New UKIP leader, Lord Pearson, says his party's aim is a hung parliament and he will champion issues that mainstream parties think "too smelly too touch"

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Comments

[Sally Roberts]

I predict that with the Anti-Islam agenda, there will be only a cigarette paper between UKIP and the BNP before long!

[Tom FD]

What was it Cameron said about fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists?

Pearson's stated aim of a hung parliament is a somewhat disingenuous one - it seems particularly unlikely to me that UKIP will win more than one seat at the next election. So the best they can hope for, campaigning along these lines, is to siphon off some swing voters and thereby contribute to keeping Labour in power (albeit by a thread). Hopefully the public will see through their hype, although with this choice of leader it's not like they're going to get much of it to begin with...

[FaustiesBlog]

Nonsense, Sally. They couldn't be further apart.

And let's not forget that UKIP has been true to its ideals from the start, not shilly-shallying to gain voter support from those who do not instinctively support its tenets.

That they might have some policies in common, on the surface is neither here nor there. If it were, then your assertion would be true for the Conservatives / Labour.

[Henry Mayhew - Potential Conservative]

Oh dear, I do wish conservatives would now get behind the Conservative Party having made their point.

I know Mr Cameron hasn't proven himself but you are not even going to give him a chance.

[Sally Roberts]

Delighted to see your "potential" is still coming along nicely, Henry! I am looking forward to the day I can read "Henry Mayhew - Conservative" below your posts! :-)

[David Parker]

Sally,
I think that comment betrays a certain ignorance of both UKIP and the BNP.

UKIP is a right of centre party,whereas the BNP is an extreme left wing one. Whilst, unlike all three main parties, they propose to make their own EU and immigration policies fundamental parts of their agendas, their policies are different and, in the case of UKIP, they also have well develooped policies in other vital areas such as energy, from which the Conservatives could take some useful advice.

[David Sergeant]

Sally has it right, again. There is no way UKIP will end up with an MP, their effect, if Pearson's statements of history and intentions are anything to go by, would be a Labour government or a Labour/Lib/Dem government. Either way it is almost certain the effect would be us going into the Euro without a referendum. Then, I suppose, all the chicken UKIPers on this site will blame Cameron and the Conservatives.

[haddock]

Sally,

Henry Mayhew - Potential Conservative

I think he means your party is 'potentially conservative'....not conservative but with the potential to be so.. if you had a Conservative leader........
and some conservative policies. If you have forgotten what old fashioned conservative policies were like, pop over to UKIP's site ( policies page ) and refresh your memory.

[HYUFD]

While Right-Wing Tories in the marginals will stick with Cameron to ensure they get rid of the Labour government, those in safe Tory seats angry at the party's policy on the 50p tax, the Lisbon non-referendum and the party leadership's lack of support for new grammar schools and assisted places may well vote UKIP as a shot across Cameron's bows. Lord Pearson is exactly the leader who will attract them!

[Francis]

Let's hope that Farage's gamble pays off.

If he doesn't become an MP and get back into the driving seat, then UKIP will sink like a stone beneath the weight of this ridiculous creature.

The fool seems intent on starting a race to the bottom with the BNP.

[Span Ows]

HYUFD...and what about UKIP in those marginals you mention? Follow the party line and keep Gordy in, simple as that. To be clear, that means NO CHANCE EVER of reform on Europe. At least with DC and WH the Conservative pay lip service to it and there is a possibility of some change; with Lab or Lab/Lib you won't even get that, end of.

The good news is that with this declared DESIRE of a hung parliament most floating Con/UKIP will steer well clear of UKIP because they'll be terrified (rightly) of Gordy remaining in control. Those strongly UKIP will ironically, with their vote, cut off their nose to spite their face and fade into the Euro oblivion that their vote helped to cement.

[Yorkshireman]

Excellent appointment.

Lord Pearson is a substantial figure and his EU sceptism is second to none. The fact that he is prepared to raise the issue of dealing with the backward and violent aspects of Islamic theology is a welcome development. Cameron, to his credit, started to raise the issue and Lord Pearsons intervention should raise public awareness even more.

[davmc]

soo,we have the UKIP/BNP alliance on one side and the Labour/Conservative alliance(only a cigarette paper between them) on the other.
Simple choice then,do you vote UKIP/BNP patriotically for your country or Lab/Con unpatriotically for the party.

[Yorkshireman]

Hardly - the BNP is a far left anti-semitic party that believes in nationlisation, proctectionism and republicanism and rejects ethnic minorities. UKIP is a libertarian, free market party that believes in national democracy and has candidates from all ethnic backgrounds. No comparison really.

[David_at_Home]

There has never been and there will never be a UKIP/BNP alliance.

[davmc]

I was being facetious to sally's comment,honest guv.I do not believe that either.

[Andrew S]

I REALLY like their new stance on Swiss style referenda.
The Tories should steal this now! Don't let UKIP gain any ground

[Hal]

Ready for real change?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J--Ue8Uam_0

[Super Blue]

Sally,

That depends whether the reject Pearson is opposing Islam or IslamISM. Herr Griffin the OEEI confuses them - intentionally of course.

[Englander]

If UKIP want a hung parliament, it must surely be one where the Tories are one seat short of a majority because the only possibility of the UKIP winning a seat is in Buckingham. They won't win anywhere else (although they might do pretty well in seats like Torbay).

[Helen]

My Tory PCC thinks just like me and is trying everything he can to hang on to my vote - a marginal seat.

He is brilliant, but I am aware that his voice (a true conservative) will be squashed if he is elected by the inner circle. That is why I will no longer vote for the conservatives after 30 years of doing so.

It is the conservatives doing if they let Gordo back in - or rather, their inner circle. You cannot blame it on those strong enough to follow their values. It is the inner circle who have been abandoning conservative values and hoping that their trusted followers will do so like-wise.

[Garethanderson.wordpress.com]

In the European Parliament Nigel Farage said: “At least van Rompuy is an elected politician unlike Catherine Ashton who really is the true representation of the modern day political class. She has never been elected to anything in her life so I guess she is perfect for this European Union”

And UKIP's new leader has never been elected to anything in his life either. Irony or what?

[Helen]

I don't think that's irony Gareth. Lord Pearson is leading a political party, that is all. He is not speaking for the citizens that he represents like Catherine Ashton.

If the citizens like what Lord Pearson and his party say, then they are eligilble to vote for UKIP.

When were we ever eligible to vote for Catherine Ashton who now represents us on a world stage?

[michael mcgough]

"And UKIP's new leader has never been elected to anything in his life either. Irony or what?"

He has just been ELECTED leader.BOOM BOOM