A specific example of UKIP-voter 'thinking':



I was on the phone with my parents the other day and my father – not for the first time – announced that he was voting UKIP out of disgust at the Eton boys currently running the country.



I pointed out that UKIP leader Nigel Farage is another former public schoolboy, but that didn’t seem to carry quite the same weight.



“At least he’d get us out of Europe,” huffed my father.



I pointed out that many people who are opposed to the EU are so because they want to reduce the rights of workers to below those of EU levels. My father – from very humble working-class stock himself – purports to have sympathy on such matters, so it seemed a coherent point to make, and I thought that it would, at the very least, make him pause.



He did pause.



And then: “We didn’t win the war to be ruled over by the Germans!” he exploded.

Sounds like an average, decent Englishman.

I agree there'll be twitchiness and they've created for themselves. But part of that has been because of the lies that their (former) best mates in the media have taken to spreading. I suspect there will be less of a protest vote come 2015.







There's talk now of him getting to share a debate platform with the leaders of the main parties in the general election: yet his party has not a single MP, while other parties do and won't be expected to have some of the media demanding they be on the telly in such a fashion.

the rise of UKIP is explained by this very forum, too many left wing opinionists in a position of power, preventing the middle ground having a say, and beating them down when they do.



Farage is a clown, but at least he isn't a bully.

I found [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22396690this[/url on the BBC website that is quite interesting. A sort of idiots guide to UKIP (so suited me

)



On the basis of the point on Europe they seem more like the UK "cherry picking the bits we like" Party than independence. I hope that policy is based on a real understanding of our relationship with Europe and why some of the treaties are in place, rather than some bat loonytune Littlejohnesque interpretation.

That is part of the problem, the middle ground has been silenced, so we get extremes on eaxh side, the fact is that the majority of the UK are fed up with the way things are, they don't trust politicians of any side, but we're unrepresented.



what was the turnout yesterday, 35% if we're lucky?

Being honest can Cameron rely on suspicion or does he have to do something to head UKIP off.

Also let us not forget that the general public have never been so disinterested in voting so it takes less to of a protest to be effective.

I have a horrible feeling that UKIP wont go away in 2015 simply because it will be easy to pick up voters that historically haven't voted due to the 3 major parties 'all being the same'.





Like I said he has worked wonders.

The guy clearly knows what he is doing.

As UKIP is mostly right wingers anyway and has mostly gained votes at the expense of the tories ... please explain how a shift to the right by tories will put Labour in big trouble.

Hopefully UKIP will do for the tories what the SDP did for Labour in the 80s. If the tories move to the right, Labour have little to do other than remain in the centre ground.



Cameron and Miliband should be more worried about the 65% of the electorate that chose not to vote, rather than those who voted Kipper.

Why is this debate even taking place? Typical mid term protest vote, come the election it'll be business as usual.

Doesn't anyone else remember the BNP having a good mid-term some years back, and it being hailed as the start of the rise of the far right? You remember, the mid terms before they swept into power.



Oh, hang on...



I'll take UKIP seriously when Westminster burns to the ground and the left get blamed for it.

Interesting to note that Labour did not lose one single seat to UKIP, right across the country

That's because Labour doesn't count that many racists and xenophobes amongst its supporters.