UKIP Win First Elected Westminster MP

[BRITLAND]

The UK Independence Party has gained its first elected MP, with Douglas Carswell taking the seat of Clacton by 12,404 votes.

 

Mr Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives, knocked his old party - which enjoyed a 12,068 majority at the 2010 election - into second place.

 

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he had "shaken up British politics".

 

In the night's other by-election, Labour held on to Heywood and Middleton but UKIP slashed its majority to 617.

 

Mr Farage told BBC Breakfast UKIP could hold the balance of power after next year's general election.

 

He said UKIP's second place in Heywood and Middleton was "even more significant" than its win in Clacton, saying the party was now the main opposition to Labour in northern cities.

 

"The whole of British politics has been shaken up", he added.

 

"Something big is happening here. People want change, they have had enough of career politicians in three parties."

 

Mr Farage said he expected more Conservative MPs to join UKIP following the defection of Mr Carswell and Mark Reckless, who has triggered a by-election in Rochester and Strood, Kent.

 

"I think it would be very surprising if more people did not come across", he said, saying he had also spoken to Labour MPs "frustrated that they are not able to change things in British politics".

 

Mr Farage said he expected more Conservative MPs to join UKIP following the defection of Mr Carswell and Mark Reckless, who has triggered a by-election in Rochester and Strood, Kent.

 

"I think it would be very surprising if more people did not come across", he said, saying he had also spoken to Labour MPs "frustrated that they are not able to change things in British politics".

 

Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast the result in Clacton was a "wake-up call" saying that while UKIP were a threat to all the Westminster parties, they "cost Conservatives seats", so put Labour leader Ed Miliband "one step closer to Downing Street".

 

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Conservative strategy of saying a UKIP vote helped Labour was "the only way they think they can get those voters back".

 

The UKIP vote could still "slump back" at the general election, or it could "carry on breaking every prediction and really make a breakthrough", he added.

 

'Humility, modesty'

 

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "There won't be a shred of complacency from us as we reach out to all those voters who didn't vote Labour and those who didn't vote at all."

 

In his acceptance speech Mr Carswell, who gained 21,113 votes - 60% of the total - told UKIP supporters there was "nothing that we cannot achieve".

 

Addressing the people of his constituency, he said: "I resigned from parliament to face this election because I answer first, foremost and last to you. You are my boss. I will not let you down.

 

"To my new party I offer these thoughts: humility when we win, modesty when we are proved right. If we speak with passion, let it always be tempered by compassion."

 

He also addressed the party's prospects on a wider front, saying "we must be a party for all Britain and all Britons: first and second generation as much as every other".

 

"Our strength must lie in our breadth. If we stay true to that there is nothing that we cannot achieve. Nothing we cannot achieve in Essex and East Anglia, in England and the whole country beyond."

 

Mr Carswell condemned the other Westminster parties for operating "cosy cartel politics".

 

Michael Dugher, Labour's vice-chairman, said his party would continue to "expose UKIP for what they are".

 

"We will take them on in our areas", he said.

 

Mr Dugher said UKIP had inflicted a "humiliating defeat for David Cameron" in Clacton.

 

But Labour MP and former Pensions Minister Frank Field MP said: "If last night's vote heralds the start of UKIP's serious assault into Labour's neglected core vote, all bets are off for safer, let alone marginal seats at the next election."

 

Mr Carswell is the first MP to be elected under their banner although it did have one MP for two years after 2008 after another Tory MP, Bob Spink, defected to them.

 

Conservative candidate Giles Watling, one of the stars of the old BBC sitcom Bread, said: "I intend to stand here next May at the general election when this country will face a clear choice of who they want to be the leader - David Cameron or Ed Miliband."

 

Labour 'in trouble'

It had also looked at one point that UKIP could have been celebrating a double success with the result in the Greater Manchester constituency of Heywood and Middleton - held comfortably by Labour since its creation in 1983 - deemed close enough to warrant a "bundle check" of votes.

 

But in the end, Labour's Liz McInnes got 11,633 votes - 41% - with UKIP's John Bickley gaining 11,016 - 39%.

 

Labour's newest MP, Ms McInnes, told the BBC: "I'm going to work damn hard in this constituency. People here will have an MP who is going to fight for their interests."

 

But Mr Bickley said: "Labour are in big trouble. This should have been a safe seat. They have thrown everything at it and they have only just scraped home."

 

'Very different election'

Elections expert Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said: "We have to accept that the battle in England for May 2015 is not going to be a battle between simply three parties; it's going to be a battle between at least four parties.

 

"And bear in mind that also, according to some of the opinion polls, the Greens are running at 5% or 6% as well. We are looking at a very different kind of electoral competition in England from anything we have previously experienced in post-war elections."

