A parliamentary candidate who is set to stand in the next general election for the Brexit Party has vowed to 'break the cycle of despair' in Waveney.

Eastern Daily Press: Robert Rowland was announced as the Brexit Party's parliamentary candidate for Waveney, before dropping out of the race.Robert Rowland was announced as the Brexit Party's parliamentary candidate for Waveney, before dropping out of the race. (Image: Archant)

Robert Rowland was one of the first names announced when the party, led by Nigel Farage, announced its first 50 MP hopefuls last month.

Now the Greater Manchester-born businessman is preparing to contest the next general election for Waveney.

Labelling Lowestoft's coastline as "great aquatic real estate," Mr Rowland said: "I want to break the cycle of despair.

"The first job is the renaissance of the fishing port. Every one job on sea is eight on land, because once you get fishing back you get upstream and downstream benefits, like shipbuilding and steel, and I want to facilitate the building of boats.

"We have a 10-15 year plan to rebuild our fishing industry, but Lowestoft has the skills to rebuild from ground zero. It is so easy to bring it back.

"Economics is not left or right, it is maths.

"The plan is so simple. Get the port thriving and get thousands of people employed. The area by the port gets regenerated.

"Vast areas of this constituency are a tragedy. The most easterly point in the UK looks run down and a disgrace.

"There have been a lot of changes over the years but it has been a decline at that is a damning indictment. It is criminal what has happened to this town."

After being elected as a MEP for the party for the South East in the European elections earlier this year, Mr Rowland has begun working alongside Lowestoft-based party-colleague and fishing campaigner June Mummery.

Mr Rowland said: "European countries are ploughing our seabeds and decimating it. They are hoovering it up and it is an environmental disaster.

"Livelihoods are being stolen in this town and that leaves us in the cycle of dispair.

"The best form of welfare is a good job. For me, it is all about work ethic.

"Coming out of the EU will be like coming out of war."

Mr Rowland also confirmed he would step down as a MEP if he gets elected as an MP, rather than dividing his time between Waveney and South East England.

He said: "I will lose the MEP job. I was hired to be fired in it."