A Reform candidate said the return of Nigel Farage added 'rocket boosters' to his campaign.

Yesterday Mr Farage announced he will stand in Clacton in the general election and is taking over from Richard Tice as the Reform Party's leader.

Richard Langridge, parliamentary candidate for Witney, said: "I think Nigel's return is fantastic news. He will really add rocket boosters to our campaign.

"It has made a tremendous impact locally already.

"I have had a large number of people joining Reform, and saying they will vote for me, in the few hours since Nigel's announcement. I have also received some good donations.

READ MORE: Bridge shuts due to police incident

"They tend to be people who have voted Conservative in the past, but not all of them are. 

"I think this gives them an opportunity when they feel their views have simply not been expressed for them, not been championed.

"It just gives those people belief that we can change something."

Mr Langridge said immigration "is clearly up there" as a key issue "because essentially it’s meaning that so many other things aren’t working.

"It’s not ‘we don’t want immigrants coming here’. It’s much more we just have too many and it’s impacting wages, the health service, education, housing."

Mr Langridge is opposed to "the appalling proposed housing development in North Witney which threatens the whole town centre with devastating flooding".

He also wants Witney High Street reopened immediately, removal of blanket 20mph speed limits in towns and villages, Thames Water held to account for the state of the rivers across the constituency and verges "properly maintained".

He said: "I can win here, as I believe that the majority of people in this constituency share these commonsense views."

Mr Langridge was a Conservative councillor in Witney from 2007 to 2023 and was David Cameron’s constituency chairman for three years when he was prime minister.

"So I should be the last person to join Reform," he said.

And he said Conservative candidate for Witney Robert Courts was likely to be more concerned since Mr Farage's return.

READ MORE: Oxford Services speak out on cockroach infestation

He said: "I can’t speak for Robert but I imagine he is a little bit more worried than he was. I think the Conservatives in general will be a bit more worried than they were because Nigel is a significant politician.

"I thought Richard Tice did a brilliant job. But you’ve already seen the impact in the main media.

"Richard Tice has been saying things over the last months that the media haven’t picked up on. Nigel Farage says exactly the same things and they’re trumpeting, front page of the Telegraph and on the BBC.

"It’s that X Factor that Nigel brings."

Prospective parliamentary candidates for Witney are: Robert Courts, Con; Charlie Maynard, Lib Dem; Georgia Meadows, Lab; Andrew Prosser, Greens.