 

The Heywood and Middleton contest was prompted by the death of long-serving Labour MP Jim Dobbin last month. His majority at the last general election was 5,971.

 

Clacton by-election: result in full

Douglas Carswell (UKIP) 21,113 (59.75%)

 

Giles Watling (Con) 8,709 (24.64%)

 

Tim Young (Lab) 3,957 (11.20%)

 

Chris Southall (Green) 688 (1.95%)

 

Andy Graham (LD) 483 (1.37%)

 

Bruce Sizer (Ind) 205 (0.58%)

 

Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 127 (0.36%)

 

Charlotte Rose (Ind) 56 (0.16%)

 

Turnout was 51%

 

Thoughts on this result?

[sivispacem]

Strictly speaking, Douglas Carswell won UKIP their first seat in Parliament. Which isn't particularly surprising as he's a well-liked and strongly supported local figure regardless of party politics.

 

UKIP didn't win the seat on direct competition using a newcomer challenger, which would have been interesting. They won it because the existing MP defected and was liked well enough locally to maintain enough of a majority to stay in power.

[the_grizzly_man]

Hardly a seismic moment in British politics - as mentioned, he's a long-serving former Tory MP who's defected and taken his constituency support with him.

 

The interesting thing will be the general election and how many seats UKIP can genuinely target and have a chance of winning. I think not many and they'll struggle to find quality, non-idiots as prospective MPs.

[Pete4000uk]

They only missed out by 600-ish votes in another by-election!

[the_grizzly_man]

They only missed out by 600-ish votes in another by-election!

These are the seats they deliberately fought with a reasonable chance of winning. One was a respected, long-standing Tory taking his support with him and the other was a reasonably marginal seat that they failed to win. Low-ish turnout at both and both by-elections prior to a general election.

 

News reports at Clacton where they interviewed people coming out of polling station - many of the people who'd voted UKIP in the by-election had no intention of voting for them in the general election.

 

Think the media is using UKIP and the bogey man and making far more of them than their worth

[Zondar]

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss these results.

Yes, Carswell is well liked by locals and it was a by election, but he won with a huge majority and they very nearly won in Manchester.

Next May will be interesting, if the SNP can galvanise the yes voters from last month to vote for them and UKIP can continue this rise, Westminster will be a very different place.

[the_grizzly_man]

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss these results.

Yes, Carswell is well liked by locals and it was a by election, but he won with a huge majority and they very nearly won in Manchester.

Next May will be interesting, if the SNP can galvanise the yes voters from last month to vote for them and UKIP can continue this rise, Westminster will be a very different place.

The SNP and UKIP are very different parties - they both use similar tactics of capitalising on disenfranchisement to further their single issue, granted.

 

UKIP attract a pretty poor calibre of candidate over all, plenty of right-wing nutjobs and failed Tories. While I'm no lover of the SNP at least they can attract candidates of sufficient quality to be credible.

 

I just can't see UKIP going through an entire election campaign without at least one of their prospective MPs saying something unforgivable and shooting the party down in flames. One can only hope this is the case as they're a bunch of shallow, opportunistic bigots.

[161isaiah161]

Sad to see that the uk equivalent of the nazi party is getting power

[Zondar]

 

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss these results.

Yes, Carswell is well liked by locals and it was a by election, but he won with a huge majority and they very nearly won in Manchester.

Next May will be interesting, if the SNP can galvanise the yes voters from last month to vote for them and UKIP can continue this rise, Westminster will be a very different place.

 

The SNP and UKIP are very different parties - they both use similar tactics of capitalising on disenfranchisement to further their single issue, granted.

 

UKIP attract a pretty poor calibre of candidate over all, plenty of right-wing nutjobs and failed Tories. While I'm no lover of the SNP at least they can attract candidates of sufficient quality to be credible.

 

I just can't see UKIP going through an entire election campaign without at least one of their prospective MPs saying something unforgivable and shooting the party down in flames. One can only hope this is the case as they're a bunch of shallow, opportunistic bigots.

 

On a slightly related note, I'm interested in Carswell and the other guy's (can't remember his name right now) motivation in defecting. Is it just that their constituencies are full of older, scared, white people or have they realised they probably wouldn't amount to anything within the Tory party, so they've jumped ship to get in with UKIP as early as possible to get them higher up the party ranks?

[the_grizzly_man]

 

 

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss these results.

Yes, Carswell is well liked by locals and it was a by election, but he won with a huge majority and they very nearly won in Manchester.

Next May will be interesting, if the SNP can galvanise the yes voters from last month to vote for them and UKIP can continue this rise, Westminster will be a very different place.

The SNP and UKIP are very different parties - they both use similar tactics of capitalising on disenfranchisement to further their single issue, granted.

 

UKIP attract a pretty poor calibre of candidate over all, plenty of right-wing nutjobs and failed Tories. While I'm no lover of the SNP at least they can attract candidates of sufficient quality to be credible.

