GETTY Nigel Farage says Ukip are taking Labour supporters

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Campaigning in a seat where Labour “should weigh the vote”, Mr Farage said that his party is “taking big numbers” of Labour supporters making Thursday’s result “very very tight”. And with young and older voters both warming to his message on immigration and borders control, Mr Farage revealed that he had new evidence that the Labour vote across the country is collapsing because of the Corbyn effect. He produced polling evidence by former Labour leader Ed Miliband’s ex-adviser Ian Warren which he said showed 50 per cent of those who voted Labour in the humiliating general election defeat in May will desert the party.

GETTY Mr Farage said that Labour shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s claims Ukip are 'an evil force' showed

Mr Farage added: “Many of those are coming to Ukip.” The Ukip leader was campaigning in the Oldham West and Royton by-election with his party’s candidate John Bickley in a contest called following the death of Labour veteran Michael Meacher. The high profile events at the Tommyfield Market and Oldham College in a rain sodden Lancashire former mill town contrasted with the low key presence of the Labour campaign who candidate Jim McMahon was condemned for allegedly describing Ukip voters as “rejects” on Twitter. According to sources the beleaguered Labour leadership is struggling to persuade MPs to go and help campaign because of dissatisfaction with Mr Corbyn. However, yesterday Oldham born East Ham Labour MP Stephen Timms turned up but admitted to be “not sure” about the result.

GETTY The Labour leadership is allegedly struggling to persuade MPs to go and help campaign

Meanwhile a confident Mr Farage said that Labour shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s claims Ukip are “an evil force” showed “they are scared”. In a blistering attack, Mr Farage responded: “If that is all they can say they must be in trouble. “All I can say is for a man who cosied up to the IRA, sympathised with their bombing campaign, for him to throw that sort of abuse at us not only is wholly inappropriate but shows they are scared. He went on: “Meacher had a 15,000 majority without even having to try. This by-election should have been a non-event. Labour should have literally weighed the votes on Thursday night and that should have been the end of it.” He pointed out that Ladbrokes had Labour on 41 per cent in Oldham and Ukip on 38 per cent “and closing fast”.

GETTY Voters are warming to Farage's message on immigration

I think Corbyn and McDonnell fear that if John [Bickley] gets over the line ahead of their man which he very well might that there whole careers are threatened Nigel Farage