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| Ukip 'looking to win 25 seats' at next election as polls suggests they could claim a quarter of the vote | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| UKIP has set itself a target of winning 25 seats at the next election, after last week's by-election successes and their high poll ratings suggested that they could overtake the Liberal Democrats to become Britain's third party. | UKIP has set itself a target of winning 25 seats at the next election, after last week's by-election successes and their high poll ratings suggested that they could overtake the Liberal Democrats to become Britain's third party. |
| The party had previously been planning to concentrate its strengths on 12 target seats where they think they are in with a chance in next year's general election – but have now more than doubled that figure. | The party had previously been planning to concentrate its strengths on 12 target seats where they think they are in with a chance in next year's general election – but have now more than doubled that figure. |
| The decision is based on internal analysis of private polling leaked to a Sunday newspaper – a strategy that carries the risk that it sets expectations too high and if there are fewer than 25 UKIP MPs elected next year it will look like failure. | The decision is based on internal analysis of private polling leaked to a Sunday newspaper – a strategy that carries the risk that it sets expectations too high and if there are fewer than 25 UKIP MPs elected next year it will look like failure. |
| Douglas Carswell, winner of Thursday's by-election in Clacton, was clearly reluctant to talk up his party’s chances. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: "Let's keep a sense of perspective. We have won a single seat. There are 300-and-something to go to get a majority. I don't like bravado talk and I'm not going to use it." | Douglas Carswell, winner of Thursday's by-election in Clacton, was clearly reluctant to talk up his party’s chances. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: "Let's keep a sense of perspective. We have won a single seat. There are 300-and-something to go to get a majority. I don't like bravado talk and I'm not going to use it." |
| But UKIP strategists believe their biggest problem at present is to counter the Tory slogan "Vote UKIP - Get Labour", which implies that former Tory voters who switch to UKIP are wasting their votes. | But UKIP strategists believe their biggest problem at present is to counter the Tory slogan "Vote UKIP - Get Labour", which implies that former Tory voters who switch to UKIP are wasting their votes. |
| After their victory in Clacton, Nigel Farage claimed that the message was "Vote UKIP - Get UKIP." He is desperately keen to get across the idea the UKIP might be able to break into Britain's two party system in a way that no party has done since the rise of the Labour Party over a century ago. | After their victory in Clacton, Nigel Farage claimed that the message was "Vote UKIP - Get UKIP." He is desperately keen to get across the idea the UKIP might be able to break into Britain's two party system in a way that no party has done since the rise of the Labour Party over a century ago. |
| If the latest opinion poll is to be taken literally, 25 seats is far too modest. A Survation poll for the Mail on Sunday puts UKIP's support at 25 per cent, their highest showing ever. Translated into seats at a general election, the poll's findings would give Labour 253 MPs, the Conservatives 187, UKIP 128 and the Lib Dems 11, plus a combined 71 MPs for the other parties. | If the latest opinion poll is to be taken literally, 25 seats is far too modest. A Survation poll for the Mail on Sunday puts UKIP's support at 25 per cent, their highest showing ever. Translated into seats at a general election, the poll's findings would give Labour 253 MPs, the Conservatives 187, UKIP 128 and the Lib Dems 11, plus a combined 71 MPs for the other parties. |
| Lord West, a former First Sea Lord who served as a Home Office minister under Gordon Brown, mischievously encouraged punters to place bets yesterday on UKIP getting more MPs than the Lib Dems. | Lord West, a former First Sea Lord who served as a Home Office minister under Gordon Brown, mischievously encouraged punters to place bets yesterday on UKIP getting more MPs than the Lib Dems. |
| He told Sky News's Murnaghan programme: "There will be five Lib Dem MPs after the election, and nine UKIP MPs... I hope the bookies are listening." | He told Sky News's Murnaghan programme: "There will be five Lib Dem MPs after the election, and nine UKIP MPs... I hope the bookies are listening." |