We went for a pint with Sheffield UKIP candidate Joe Jenkins

He says yes to weed


The Sheffield Hallam UKIP candidate and Politics fourth year was campaigning in Broomhill on Saturday.

In typical UKIP style we went to the Fox and Duck to discuss him, his campaign and his chances in the election.

Joe has been shipped down from Dundee University to stand for what is currently a Lib Dem seat in Sheffield Hallam, held by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and a safe yellow seat since 1997.

Joe enjoying a pint

Orginally a Lib Dem member himself, Joe he said that standing against Nick Clegg was “an opportunity he couldn’t miss”, and that students should vote for him as he represented their interests in areas such as free higher education and legalising weed.

On the subject of weed, Joe said “I personally have no friends that I know who haven’t tried marijuana.”

“Instead of the current situation, there could be businesses and taxes which could benefit from the selling of marijuana and that a small economy could be based on the drug.”

He was seemingly very passionate about student issues, saying that the eventual aim of UKIP, and indeed himself was for free tuition fees, but a reduction in the number of university places available.

Another UKIP campaigner

Originally from Oxford, and currently commuting to Sheffield every other weekend from Dundee, it’s fair to say Joe perhaps lacks the local knowledge of other candidates.

“Obviously it’s harder for me as I’m not originally from Sheffield, but I absolutely love it as a place and I do my best to visit as much as I can when I’m not working on my dissertation.

“I’m really lucky to have Sheffield as my constituency, and a tight local UKIP network that can help me with the nitty gritty local stuff I might otherwise struggle with.”

Despite this, he was realistic of his chances saying “a lot of people just aren’t ready for UKIP”.

“Obviously being tarred with the racist brush does bother me, as much as it would any other young person in my position. But you’re always going to get people who generalise and jump to conclusions. At the end of the day we’re all about freedom, and I’m the perfect example of a young liberal.”