 

I just can't see UKIP going through an entire election campaign without at least one of their prospective MPs saying something unforgivable and shooting the party down in flames. One can only hope this is the case as they're a bunch of shallow, opportunistic bigots.

On a slightly related note, I'm interested in Carswell and the other guy's (can't remember his name right now) motivation in defecting. Is it just that their constituencies are full of older, scared, white people or have they realised they probably wouldn't amount to anything within the Tory party, so they've jumped ship to get in with UKIP as early as possible to get them higher up the party ranks?

 

I suspect you're right in your analysis that they've reacted to older, angry voters alarmed by immigration scare stories and they've cynically jumped ship to protect their own careers and pander to this demographic with this populists bigotry and delusion.

 

I can't see any other reason to leave a party that is in power (and will probably win another 4 years) to join a populist protest party who's biggest name MP is discredited no-mark Neil Hamilton

[Smith John]

Sad to see that the uk equivalent of the nazi party is getting power

Except UKIP aren't the UK equivalent of the Nazi party.

 

So is the prospect of a Tory-UKIP coalition actually plausible come the gen elec at this point? Or are Cameron & Co right with their suggestion that a vote for Farage's lot is a vote for Red Ed to walk into number 10?

[the_grizzly_man]

 

Sad to see that the uk equivalent of the nazi party is getting power

Except UKIP aren't the UK equivalent of the Nazi party.

 

So is the prospect of a Tory-UKIP coalition actually plausible come the gen elec at this point? Or are Cameron & Co right with their suggestion that a vote for Farage's lot is a vote for Red Ed to walk into number 10?

 

Think the Tories would be insane to link up with UKIP - legitimises a rival party that appeals to the right of centre demographic that they need to attract.

 

Also UKIPers have a propensity to be a bunch of bigoted a**holes and a PR disaster waiting to happen. Think any mainstream party would be wise to give them a wide berth.

 

I also don't see them getting enough seats to make a drastic difference to any party - certainly not being kingmakers

Edited October 10, 2014 by the_grizzly_man

[161isaiah161]

 

Sad to see that the uk equivalent of the nazi party is getting power

Except UKIP aren't the UK equivalent of the Nazi party.

So is the prospect of a Tory-UKIP coalition actually plausible come the gen elec at this point? Or are Cameron & Co right with their suggestion that a vote for Farage's lot is a vote for Red Ed to walk into number 10?

The leader is an Xenophobe and a racist and supports neo nazi groups

[sivispacem]

Now xenophobe? Yeah I'd say that's accurate. Racist? A bit more arguable, he's certainly a jingoist but I'll give you that for the sake of argument. A supporter of neo-Nazi groups? I'm afraid you're going to have to back that up with some evidence.

[BRITLAND]

Now xenophobe? Yeah I'd say that's accurate. Racist? A bit more arguable, he's certainly a jingoist but I'll give you that for the sake of argument. A supporter of neo-Nazi groups? I'm afraid you're going to have to back that up with some evidence.

Yeah I don't get were this idea of Farage supporting neo-nazis came from, unless he's getting mixed up with the BNP, which wouldn't surprise me but fair arguments over whether he's xenophobic

 

Btw Sivis, you're a brilliant debater, ever considering about being a politician?

[Melech]

Does UKIP support Israel?

[universetwisters]

Does UKIP support Israel?

 

Google came up with this, although I don't know how accurate it is or not.

[Melech]

Google came up with this, although I don't know how accurate it is or not.

 

I also got this: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/25/anna-marie-crampton-ukip-candidate-suspended_n_3154709.html

 

Farage says he's a friend of Israel, but I don't know if he really is or not. Many Western politicians (specially in Europe) say they are friends of Israel, but then boycott Israel (using the so called "settlements" as an excuse) or stop selling weapons to Israel (hello, David Cameron). So I don't care about words but facts.

 

There is an anti-Israel section in UKIP called "Friends of Palestine in UKIP". They love to trivialize the Holocaust:

 

 

There is also a friends of Israel section:

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Israel-in-UKIP/111727452249341?fref=ts

 

So I don't know what to think. That's why I'm asking.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Palikari

[BrownBear]

 

Google came up with this, although I don't know how accurate it is or not.

 

I also got this: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/25/anna-marie-crampton-ukip-candidate-suspended_n_3154709.html

 

Farage says he's a friend of Israel, but I don't know if he really is or not. Many Western politicians (specially in Europe) say they are friends of Israel, but then boycott Israel (using the so called "settlements" as an excuse) or stop selling weapons to Israel (hello, David Cameron). So I don't care about words but facts.

