EUROPE, immigration and the election were all on the agenda when Kilroy met shoppers in Bury town centre.

But what they really wanted to know was . . . when he would be back on the television?

The presenter and politician Robert Kilroy-Silk was on the campaign trail through the Mill Gate shopping centre and the outdoor market on Wednesday. And even paid a visit to Chadwick's black pudding stall to sample a slice of Bury's finest and bought a bag to take home for breakfast.

Since splitting from UKIP, Mr Kilroy-Silk has launched the Veritas party, for whom Ian Upton will contest the Bury North seat at the forthcoming General Election.

And while shaking the hands of shoppers, he took the opportunity to seek their views on the future of the country and his party.

He was happy to stop to chat with diners at Katsouris restaurant near to the market hall and dropped into stores inside the Mill Gate, shaking hands with assistants and customers.

Passers-by mobbed the politician, wanting to talk to him about being sacked from his chat show after provocative comments and asking him to pose for photographs and sign autographs.

Mr Kilroy-Silk was happy to have his photograph taken with shoppers and stall-holders and explained his political stance with his potential voters.

He said: "The party is planning to make a major speech on St George's Day in April. Gordon Brown and David Blunkett are always telling us to be proud of being British, but since they have been in power they have made us feel embarrassed, as though we are not allowed to be proud. Labour have no conviction, and people know they are liars."

Many of the passers-by agreed with his stance and told the former chat show host they would be voting for his party when the time comes.

Mr Kilroy-Silk was sacked as a columnist on the Daily Express last year, after describing Arabs as "suicide bombers" and "limb amputators". He was later suspended from his weekday chat show on BBC 1.

Ian Upton, who could be contesting the Bury North seat as soon as May 5, said: "I think people in Bury will look at what we have to say and think it represents the normal working British person. We want to be able to remove the dictatorship and give people the chance to have free speech and make up their own minds. We are just representing what people believe. We want to make Britain British again."