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| Nigel Farage says UKIP is targeting all voters in Rochester | Nigel Farage says UKIP is targeting all voters in Rochester |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said his party is "targeting everybody", as he campaigns in Kent ahead of the Rochester and Strood by-election. | UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said his party is "targeting everybody", as he campaigns in Kent ahead of the Rochester and Strood by-election. |
| Mr Farage said UKIP was "its own force" and rejected any electoral pact with the Tories for the general election. | Mr Farage said UKIP was "its own force" and rejected any electoral pact with the Tories for the general election. |
| He was campaigning with two ex-Tories - Mark Reckless, who is standing for UKIP in Rochester, and Douglas Carswell, who has become UKIP's first elected MP. | He was campaigning with two ex-Tories - Mark Reckless, who is standing for UKIP in Rochester, and Douglas Carswell, who has become UKIP's first elected MP. |
| Tory and Labour MPs have called for a response to UKIP's surge. | Tory and Labour MPs have called for a response to UKIP's surge. |
| Mr Reckless, whose resignation as the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood triggered a by-election, said UKIP would "bring decisions back from Westminster" and "put local communities in charge". | Mr Reckless, whose resignation as the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood triggered a by-election, said UKIP would "bring decisions back from Westminster" and "put local communities in charge". |
| Mr Carswell urged voters to "choose change". He praised Mr Reckless for his decision to seek voters' approval in a by-election and criticised other parties for conducting "a highly personal, aggressive smear campaign" against the UKIP candidate. | Mr Carswell urged voters to "choose change". He praised Mr Reckless for his decision to seek voters' approval in a by-election and criticised other parties for conducting "a highly personal, aggressive smear campaign" against the UKIP candidate. |
| Mr Farage said the result of Thursday's poll in Clacton, which Mr Carswell won for UKIP by 12,404 votes, was "absolutely phenomenal". | Mr Farage said the result of Thursday's poll in Clacton, which Mr Carswell won for UKIP by 12,404 votes, was "absolutely phenomenal". |
| He again dismissed Conservative claims that voters who switched support from the Tories to UKIP risked handing power to Labour. | He again dismissed Conservative claims that voters who switched support from the Tories to UKIP risked handing power to Labour. |
| The evidence of Clacton was "vote UKIP, get UKIP", he said. | The evidence of Clacton was "vote UKIP, get UKIP", he said. |
| The Rochester by-election is expected to take place next month, but a date has not been set. | |
| 'Good protest vote' | 'Good protest vote' |
| Mr Farage said his party was "not a splinter" of the Tories and dismissed questions about any electoral pact with them. | Mr Farage said his party was "not a splinter" of the Tories and dismissed questions about any electoral pact with them. |
| "We want to win our own representation in Westminster and we believe only by doing that can we fundamentally change British politics," he said. | "We want to win our own representation in Westminster and we believe only by doing that can we fundamentally change British politics," he said. |
| "To sell out so that one or two people can have ministerial positions is not what UKIP's about. | |
| "I don't trust David Cameron. I don't believe a word David Cameron says and for that reason it would be fruitless to even enter into any negotiation." | "I don't trust David Cameron. I don't believe a word David Cameron says and for that reason it would be fruitless to even enter into any negotiation." |
| Mr Reckless has reiterated that UKIP wants to "rebalance" immigration, which he said had held down wages for some workers and increased competition for jobs. | Mr Reckless has reiterated that UKIP wants to "rebalance" immigration, which he said had held down wages for some workers and increased competition for jobs. |
| The Labour candidate for Rochester and Strood, Naushabah Khan, said voters had more pressing issues, such as "a hospital which is failing" and "60% of our primary schools which are failing". | The Labour candidate for Rochester and Strood, Naushabah Khan, said voters had more pressing issues, such as "a hospital which is failing" and "60% of our primary schools which are failing". |
| The Liberal Democrat candidate, Geoff Juby, said his party "seem to be out on the streets a bit more" than Labour and the Conservatives. | The Liberal Democrat candidate, Geoff Juby, said his party "seem to be out on the streets a bit more" than Labour and the Conservatives. |
| Clive Gregory, standing for the Green Party, said a vote for him would be "a good protest vote" whereas UKIP represented "the same nonsense as the Conservatives". | Clive Gregory, standing for the Green Party, said a vote for him would be "a good protest vote" whereas UKIP represented "the same nonsense as the Conservatives". |
| The Conservatives will conduct a full postal ballot of constituents to select their candidate. | The Conservatives will conduct a full postal ballot of constituents to select their candidate. |
| 'Mutually-assured destruction' | |
| Asked about the national picture, Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg renewed calls for his party to make a pact with UKIP. | |
| He told the Times newspaper that the impact UKIP has had on the Labour vote in northern England had been encouraging. | He told the Times newspaper that the impact UKIP has had on the Labour vote in northern England had been encouraging. |
| "We should think about what that means in terms of the UKIP-Conservative relationship because the Conservative family could win a majority on that basis," he said. | "We should think about what that means in terms of the UKIP-Conservative relationship because the Conservative family could win a majority on that basis," he said. |
| "Otherwise, the only thing we manage is mutually-assured destruction." | "Otherwise, the only thing we manage is mutually-assured destruction." |
| Mr Cameron on Friday repeated his warning that voting for UKIP could hand the general election to Labour. | |
| This would mean "no action on immigration, no European referendum and - most importantly - you won't get a continuation of the plan that is delivering success for our economy and security for our people", he said. | |
| However, in the wake of Labour's narrow victory over UKIP in another by-election this week, in Heywood, several of the party's MPs have expressed concerns about leader Ed Miliband's electoral strategy. | |
| Former pensions minister Frank Field said "very large numbers" of Labour voters were unhappy with the way the party was performing. | Former pensions minister Frank Field said "very large numbers" of Labour voters were unhappy with the way the party was performing. |
| "If last night's [Thursday's] vote heralds the start of UKIP's serious assault into Labour's neglected core vote, all bets are off for safer, let alone marginal seats at the next election," Mr Field said. | |
| "Until we get that central to our message we're in trouble." | |
| Shadow chancellor Ed Balls insisted Labour did have the answers to voters' concerns. | |
| "If you want reform in Europe, tough and fair immigration rules, a national health service free at the point of use, a higher minimum wage and action in a fair way to tackle the cost of living crisis... there's no point in voting Tory, [and] there's no point in voting UKIP," he said. | |