This is true in Oldham West and Royton, where I have spent a lot of time during the course of the campaign for today’s by-election, going out and speaking to people, many of whom are former Labour supporters now switching to Ukip. The issues on which Ukip contested the general election – control of our borders and security of our country – are now uppermost in people’s minds, and what has surprised me in the past few weeks is the sheer strength and passionate new support for Ukip in the North. This has been particularly noticeable among young women with families.