[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22382098

The UK Independence Party have made early gains as the results of council elections across England are declared.

UKIP have won a total of 36 seats and are averaging 26% of the vote in the wards where they are standing.

Polling expert Prof John Curtice said it was a "remarkable performance".

Indeed .....

[arista]

Yes
4 Party UK.

UKIP a protest vote storm
but still has to achieve a Full MP

Wow - how amazing.

[Nedusa]

Up to 42 seats now...

[Cherie]

Not really a fan of UKIP. To my mind they are a more sanitised version of the BNP. I can see why disillusioned people voted for them, the BNP have managed to get black and asian people to vote for them so anything is possible.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Up to 42 seats now...

..... and Tories down by 66 .....

[arista]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Not really a fan of UKIP. To my mind they are a more sanitised version of the BNP. I can see why disillusioned people voted for them, the BNP have managed to get black and asian people to vote for them so anything is possible.

No I do not think so.
And UKIP has Asian Council leaders

The right always does well in times of financial hardship.

People need excuses and scape goats, and parties like UKIP are happy to provide them.

[arista]

[MTVN]

[Nedusa]

UKIP have no real policies only a desire to leave Europe and reduce immigration. They are no where near being able to produce a manifesto that has sensible coherent detailed policies and I think are useful only as a means of registering a protest vote against the current Govt and lacklustre Labour opposition.

[joeysteele]

I think this is more than just a protest vote for UKIP, the successes are impressive, however it could mean a possible 4 party race in elections now for some considerable time.
I think Nigel Farage is the strength for UKIP and people seem to take him at his word on at least some issues.

For Ed Miliband, he needs to really get going and get a good message across, Labour will be doing enough in these elections to be the likely winners of a general election though.

The Lib Dems, need to realise they are not being punished for being in Govt, they are being punished for kicking their voters in the teeth after 2010 after gaining their trust,by supporting some of the most extreme and heartless policies.

For the Conservatives though,they have a leader who was in effect a loser in 2010, failing to turn the successes of a year earlier into an outright election win in 2010.
He is not trusted, he is not also believed now by floating voters as to what he says and promises.
For them,(as with Gordon Brown and Labour in 2008 to 2010), to have any chance of anything resembling a fair result in 2015,they need to replace David Cameron,he is now,in my opinion, their main weakness just as he was their barrier to winning an overall majority in 2010.

I can see UKIP getting Westminster seats in 2015, possibly a fair few of them too.

[arista]

UKIP taking Labour Voters
is Bliss.

Sure they effect all
but Labour Never says anything about UKIP taking their Voters
big error

Ref : Radio5 Live and SkyNewsHD Live

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I think this is more than just a protest vote for UKIP, the successes are impressive, however it could mean a possible 4 party race in elections now for some considerable time.
I think Nigel Farage is the strength for UKIP and people seem to take him at his word on at least some issues.

For Ed Miliband, he needs to really get going and get a good message across, Labour will be doing enough in these elections to be the likely winners of a general election though.

The Lib Dems, need to realise they are not being punished for being in Govt, they are being punished for kicking their voters in the teeth after 2010 after gaining their trust,by supporting some of the most extreme and heartless policies.

For the Conservatives though,they have a leader who was in effect a loser in 2010, failing to turn the successes of a year earlier into an outright election win in 2010.
He is not trusted, he is not also believed now by floating voters as to what he says and promises.
For them,(as with Gordon Brown and Labour in 2008 to 2010), to have any chance of anything resembling a fair result in 2015,they need to replace David Cameron,he is now,in my opinion, their main weakness just as he was their barrier to winning an overall majority in 2010.

I can see UKIP getting Westminster seats in 2015, possibly a fair few of them too.

I agree with the sentiment in your post but think UKIP have a long way to go before they could be considered a serious rival to the main political party's. The higher the profile of UKIP the more the party will be scrutinised inside and out starting with its members and their affiliations.

Then the party's policies and manifesto will be examined and finally their credibility will be judged if they are to progress to become a party capable of government and not just a vehicle for disillusioned Tory/ Lab/ Lib Dem voters.

I for one welcome the shake up UKIP could bring to the British Political status quo. I think the current main parties are not listening to the British people on a wide range of issues like continuing membership of Europe and uncontrolled immigration. Why can we not have a referendum on Europe in the lifetime of this govt not have to wait to see if the Torys win the next election and hope for a referendum in 2017.

We vote these people into power and we can vote them back out as well...!!!

[arista]

[arista]

And Joey

UKIP could Stop Labour getting power in 2015

[MTVN]

Be interesting to see if they can sustain and build on this momentum over the next two years as we approach the general election, I don't think we've seen the irreversible change in British politics that Farage is hailing just yet, it will take a lot more for them to convince enough of the population of their legitimacy as an alternative option if they want to make any real impact in 2015 and even win a few seats

[Vicky.]

