Are UKIP set for a big surge in next week?s local elections?

There is one statistic that stands out ahead of next week?s local elections: the number of candidates being fielded by the UK Independence Party.

In the wake of Ukip?s big surge in the Eastleigh by-election – where it picked up 28 per cent of the votes – several respected psephologists believe the fringe party is in line for further gains among some of the 2,409 seats being contested across the country.

What is striking is that Nigel Farage has found something like 1,700 candidates for the contest on May 2.

Last time these seats were fielded, in 2009, Ukip put up people in 24 per cent of seats. Now the figure is 72 per cent.

By contrast the Lib Dems have gone from contesting 90 per cent of the seats to 73 per cent.

It?s not hard to see why Ukip might perform well: mid-term blues; the Lib Dems no longer being a ?protest vote? party; the popularity of their immigration-EU policies with much of the public.

As others have written repeatedly, many naturally Tory-leaning voters are prepared to use their local or European vote to back Ukip ? before returning to the Conservatives

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Source: http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2013/04/are-ukip-set-for-a-big-surge-in-next-weeks-local-elections/

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