or personal life, from entrepreneurs, small business owners and economists – to teachers, academics, forklift drivers and bankers. We all share a commitment to deliver Brexit, defend democracy and change politics for good.”