Lib dems are getting absolutely hammered..

Still cant believe in south shields they got half the votes that the BNP did

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

UKIP have no real policies only a desire to leave Europe and reduce immigration. They are no where near being able to produce a manifesto that has sensible coherent detailed policies and I think are useful only as a means of registering a protest vote against the current Govt and lacklustre Labour opposition.

Totally agree. They've made some gains in these elections, but they are local elections. They have no policies or clear strategies for the elderly, for schools, for roads... They are a party that offers no answers, only bullet points.

[arista]

Worse 8 more councils with No Control Won


On SkyNewsHD one bloke voted UKIP
and was a Labour voter
Utter Bliss


This is the one Day we need a hour for Ch4News at 7PM
but as its Friday so only 23mins.
Adam Boulton Special Live 7PM tonight
One Hour



And for Feck Sake
someone tell BBCnews Huw Edwards to look at the camera
he keeps running his eyes all over the info in front if him
like a wild rabbit

No One on SkyNewsHD does that

[joeysteele]

Arista,I really don't see UKIP stopping Labour winning in 2015, they may well make it that Labour could miss out on an overall majority but no way can the Conservatives in my view come anywhere near being even the largest party let alone win an overall majority.

I still stand by my prediction of an at least 30 overall majority for Labour in 2015 although the only result other than that which I could see is a Labour/Lib Dem coalition.

There were 20 of us watching these results today and I was amazed that 14 of those watching were really impressed with Nigel Farage.
They were also,(which has just been on), really interested in the exchange,rather cordial exchange too,between Chukka Umunah and Nigel Farage discussing the results and Europe too.

Nigel Farage was pretty scathing too as to David Cameron but said something I really believe will happen, he said Ed Miliband will, by the 2015 election, promise a referendum as to Europe.

Whatever happens in 2015, I cannot see it being enough to save David Cameron from being a one term PM, I still really feel he is the wrong leader and the voters didn't really want him to be PM anyway in 2010.
Hence the no overall result he got despite Labour falling right down to 29% in that election and the Lib Dems only increasing by 1%

These are local elections and maybe not much should be read into them really, however I do think UKIP are here to stay for a fair while anyway.
Nigel Farage does seem to connect with the voters, I wouldn't vote UKIP myself becasue I believe we should be in the EU but I am also impressed with the way he conducts himself. He doesn't come across as slippery.

The thing for me from these local elections is how well the Conservatives did in 2009 when these were held but how they failed,badly too,to win an overall majority in the election a year later.
However, now doing so much more badly this time now, the one sure thing for me is they are definitely gone in 2015.

[arista]

"Arista,I really don't see UKIP stopping Labour winning in 2015"


But by 2015 it can all change.

So Many Hate Ed M.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by arista

"Arista,I really don't see UKIP stopping Labour winning in 2015"


But by 2015 it can all change.

So Many Hate Ed M.

I don't really think Ed Miliband liked or hated matters as to Labour now becoming the largest and only party able to form a govt, or getting an overall majority of around 30 seats in 2015.
I think a different leader for Labour would only likely make the victory much bigger.

In the same way a new leader of the Conservative party could make the defeat less for them
David Cameron is widely seen as a loser, even more so after these local elections, only UKIP and Labour appear to be rising.

[arista]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I don't really think Ed Miliband liked or hated matters as to Labour now becoming the largest and only party able to form a govt, or getting an overall majority of around 30 seats in 2015.
I think a different leader for Labour would only likely make the victory much bigger.

In the same way a new leader of the Conservative party could make the defeat less for them
David Cameron is widely seen as a loser, even more so after these local elections, only UKIP and Labour appear to be rising.

Yes UKIP gained more than Labour.
and the Greens gained today

By now Labour should be doing far better
and you know it





Ch4News Live just predicated a Hung Parliament
not a Labour Win.

[joeysteele]

Well that is what I said too a likely Labour/Lib Dem coalition possibly although I still believe the electoral system will likely deliver a majority Labour Govt.
Even on those figures above arista, Labour would be at the worst just 2 seats short of an overall majority.
With the fact that Sinn Fein don't take their seats at Westminster and that the SDLP in Northern Ireland support Labour too, they would then already have a workable majority if that was what happened anyway.

However, while it is true UKIP have done amazing in these local elections, it is also a fact Labour gained 291 seats to the Conservatives losing 336.
labour gained 9% as to the projected share of the votes cast while the Conservatives lost 10%
That is pretty significant and it speaks volumes as to the Conservatives chances of real success in 2015,for me anyway.

I largely ignore the Lib Dems now, a loss of 120 seats and down to 14% of the likely votes cast would suggest to me they could even find themselves replaced as the 3rd force in UK politics in a General election if they don't pull away and in a big way too from this Conservative led coalition.