VOTERS have been betrayed by the mainstream political parties and UKIP is the only one that represents ordinary people, activists have said.

Members of Swindon UKIP met at the Jurys Inn earlier today for the official launch of the party’s 2018 local election manifesto.

The star guest was deputy leader Mike Hookem, who spoke passionately about the future of the party.

“We are back on the field, back playing the game and back as a political party,” he said in front of a room full of party members.

“These local elections are very important for the party. It’s also very important for us to show the other parties that we are standing across the country in as many seats as possible.”

He added: “They wanted us dead, they wanted us gone - but we are not going anywhere.”

UKIP is fielding a full set of candidates in all 19 wards this May and members remain optimistic about their chances.

It comes just days after the party was saved from insolvency after donations of almost £300,000 were made following an appeal by interim leader Gerard Batten.

One particular focus was on what UKIP can do for young people.

One of the speakers was 16-year-old Reece Coombes, the deputy chairman of the party’s Young Independence movement.

He said: “We are the party of young people. We always have been fighting for the cause for young people and we always will be.”

He said the government’s current education policies were wrong-headed and more should be done to ensure children’s individual talents were allowed to blossom.

“Each child has to be allowed to enhance their talents and to do what they enjoy,” he said. “We must promote their talents and give every child the chance to succeed.”

Martin Costello, who fought the South Swindon seat for UKIP in the last general election, took a swipe at some of Swindon Borough Council’s recent decisions, such as increasing council tax and pressing ahead with the new museum and art gallery.

He said: “We are committed to representing the people of Swindon who have been constantly let down by all the other parties.”

There was a determined effort to eschew the term ‘far right’. This desire was echoed by Mike Hookem, who said: “We are not a far-right party, we are a common sense party.”