THE man picked by Ukip to fight to retain the Clacton seat for the party at the General Election says it is not “job done” over Brexit.

London-based barrister Paul Oakley, 48, has been picked as Ukip’s candidate for the seat, despite losing a hustings event to district councillor Jeff Bray.

Clacton returned Ukip’s only MP in 2015, but Douglas Carswell quit the party in March declaring it was “job done” for Ukip after Prime Minister Theresa May signed the Article 50 papers, officially triggering the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

He announced last month that he would not be standing for re-election.

Mr Oakley said: “We will be campaigning to have a true Brexiteer MP in this constituency, which voted over 70 per cent to leave the EU.

“We must make sure we don’t have a wishy-washy remainer who voted to stay as the MP. Theresa May has to be held to account.

“I’m effectively just a figure head. I’m not saying I’m a wonderful person and the answer to everyone’s problems. It’s basically ‘vote for me’ because I will ensure that the vote the people gave on June 23 last year to leave the European Union is carried out properly and we’re not left with some wishy-washy half-Brexit. I want a hard Brexit as I understand do the majority of people in Clacton.”

Mr Oakley, who is a member of Ukip’s National Executive Committee, said he disagreed with Mr Carswell over the future of Ukip.

“I was only every an acquaintance of his, but I’m very glad he has left the party.

He added: “It’s interesting to note he resigned from the party two days before I and other members of the NEC were going to haul him in front of us to answer a number of very serious questions.

“I think he came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth it – and he jumped before he was pushed.

He said: “I disagree with him - it is not job done for Ukip.

“This is the most dangerous time - people are under the impression we won on June 23 and that’s the end of the matter, but there are a lot of wicked people who are going to do their utmost to undo that result.”

Mr Oakley denied that he has been “parachuted in” by the party’s national executive committee to replace locally-selected candidate Jeff Bray.

He said: “I wasn’t parachuted in. Jeff’s candidacy was rejected by the NEC following allegations surrounding social media posts.

“I fully appreciate that Jeff says he was hacked or they were forgeries, but that doesn’t matter because the story would be Ukip and Islamophobia.

“His candidacy was rejected. There was then no candidate in place and another lady was proposed.

“I threw my hat back into the ring and told the Clacton committee that I was interested in filling that vacancy and I was pleased they chose to adopt me as their candidate, “I’m not a local man and don’t pretend anything otherwise, but I did grow up in a seaside town on the other side of the country – which is Southport – and it has similar advantages and disadvantages and problems, so I will be well based to get into the groove on Clacton’s issues on the back of that experience.

“Even though it is short notice and even though we have not got much time, I’m fighting all out to win in this constituency and be Clacton’s next MP and then make my home here.”

Mr Oakley met with local councillors on Saturday and said he would be working arm-in-arm with them during the campaign, which will see him focus on tackling deprivation in Jaywick, upgrading Clacton’s Minor Injuries Unit and tackling the shortage of doctors.

Also standing for the Clacton seat at the General Election are: David Grace (Lib Dem), Nick Martin (Ind), Natasha Osben (Lab), Caroline Shearer (Ind), Chris Southall (Green), Robin Tilbrook (English Democrats) and Giles Watling (Con).