Ukip On The Rise

[Gromit]

Even before the Local Council Elections, UKiP has gained 30 more seats this year. Mainly they are Councillors defecting from the Conservative Party.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9974498/Ukip-defections-surge-in-local-election-threat-to-Tories.html

// Ukip defections surge in local election threat to Tories
Ukip has gained more than 30 council seats in just three months in worrying sign for the Conservative Party's local election prospects.

It has attracted more than 20 council defectors from the Conservatives since the beginning of the year - a rate of more than one a week. It has also taken councillors off the several Liberal Democrats and some independent parties.

However, Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, has been attracting crowds of hundreds of people on his "Common Sense" tour of market towns across Britain.
Cllr Peter Reeve, Ukip local government spokesman said: "There is no longer anywhere in the country where a Ukip vote fails to make a difference. We are winning councillors through our ideas and winning seats through our hard work." //

With the right wing vote splitting, do you think Labour will get a landslide of new councillors in May?

[emmie]

is there an election in May, will stick my pin in UKIP then or not.

[jno]

have a look here, em

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_local_elections,_2013

[emmie]

i did know, however i don't actually care anymore.

[mikey4444]

As UKIP, or as some people call them, BNP-lite, will take their votes mainly from the Tories, perhaps its not such a terrible problem after all !

As the Telegraph seems to think that there is a problem coming up for the Torys, then Mr Cameron should be feeling very afraid indeed.

[emmie]

why should he, there is a way to go yet, and as anyone knows the electorate are fickle.

[cazzz1975]

I dont think UKIP will get the poor and disabled vote.

[emmie]

why not?

[Sqad]

UKip are taking votes from Conservatives AND Labour.........Conservatives only chance is an upturn in the economy.
Labour's only chance is a surge in votes for Labour which has not yet materialised according to the majority of polls.

Still all to play for.....

[emmie]

of course it is, that expression a week is a long time in politics is right, a day in politics is all you need, this can turn around very quickly, as to disabled, poor not voting UKIP, why so, have they said something rude about them...

[Gromit]

// Labour's only chance is a surge in votes for Labour which has not yet materialised according to the majority of polls. //

Not sure which Polls you have been reading sqad.

Probably the most reliable, the Poll of Polls has

Labour on 39%
Conservatives 29%
LibDems 11%

Which would give Labour a 110 majority.

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk

[cazzz1975]

There are a lot of articles on the internet of people concerned about UKIPs policies em, plenty of blogs to read as well

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/03/22/ukip-plans-to-stop-benefit-claimants-buying-tobacco-and-alcohol-in-case-you-were-thinking/

http://leejohnbarnes.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/ukip-welfare-policy-critique.html

[emmie]

haven't we heard similar comments from the other parties, not suggesting they are right, but suggest that they are not alone. Have a look at some of the comments on AB about how benefit money should be spent, that benefit claimants shouldn't spend money on cigs, sky tv, and booze, and have listened to similar comments from members of the Labour party, about vouchers for shops to buy food as opposed to what i have already mentioned. Didn't one local council, i think it was Reading, send out a leaflet also saying much the same thing, that those who will be hit by the bedroom tax, may well have to cut back. Badly worded and they had to apologise, If i could find a link i will post it. No idea if they are a Labour run council, but many seem for whatever reason to sing from the same hymn sheet.

[sir.prize]

Well Nicky Clegg couldn't give a damn - he's gone skiing.

[emmie]

A housing association, not that long ago, they are all at it, as they and we are easy targets.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295712/Housing-Association-advises-tenants-Sky-TV-cigarettes-bingo-want-homes.html

[Sqad]

Gromit

\\\With Mr Cameron in charge, the Tories trail by six points, winning 31 per cent backing compared with 37 per cent for Labour, according to research by YouGov.\\

This was taken a week ago...........depends upon which poll one wants to believe.

[Jeza]

I got an invite from my local MP inviting me for coffee. I declined.

[emmie]

forgive my ignorance, but isn't the election in 2015..

[Gromit]

// depends upon which poll one wants to believe. //

Which is why I linked to thew result of poll of polls and not one.

Strangely, I cannot find the poll result you mention. The last time Labour got only 37% in a YouGov Poll was 10 November 2010. For the last two years they have been consistently above 40% in YouGov Polls.

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/yougov-voting-intention

[emmie]

If Cameron were to call a snap election, and give the people of this country a referendum on the EU as promised, it would be game over for Labour. That may seem airy fairy, however i absolutely believe that is what would happen, more people are worried about uncontrolled immigration, jobs and the economy than other matters. Of course that isn't about to happen, and i can see Miliband taking the PM's job next time around. Will he make a better PM, or a better fist of the economy, what will he do about the welfare state bill, the NHS and many other matters, because for me that's the big problem, he doesn't actually say nor Ed Balls as to how they can really fix things.

[mikey4444]

But Sqad.....the majority of opinion polls put Labour at least 10 points ahead, and that has been the case for months, long before the recent attack on the poor in the Budget. (Witness Osbournes unwise remarks over Philpott and the welfare system). This inconvenience with the Polls may not concur with some peoples hopes and aspirations here on AB but those polls are a fact, not a fiction.

Anyway the original post quoted by gromit came from the Telegraph, not nicknamed the Torygraph for nothing ! So if the bloody Telegraph are concerned, so should Cameron. We will see over how concerned he is over the next few months, as he and his Cabinet will start laying into the BBC, foreigners, etc.

See this Telegraph link from March 16th :::

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9935121/David-Cameron-under-threat-from-rise-of-Ukip-poll.html

It always happens when the Tories get unpopular.