UKIP Overtakes Lib Dems
Henry | 27.05.2004 14:49
A new poll has suggested that the UK Independence Party is in line to take more seats than the Liberal Democrats in next month's European elections.
The recent YouGov survey indicated that UKIP is ahead of the Lib Dems. According to this measure, the Conservatives are on 31 points, Labour is on 23 points, UKIP takes 18 points and the Lib Dems are on 15.
With the expected low turnout in June, which YouGov estimates will be no higher than 39 per cent, makes a breakthrough to third place more likely. With such a result, the party which advocates a complete withdrawal from the EU could expect to make sweeping gains in the European parliament.
It would also be a blow to both the Lib Dems and the Tories who want to capitalise on the government's mid-term troubles.
With most UKIP voters coming from the Conservative ranks, Michael Howard could make few gains on the result achieved by William Hague in 1999.
"Even if it is right that the Tories are on 31 points, then that's a lead of eight points," a Labour official said in response to the poll.
However many of those questioned would vote differently in a general election, with 36 per cent backing the Conservatives, 33 per cent supporting Labour, the Lib Dems on 19 per cent and four per cent for UKIP.
With the expected low turnout in June, which YouGov estimates will be no higher than 39 per cent, makes a breakthrough to third place more likely. With such a result, the party which advocates a complete withdrawal from the EU could expect to make sweeping gains in the European parliament.
It would also be a blow to both the Lib Dems and the Tories who want to capitalise on the government's mid-term troubles.
With most UKIP voters coming from the Conservative ranks, Michael Howard could make few gains on the result achieved by William Hague in 1999.
"Even if it is right that the Tories are on 31 points, then that's a lead of eight points," a Labour official said in response to the poll.
However many of those questioned would vote differently in a general election, with 36 per cent backing the Conservatives, 33 per cent supporting Labour, the Lib Dems on 19 per cent and four per cent for UKIP.
Henry
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
NAFTA?
27.05.2004 17:21
Leaving one free trade community for another isn't going to help!
?
A socialist europe !!!
27.05.2004 18:30
Need I go on ? Socialism is dead, good ridance
Tiny
Anarco Communism
28.05.2004 10:48
Krop
Anti-Capitalist
28.05.2004 22:53
Socialism has never been succesfully implemented, but isn't it the case that before the Russian Revolution, Russia was a third world country? And afterwards, it grew into the worlds second superpower. While Europe and the US are going into a slow decline now, it's plain for all to see. They need new wars to expand their spheres of influence, but things are going disastrously wrong.
People will look back at the follies of capitalism, an ideology based on greed, and shake their heads at the folly of it all, because it is going to explode like a firecracker...
Hermes