“The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.” -Marcus Aurelius
From The Daily Mail
The tiny UK Independence Party helped deprive the Conservatives of at least ten seats by fielding candidates in constituencies the Tories had a good chance of winning.
Nationally, UKIP picked up just 3 per cent of the vote. But in a string of seats their support was enough to stop even Eurosceptic Tory candidates winning. Continue Reading →
From EUReferendum
We are compiling the full list of seats where the Conservative failure to gain a victory could be considered attributable to the “UKIP effect”. This we take to be seats where either the UKIP vote, or the UKIP/BNP vote combined, exceeds the majority of the Labour or Lib-Dim winner. The list starts here:
1. Birmingham Edgbaston: Lab 16,894, Con 15,620 – majority 1,274. BNP 1,196 and UKIP 732 (total 1,928).
2. Bolton West: Lab 18,327, Con 18,235 – majority 1,901. UKIP 1,901. Continue Reading →
From UKIP News
Following Nigel Farage’s miraculous escape from this morning’s plane crash Lord Pearson, the UKIP leader said:
“We confirm that Nigel Farage has been moved from Banbury to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. We understand there was no pressing medical need for this transfer. He has been visited by his wife.
“Despite being in considerable pain, we deduce that Nigel is back to his something like his normal form. He told UKIP’s Banbury candidate Dr Sebastian Fairweather who gained access to him in hospital to ‘stop worrying about me, get back out there and get out the vote”.
“We also understand that the injuries to the pilot, Justin Adams may be less serious than previously feared though we have been unable to speak to his family.
“It is clear that both men had a remarkably lucky escape.
By Mirror.co.uk
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage tonight spoke about his “miraculous escape” from a light plane crash after an election stunt went dramatically wrong.
The MEP, who is standing in the General Election for Buckingham, was pulled bloodied and dazed from the crushed cockpit of the plane which was towing a banner bearing the slogan “Vote for your country – Vote Ukip”.
In a statement released by his spokesman Duncan Barkes, Mr Farage said of the crash, which also injured pilot Justin Adams: “We’ve both had a miraculous escape. We are both very lucky to be alive.”
Mr Farage is being treated at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where a hospital spokeswoman said he was likely to remain “for a few days”.
Mr Barkes added: “He is not going anywhere today. There is no way he will be at the count tomorrow.
“He’s got two broken ribs, a small chip to his spine and damage to his sternum.”
Mr Farage’s wife Kirsten was at his bedside earlier today but has since returned to their home in Westerham, Kent, to care for the couple’s two children.
From The East London Advertiser
TOWER Hamlets council has launched a disciplinary enquiry over pro-Islamist emails sent to a London Euro-MP.
Two e-mails, with a town hall address, attacked proposals by the UK Independence Party to ban Muslim face coverings, including burkas and hijabs, in public places and accused the party of trying to “stoke a religious war on the streets of Britain.”
London MEP Gerard Batten has lodged a formal complaint with Tower Hamlets council and is demanding to know what disciplinary action will be taken against any individual found responsible for sending the emails.
The emails, which have been linked to a Town Hall employee’s email account, were sent last month.
One message said: “Teenage pregnancies, binge drinking, that is what is associated with British culture. Islam is the dominant religion in the United Kingdom. If you don’t like it, go live somewhere else. Continue Reading →
From The Independent
By Chris Mead
Labour made two gains in the latest council by-elections but a UKIP surge served a warning to major parties amid the latest revelations in the MPs’ expenses scandal.
Liberal Democrats surrendered a Holmewood and Heath seat they had taken at North East Derbyshire District in 2008 when they failed to field a candidate.
Labour’s Lee Stone easily won in a straight fight with Tories.
The second gain came at Blackburn with Darwen Borough when Mustafa Desai triumphed at Queen’s Park where the previous councillor had been elected as a Lib Dem but later became independent.
Labour won another seat in the ward in the 2008 main polls.
UKIP shot from fourth place to second as Tories held on at Newchapel, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough, Staffordshire. Continue Reading →