Labour Clacton candidate faced campaign ‘intimidation and racism’

A Labour candidate said he feared being alone on the general election campaign trail because of the “intimidation and racism” he faced.

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul said people asked “Where are you really from?” and tore up his election leaflets in the Essex constituency of Clacton.

“You think about what happened to Jo Cox and Sir David Amess,” the defeated candidate said, referencing the two murdered MPs.

Despite his concerns, Mr Owusu-Nepaul said his experience “put a fire in my belly” to tackle societal issues head-on.

Mr Owusu-Nepaul said a toxic atmosphere clouded the campaign trail, but he told the BBC his relationship with Mr Farage was “completely amicable”.

“I was never left alone, thank God, but I never felt particularly safe enough to be by myself,” he said.

“You’re always very mindful in as much as you campaign with passion and enthusiasm, you just want to watch your back.

“We’d get emails that weren’t very pleasant and Facebook messages that weren’t very pleasant, and you don’t really know who or where these people are.”

The political hopeful said the racism he faced included being told “We don’t want people like you here”.

He added: “People were interrogating my name and asking, ‘Where are you really from?’ and, ‘Where are your parents from?’

“They kept asking until I gave them an answer that satisfied them.”

However, Mr Owusu-Nepaul said the opportunity to challenge people’s viewpoints was “brilliant”.

“It’s almost good to know these people exist so we can work together to tackle it,” he said.

“The campaign was a real opportunity to listen and learn. It reminded me of the purpose of public service.

“It put a fire in my belly to continue to address inequality and the lack of opportunity that exists in parts of the UK.”