THE FORMER Brexit Party candidate for Basingstoke has pledged her support to Independent candidate Alan Stone ahead of next week’s general election.

Caroline Gladwin says she was ready to start campaigning to be the town’s next MP when her leader Nigel Farage made the decision to stand down all candidates in seats currently held by the Conservatives, including Basingstoke.

However, in an interview with the Gazette, she has since pledged her allegiance to former campaign manager Alan Stone, who is standing as an independent, and revealed that she attempted to stand herself after the disappointment of being asked to step down.

She said she was “heartbroken” when she was told to stand down, but she “100 per cent supports the party”.

“I stood because I wanted to deliver Brexit, what we voted for,” Ms Gladwin said. “I solely wanted to deliver on the referendum result and help the Brexit Party to do whatever we could.

“I was ready so I was very upset to not give people the opportunity to vote for a Brexiteer, who wouldn’t be?

“Unfortunately the result is that Basingstoke was left unrepresented by a Brexiteer candidate.

“We need Alan (Stone) to be elected as a Brexiteer. That’s why I’m 100 per cent behind Alan. It’s all well and good for Boris to present his ‘wonderful’ deal, but we need a clean break.”

When asked why she is supporting Mr Stone, Ms Gladwin said: “It’s the fact that he will do his very best for Basingstoke. Whatever is needed, he will deliver. He is absolutely 100 per cent committed to Basingstoke and he will deliver.”

She added that she tried to re-register as an independent candidate after Mr Farage’s announcement, but that she couldn’t get the paperwork through in time.

Also standing for MP in Basingstoke is Conservative candidate Maria Miller, Labour’s Kerena Marchant, Sashi Mylvaganam for the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party’s Jonnie Jenkin.