UPDATE: So far it’s being called a “shock victory” for conservatives, and a humiliation for Labor. See also ABC UK Election results. Farage not looking likely to win his seat.
An election to watch for those concerned that bigger bureaucracy suffocates science. Will the creeping rise of big-government in the West stall?
The old party-landscape is quaking in a land where last year 45% of the Scottish voted for permanently not-voting at any more UK Elections. Nearly half the Scots wanted out of the Union — that’s flat out remarkable. Meanwhile, UKIP, which got 3% of the vote in 2010, are now polling at 12%. As with most western nations the main parties have been mirror images of “left” or “more left” and voters get the choice of big or bigger government. Nigel Farage, heading UKIP, is posing such a threat to that system, that in his own seat Labor voters are said to be thinking of voting conservative, just to keep him out. (More evidence that modern conservative parties are often just Labor-lite). Conservatives are thinking of voting against conservatives (see Delingpole below), and Labor are thinking of voting for them. What a difference a UKIP has made.
Yet he [Farage] is in a tough fight. Polling by Lord Ashcroft puts him two points behind the well-selected Tory candidate—Craig Mackinlay, a former “Kipper”—and suggests Labour voters are switching to the Tories to keep him out. Proof of the antipathy Mr Farage excites is also visible on the high street. As he strolls in his pin-striped suit, the scarlet-haired leader of a group called “Stop Farage At Thanet” hurls abuse at him. — economist
James Delingpole wonders who to vote for in the UK
My Local Candidate Deserves My Vote. Problem Is, He’s A Conservative.
My dilemma, I know, is one that will be shared by many on the Thatcherite right. We’re natural conservatives, at least with a small “c” if not a large one. Yet if we vote for this particular lot of Conservatives we are tacitly endorsing a party we have long since ceased to believe in. Our party – the Vichy Tories, as the great Gerald Warner calls them – has been hijacked by spineless, vapid, closet, discreetly Europhile social democrats, led by David Cameron, (dis-)ably encouraged by a damp rag of squishy ‘modernisers’ including Oliver Wetwin, Nick Boles, William Hague and many others too depressing to mention.
Dellers finds 6 reasons to vote for UKIP:
2. Nigel Farage. The very worst of all possible outcomes of this election is if Farage doesn’t win South Thanet. He has fought in the teeth of the most scabrous and unjustified Establishment hate campaign I think I’ve ever witnessed and thoroughly deserves to be in Westminster so that he can hold that Establishment to account.
3. The Manifesto. Never mind the debate over Libertarian UKIP versus Red UKIP. The manifesto’s pretty sound. (Independently costed too). You look at their policies and you think: “God, wouldn’t it just be amazing if a party like this ever got into power.” Well stop fantasising and put your money where your mouth is. Obviously you won’t get a UKIP majority this time (though to read by the rabid tone of some of the comments below my piece yesterday, some of you are sufficiently delusional to imagine otherwise) but “from tiny acorns…. etc”. In any case, see 4.
4. For UKIP this election isn’t necessarily about winning, but gaining sufficient share of the vote – second places are very important – to qualify for the enhanced funding which will put them in good stead to fight 2020 really hard.
He also does a cheeky personality profile of British voters.