UKIP has picked a small businessman as its candidate for Chipping Barnet. 

Victor Kaye, who lives in North Finchley, will contest the seat in this year’s General Election.

He previously stood for the party in Chipping Barnet in 2005, and finished in fifth place. 

Mr Kaye, who owns a travel agency, said he felt confident of his chances this time round - despite Conservative MP Theresa Villiers holding a majority of nearly 12,000.

He said: “I think I stand a reasonable chance. Labour are never going to do it. They may be the main opposition in the other two areas in Barnet, but the only party that can turf out the Tories in my view is us.

“I have spoken to many people on the doorstep who sympathise with our views, who haven’t had the courage to vote for us, but that’s beginning to change. Chipping Barnet people will have the opportunity to express their real views."

Mr Kaye said he would campaign on housing in the area.

“We have a terrible housing crisis. One of the problems in Barnet is there are big developments coming along which do not contain the proportion of affordable housing they should have. Why are developers making lots of money, arguing it’s not viable to give back to the community a decent proportion of affordable housing?”

A former member of the Conservative party, Mr Kaye said he joined UKIP in 2004 because he was “unhappy" with the direction the party was taking, and that “what UKIP has to say made common sense.”

He added: “I am particularly annoyed with the coalition, so I thought I would stand. They haven’t solved the economy or migration. The population is rising, and the infrastructure cannot cope. We need a more fair and balanced immigration policy.

“We are certainly not a racist party. I think that accusation is now failing because the other parties are now talking about immigration, which we were the first to raise.”

Other candidates standing include Amy Trevethan for Labour, and A M Poppy for the Green Party.