 

There is an anti-Israel section in UKIP called "Friends of Palestine in UKIP". They love to trivialize the Holocaust:

 

 

There is also a friends of Israel section:

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Israel-in-UKIP/111727452249341?fref=ts

 

So I don't know what to think. That's why I'm asking.

 

That doesn't look very extremist to me.

I'd imagine they mainly support Israel, it seems like a group who's bulk is made up of Right Wingers rattling on about Muslim rape gangs and the "Islamification" of Britain, it would see a bit contradictory to also support Palestine.

[sivispacem]

I've removed the last couple of Israel posts, they're not relevant and liable just to cause an argument.

 

 

Btw Sivis, you're a brilliant debater, ever considering about being a politician?

I'm more enamoured by the idea of silently pulling the strings behind closed doors. Much more my style.

[BrownBear]

Edit: Fair enough, I removed that comment.

 

I can't stand UKIP, I hate when this cut and paste patriotic rhetoric and sentimental pining for the past enter politics. We need leaders, not a bunch of emotional bigots talking about Churchill and the good old days.

Edited October 10, 2014 by BrownBear

[make total destroy]

 

Btw Sivis, you're a brilliant debater, ever considering about being a politician?

I'm more enamoured by the idea of silently pulling the strings behind closed doors. Much more my style.

 

I knew you were a lizard...

[am30]

UKIP is the way forward for the UK. A party in British politics that actually has a pair of balls and says the things that the silent majority think would actually help the UK prosper. Much like the Conservatives did in the 80's.

[Raavi]

UKIP is the way forward for the UK.

 

Just a few quotes from the party website.

 

" • Make cuts to foreign aid that are real and rigorous.

• A vote for UKIP is a vote to leave the EU and recover power over our national life.

• Binding local and national referenda, at the public’s request, on major issues."

 

It seems as though you're confusing progress with regress.

[johnny_zoo]

Cant stand UKIP.

[make total destroy]

Much like the Conservatives did in the 80's.

Because the UK was just in a wonderful state back then.

 

stuff

Considering that the UKIP is right-wing populist, it's not surprising to see them playing both sides of the Israel/Palestine debate. The far-right are notorious for this. It's not uncommon to see Israeli flags alongside Sieg-Heiling drunkards at EDL marches, for example.

[BRITLAND]

Something I find humous and ironic is that people who supported UKIP prob detest the SNP & Scottish Independence, I'm not saying they're both the exact same but they both represent leaving political unions, the UK is fine to leave the EU but it's a sin for Scotland to try and leave the UK, if Scotland and the rUK are better together wouldn't the UK & EU be better together

 

 

Troll over now, now I'm back to being impartial

UKIP is the way forward for the UK. A party in British politics that actually has a pair of balls and says the things that the silent majority think would actually help the UK prosper. Much like the Conservatives did in the 80's.

I dare you to say that up north, and if you do be dressed 10 armored suits and have a jet pack to get away as quickly as possible Edited October 10, 2014 by BRITLAND

[am30]

 

UKIP is the way forward for the UK.

 

Just a few quotes from the party website.

 

" • Make cuts to foreign aid that are real and rigorous.

• A vote for UKIP is a vote to leave the EU and recover power over our national life.

• Binding local and national referenda, at the public’s request, on major issues."

 

It seems as though you're confusing progress with regress.

 

 

All things I want to see happen that would benefit the UK.

 

 

UKIP is the way forward for the UK. A party in British politics that actually has a pair of balls and says the things that the silent majority think would actually help the UK prosper. Much like the Conservatives did in the 80's.

I dare you to say that up north, and if you do be dressed 10 armored suits and have a jet pack to get away as quickly as possible

 

 

Can't do anything about the closed mindedness of people. Working with a lot of pro-Scottish independance people was pretty interesting, especially after the result.

 

Much like the Conservatives did in the 80's.

Because the UK was just in a wonderful state back then.

 

 

It was. They taught people self reliance (or tried to) and made unpopular decisions that benefited the nation. There was none of this nanny state BS that we have today.

Edited October 10, 2014 by am30

[Smith John]

"Bigot" this, "bigot" that...this is exactly why I'm being pushed towards backing UKIP; I have my own concerns regarding immigration levels- among other issues- so because of that, I'm effectively being slung the usual slurs by the usual kind in an attempt to somehow demonize me. Free speech is such a one-way street with these so-called (and hilariously ironic named) "progressivists". The very fact UKIP was likened to Nazism in this thread says all about those who delve to such low measures to smear them.

[am30]

The very fact UKIP was likened to Nazism in this thread says all about those who delve to such low measures to smear them.

 

Those that say this just prove that they have not got a single clue about what they are talking about. Right-wing does not necessarily equal Nazi ffs! Nothing wrong with having proper immigration laws as opposed to the wide open door that we currently have. Nothing wrong with immigration as long as those coming in contribute like the rest of us have to and are not here just to get a freebie.