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| European election results 2014: David Cameron calls Nigel Farage a "supremely tactical politician" who wants to "destroy" the Conservatives | European election results 2014: David Cameron calls Nigel Farage a "supremely tactical politician" who wants to "destroy" the Conservatives |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Cameron has launched a full-blown attack against Nigel Farage, describing the Ukip leader as a “supremely tactical” and “consummate politician” on a mission to “destroy the Conservative party”. | David Cameron has launched a full-blown attack against Nigel Farage, describing the Ukip leader as a “supremely tactical” and “consummate politician” on a mission to “destroy the Conservative party”. |
| Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, the Prime Minister drew the battle lines and said he refused to accept Mr Farage’s image as a “normal bloke down the pub”, | Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, the Prime Minister drew the battle lines and said he refused to accept Mr Farage’s image as a “normal bloke down the pub”, |
| He pointed to controversies over Mr Farage’s expenses from Brussels and his wife’s position on the taxpayer funded payroll as evidence the leader was not a man of the people. | He pointed to controversies over Mr Farage’s expenses from Brussels and his wife’s position on the taxpayer funded payroll as evidence the leader was not a man of the people. |
| He also firmly dismissed the idea of a Conservative-Ukip pact as little more than a “great myth”. | He also firmly dismissed the idea of a Conservative-Ukip pact as little more than a “great myth”. |
| “I don’t see any prospect of [a pact] happening, from what I read in the Sunday newspapers Nigel Farage wants to destroy the Conservative party not to work in tandem with it,” Mr Cameron said. | “I don’t see any prospect of [a pact] happening, from what I read in the Sunday newspapers Nigel Farage wants to destroy the Conservative party not to work in tandem with it,” Mr Cameron said. |
| He added: “Ukip themselves said in their pre-election email to everyone this is your chance for a free hit. General elections aren’t a free hit, they have real consequences on who is governing your country for the next five years. | He added: “Ukip themselves said in their pre-election email to everyone this is your chance for a free hit. General elections aren’t a free hit, they have real consequences on who is governing your country for the next five years. |
| “The European parliament is important but people do see it as an opportunity to send a message, and a variety of messages to the Government.” | “The European parliament is important but people do see it as an opportunity to send a message, and a variety of messages to the Government.” |
| Fellow Conservative Boris Johnson also rallied to Mr Cameron’s side, characterising Ukip as “pitchfork-wielding populists” on a “peasant’s revolt” in his Daily Telegraph column today. | Fellow Conservative Boris Johnson also rallied to Mr Cameron’s side, characterising Ukip as “pitchfork-wielding populists” on a “peasant’s revolt” in his Daily Telegraph column today. |
| The Mayor of London wrote: “There is a kind of peasants’ revolt going on, a jacquerie. From Dublin to Lublin, from Portugal to Pomerania, the pitchfork-wielding populists are converging on the Breydel building in Brussels – drunk on local hooch and chanting nationalist slogans and preparing to give the federalist machinery a good old kicking with their authentically folkloric clogs.” | The Mayor of London wrote: “There is a kind of peasants’ revolt going on, a jacquerie. From Dublin to Lublin, from Portugal to Pomerania, the pitchfork-wielding populists are converging on the Breydel building in Brussels – drunk on local hooch and chanting nationalist slogans and preparing to give the federalist machinery a good old kicking with their authentically folkloric clogs.” |
| He added that the three main parties had been "figuratively slapped in the face with a wet kipper". | He added that the three main parties had been "figuratively slapped in the face with a wet kipper". |
| Some members of the Liberal Democrats, who slumped to fifth place in yesterday’s European Election, are calling for party leader Nick Clegg to quit. | Some members of the Liberal Democrats, who slumped to fifth place in yesterday’s European Election, are calling for party leader Nick Clegg to quit. |
| The party’s federal executive Martin Tod has insisted that voters were “not prepared” to listen to Mr Clegg, branding the elections a “disaster” for the party. | The party’s federal executive Martin Tod has insisted that voters were “not prepared” to listen to Mr Clegg, branding the elections a “disaster” for the party. |
| But Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander said that "plunging the party into a period of introspection" was not the right response to the results. | But Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander said that "plunging the party into a period of introspection" was not the right response to the results. |
| And Labour, who increasing its number of MEPs by seven to 20, are facing questions as to whether Mr Miliband should match David Cameron’s promise of an EU referendum. | |
| Frank Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead and a supporter of a referendum, said on Sunday: “The greatest challenge Ukip poses is to Labour. If we are to win next year, it will be Ukip that becomes our main opposition”. | Frank Field, Labour MP for Birkenhead and a supporter of a referendum, said on Sunday: “The greatest challenge Ukip poses is to Labour. If we are to win next year, it will be Ukip that becomes our main opposition”. |
| But allies of Mr Miliband made clear that there was “absolutely no prospect” he would change his stance on Europe. | But allies of Mr Miliband made clear that there was “absolutely no prospect” he would change his stance on Europe. |
| Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said that Ukip’s victory in the European elections would “terrify” the older parties. | Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said that Ukip’s victory in the European elections would “terrify” the older parties. |
| He added that the European result marks “the most extraordinary result in 100 years”. | He added that the European result marks “the most extraordinary result in 100 years”. |