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.

You will have noted that Labour's percentage of the vote was down more than even the Tories compared with last time.

Labour WILL NOT win an overall majority in a general election with E Milliband in charge. Not now. Not ever, unless the Tories panic and put someone less user friendly than Cameron in charge.

I don't remember the BNP getting a quarter of the votes or over 140 council seats. That is more than a protest vote IMHO.

The scale has differed, but UKIP have a hel of a long way to go before they can convince anyone - particularly the majority of their vote this time - that they are a serious political force.

As soon as they get the established parties asking questions at a national level about their policies on anything that shows their duomania for what it is, they're going to collapse. There will always be those who think that immigration/Europe is the only issue that matters, but most people are aware that the budget, defence, the NHS and unemployment matter more, and that just going "stop foreigners coming here and get out of Europe (unless it suits us)" isn't going to cut it. They need to portray a much greater depth than they are currently showing.

I agree with most if that but I just think that folks ignore UKIP at their peril and comparing them to what the BNP did previously is missing the point as UKIP is a different animal IMHO.