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| Tories 'can win back votes from UKIP', home secretary says | Tories 'can win back votes from UKIP', home secretary says |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Conservatives can win back voters who have deserted them in favour of the UK Independence Party, Home Secretary Theresa May has insisted. | The Conservatives can win back voters who have deserted them in favour of the UK Independence Party, Home Secretary Theresa May has insisted. |
| UKIP made gains in local elections as the Tories lost control of 10 councils. | UKIP made gains in local elections as the Tories lost control of 10 councils. |
| Senior Tory David Davis is calling for a planned referendum on the European Union to be brought forward to counteract the UKIP threat. | Senior Tory David Davis is calling for a planned referendum on the European Union to be brought forward to counteract the UKIP threat. |
| Mrs May dismissed the idea, but said the public needed "greater certainty" that a referendum would happen. | Mrs May dismissed the idea, but said the public needed "greater certainty" that a referendum would happen. |
| UKIP, which campaigns for the UK to leave the EU, averaged 25% of the vote in the wards where it was standing in Thursday's elections and won more than 140 seats. | UKIP, which campaigns for the UK to leave the EU, averaged 25% of the vote in the wards where it was standing in Thursday's elections and won more than 140 seats. |
| Its leader, Nigel Farage, said it had taken its "first substantial step towards a party that can credibly win seats at Westminster". | Its leader, Nigel Farage, said it had taken its "first substantial step towards a party that can credibly win seats at Westminster". |
| 'More straight talking' | 'More straight talking' |
| Mr Davis, who lost the contest to become Tory leader to David Cameron in 2005, said UKIP's policies on law and order, immigration, taxation, foreign affairs, and Europe "mimic a simplified 1980s Tory manifesto". | Mr Davis, who lost the contest to become Tory leader to David Cameron in 2005, said UKIP's policies on law and order, immigration, taxation, foreign affairs, and Europe "mimic a simplified 1980s Tory manifesto". |
| Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said the Conservatives must break the impression that they were "privileged and out of touch", "deal properly with fears over immigration" and urgently take steps to cut taxes. | Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said the Conservatives must break the impression that they were "privileged and out of touch", "deal properly with fears over immigration" and urgently take steps to cut taxes. |
| There must be "more straight talking and fewer focus groups; more conventional Tory policies, not because they are Tory, but because they work; less pandering to metropolitan interest groups; and please, please, no more Old Etonian advisers". | There must be "more straight talking and fewer focus groups; more conventional Tory policies, not because they are Tory, but because they work; less pandering to metropolitan interest groups; and please, please, no more Old Etonian advisers". |
| The prime minister has pledged to hold an in-out referendum on the EU during the early part of the next parliament - by the end of 2017 at the latest - if the Conservatives win the next general election. | The prime minister has pledged to hold an in-out referendum on the EU during the early part of the next parliament - by the end of 2017 at the latest - if the Conservatives win the next general election. |
| But he has first vowed to renegotiate the UK's position within the EU. | But he has first vowed to renegotiate the UK's position within the EU. |
| Mr Davis, however, said the vote should be held ahead of next year's European elections, "otherwise Nigel Farage will characterise those elections as 'the referendum the Tories wouldn't let you have'". | Mr Davis, however, said the vote should be held ahead of next year's European elections, "otherwise Nigel Farage will characterise those elections as 'the referendum the Tories wouldn't let you have'". |
| Mrs May told the BBC the party would learn lessons from the local elections and would work hard to bring back those voters who left the Conservatives and voted for UKIP. | Mrs May told the BBC the party would learn lessons from the local elections and would work hard to bring back those voters who left the Conservatives and voted for UKIP. |
| Asked about the prospect of bringing forward the referendum, she said she believed the original timing was right, but added: "Now we [can] look at whether we can give some greater certainty in terms of the referendum but the whole question is [about] actually having a referendum on the basis of a renegotiated settlement... | Asked about the prospect of bringing forward the referendum, she said she believed the original timing was right, but added: "Now we [can] look at whether we can give some greater certainty in terms of the referendum but the whole question is [about] actually having a referendum on the basis of a renegotiated settlement... |
| "I think what we need to do is be able to show people that we will hold that referendum and we will hold that referendum after the next general election." | "I think what we need to do is be able to show people that we will hold that referendum and we will hold that referendum after the next general election." |
| Earlier, Sarah Newton, the Conservative Party deputy chairman, said the government should consider bringing forward the legislation in this parliament that would guarantee a referendum would be held, "so people can be in no doubt". | Earlier, Sarah Newton, the Conservative Party deputy chairman, said the government should consider bringing forward the legislation in this parliament that would guarantee a referendum would be held, "so people can be in no doubt". |
| Asked about such a move, Mrs May said: "I'm not saying that's definitely what we're going to be doing." | Asked about such a move, Mrs May said: "I'm not saying that's definitely what we're going to be doing." |
| Greater scrutiny | Greater scrutiny |
| BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the Tory leadership believed any damage could be limited at the next general election in 2015. | |
| They intended to subject UKIP's policies to greater scrutiny, said our correspondent. | They intended to subject UKIP's policies to greater scrutiny, said our correspondent. |
| Asked about the surge in voters opting for UKIP, Labour's Angela Eagle told the BBC: "I think they are probably saying 'None of the above.'" | Asked about the surge in voters opting for UKIP, Labour's Angela Eagle told the BBC: "I think they are probably saying 'None of the above.'" |
| The shadow leader of the House of Commons continued: "There's not a lot we can do about what's going on on the right. We'll leave them to it. | The shadow leader of the House of Commons continued: "There's not a lot we can do about what's going on on the right. We'll leave them to it. |
| "But we must not let them drag the country to the right - and not act in the best interests of the country - because they're having a spat in the conservative family." | "But we must not let them drag the country to the right - and not act in the best interests of the country - because they're having a spat in the conservative family." |
| Liberal Democrat MP Sir Nick Harvey said the fall in his party's popularity would make its members "think long and hard" before entering into coalition again. | |
| "It certainly would look a fair bet that our vote will be considerably smaller [in 2015], but I think perhaps the one bit of comfort we could take from this week's results would be that we did manage to concentrate our support in areas where we needed it," he said. | |
| "And I think we will therefore still be a significant part of the parliamentary equation in the next parliament." | |
| Contests took place in 27 English county councils and seven unitary authorities, as well as in Anglesey. About 2,300 council seats were up for grabs in England, in a major mid-term test for the coalition government. | Contests took place in 27 English county councils and seven unitary authorities, as well as in Anglesey. About 2,300 council seats were up for grabs in England, in a major mid-term test for the coalition government. |
| Labour gained 211 county councillors and won the South Shields by-election, but | Labour gained 211 county councillors and won the South Shields by-election, but |