A former BBC presenter standing for Reform UK says his party is unfairly labelled as "swastika-wearing, Nazi saluters" and is growing increasingly confident at his election chances.

Scott Huggins, Reform UK's candidate for the new cross-border Waveney Valley constituency, said he had been buoyed by polling showing surging support for his party.

Scott Huggins, Waveney Valley's Reform UK candidateScott Huggins, Waveney Valley's Reform UK candidate (Image: Reform UK)

Mr Huggins, who lives near Diss, where he runs a holiday rental company, said: "I think Reform UK is going to explode in growth and I think what has been holding us back are some elements of the media.

"They label us all as swastika-wearing, Nazi saluters. That's a massive burden to carry and it's just not true.

"I'm nothing like that, but a small number of friends have asked me 'why are you with Reform UK?'

"They know I come from a socialist, Labour background. I was a paper candidate for Labour in local elections a few years ago.

"My answer to them is that 'you know me and you know I'm a good person, with good sound judgment'."

He said he had concluded Reform UK, with its manifesto commitment to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and to send migrants who arrive in small boats back to France, was the "right party" for him.

Mr Huggins said priorities for the Waveney Valley, which takes in Norfolk areas like Diss and Bunwell, along with Suffolk settlements such as Bungay and Eye, included stopping proposed pylons.

He was also keen to improve rural transport and reinvigorate town centres.

And if he looks familiar, he co-presented BBC2's Get A New Life in the early 2000s, which traced people swapping the UK to live overseas.

Mr Huggins said: "I do get people saying that they think they know me from somewhere.

"It was good fun. It was about people who wanted to leave Britain, but I always say I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."

READ MORE: Norfolk and Waveney General Election 2024 candidate list

With Waveney Valley a cross border seat, is Mr Huggins, originally from Kent, a Norwich City or Ipswich Town fan? Neither. He says his teams are Leeds United and Gillingham.

Other Waveney Valley candidates are Dr Gurpreet Padda (Labour), Adrian Ramsay (Green), Richard Rout (Conservative), Maya Severyn (SDP) and John Shreeve (Liberal Democrat).