UKIP HQ Reopens As Advice Centre For Polish Immigrants

    "They're commercial premises, it could have been turned into a lapdance club," the local UKIP treasurer told BuzzFeed News.

    UKIP's office in Doncaster has been transformed into an advice centre for Polish immigrants.

    The office, where the party masterminded its ultimately unsuccessful attempt to unseat then Labour leader Ed Miliband in May, now advises eastern European migrants on housing, benefits, and healthcare.

    Doncaster newspaper The Star reported that the shop is still painted in bright UKIP purple, but instead of a picture of Nigel Farage in the window, there is a notice written in Polish asking if anyone needs any help.

    The shop, located between two Indian restaurants, was rented on a short-term basis by UKIP for the election and then lay empty for a short period of time before being turned into the immigrant advice centre.

    Asked for his reaction to the election hub being changed into a Polish advice centre, the treasurer for the Doncaster UKIP branch told BuzzFeed News he was "fine" with it.

    "They're commercial premises, once we gave up the tenancy it could have been turned into a lapdance club," said Nick Andrews. "It could have been anything, it's fine.

    "As I understand it it's now being used to give advice and help to Polish and eastern European immigrants who need assistance. What a wonderful use of the shop – I have no problem with it."

    Andrews said UKIP never had any intention of keeping the shop after the general election due to a lack of funds from their supporters group, and that UKIP had its "best result ever" in the local area even though it didn't return any MPs.

    He said some people are "deeply unhappy" with the level of immigration in Doncaster, but that Polish people have been arriving in the town for generations.

    "In Doncaster we've had a large number of Polish immigrants since the war," he said. "We have a long tradition of having eastern Europeans settle in Doncaster, there are Polish shops, they're part of the community."