The assumption that UKIP is gaining in popularity because of its policies on immigration and Europe has been undermined by new polling.
The assumption that UKIP is gaining in popularity because of its policies on immigration and Europe has been undermined by recent Lord Ashcroft polling.
The research shows that, rather than hard-line policies on immigration and Europe attracting voters, it actually has more to do with the Farage factor.
Lord Ashcroft’s poll findings show that, out of those willing to consider voting for the right-wing Eurosceptic party, only 7 per cent saw the statement “UKIP is the best party on defending Britons interests in Europe” as the most important factor when deciding whether to vote for the party.
Voters instead attached more importance to the phrase “UKIP’s heart is in the right place” (19 per cent saw this as most important), and “UKIP is on the side of people like me” (18 per cent most important).
These findings contradict, at least in part, the idea that UKIP’s rising popularity is a cue for the three major parties to tack to the right.
It does, however, perhaps illustrate one thing Nigel Farage: acting more like a normal human being and less like an automaton. The three main party leaders could perhaps learn from this.
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20 Responses to “The Farage factor, rather than right wing policy, is winning UKIP votes”
robertcp
UKIP have replaced the Lib Dems as the protest party. Right-wing anti-Europeanism is as irrelevant to protest voters as liberal pro-Europeanism was before 2010. From a left point of view, it is important for Labour to be a social democratic party rather than a neo-liberal/conservative clique, which it appeared to be for much of the early 2000s.
It is also true that Farage is seen a somebody who says what he thinks. A bit like Kenneth Clarke, Charles Kennedy, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone, Vince Cable and Tony Benn.
gravytrain
So true, the best thing for all, is to get out of that cess pool, as a tax payer I am tired of getting ripped by these people…..now who do we vote to get us out?
gravytrain
See “averagebritain” above…. this labour voter thinks he has hit the nail on the head. UKIP represents us Brits.
gravytrain
Well Bob I think we got Cole on our side, he will be voting to stop the EU dishing out our 53Mill to cronies in the EU. The only way for that to happen to vote out.
Cole
Shame the Kippers are too idle to turn up to work very often, though they are paid £80k a year, plus expenses. Farage even has his German wife on the payroll.
Apparently Ukip has claimed £800,000 since the last election. A nice racket. They’d be seriously out of picket if we quit the EU.