"I'm no racist neo-Nazi," says Greater Manchester election candidate

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

His fringe English Democrats party is perceived by the political mainstream to be far-right, even fascist, but Leigh and Atherton candidate Craig Buckley is at pains to argue: “I’m no racist neo-Nazi.” The 38-year-old factory worker is bidding to upset the political applecart in a constituency that turned blue for the first time in more than 100 years in 2019.

He’s up against the Labour candidate Jo Platt, who, according to the polls, is odds-on to reclaim the seat she lost to James Grundy five years ago in the July 4 General Election.

The English Democrats are fielding candidates in 15 constituencies across the country, including four in the Greater Manchester - Bolton West (Patrick McGrath), Makerfield (Thomas Bryer), Bury South (Stephen Morris), and Mr Buckley in Leigh and Atherton. “I was going to stand as an Independent,” said Mr Buckley. “It was only very recently when the General Election was announced that a friend suggested I look at the English Democrats. READ MORE: Urgent appeal for help to find missing teenager who didn't turn up for work “They offered to sponsor me, I had a look at them, and thought there was nothing there that I disagree with, so rather than spending my hard-earned savings, I thought why not?” Their main policy, he explains, is campaigning for a parliament for the English.

He went on: “We have devolved powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but an English assembly has never been considered.