kernow

Agreed! Gaining attention is the most important thing! If you went to any large town and stopped a 100 adults at random and asked them who UKIP are and what do they stand for, I'd guarantee only a few would know the answer! We are getting there, think of that "Ant and that Dam", (Frank Sinatra High Hopes)

mkpdavies

Bottom line.

Before today, UKIP only ever won "as opposed to getting defections" 1 councilor in a go. Today they have won 4!

That's progress. Sure they are still way behind others, but combined with MP and Lords, this is all steps forward.

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Anthony Butcher

True, but it is going to take something like the BNP have achieved to really start the ball rolling. Both the Greens and the BNP are a few years ahead of UKIP in terms of getting councillors.

UKIP gained 3 councillors this year, and lost one last year. These are not numbers to be particularly excited about. If UKIP gained 3 councillors every year for the next 20 years, they would still have less councillors than the Greens or the BNP have now (I think).

What is more interesting is the number of close results, and whether this provides an opportunity for a break through at some point. UKIP needs to be taking 10 new seats in every election to make itself newsworthy. If UKIP picked 20-30 target wards and threw everything into them for the next election, they might win ten.

We should also ask what could have made a difference this time around in those wards where UKIP came very close. Presumably the activists there were aware that they stood a decent chance, but what did the national/regional party do to assist? I haven't seen a single mention of an MEP campaigning locally for example. Could a couple of days of door knocking by each MEP have added an extra 50 votes or so in some of those key wards, and got 5 more people elected?

As you say though, the presence of an MP, two Lords and 9 MEPs keeps UKIP ahead in the national stakes, but the Greens and BNP are way ahead in local politics. Whether the top down or bottom up approach will be more successful in the next General Election remains to be seen.

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John in Scotland

I agree with all you say, Anthony.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that . . .

The Greens and the BNP have both been around for years - the BNP growing out of the NF almost 30 years ago, and the Greens out of the Ecology Party.

The BNP and the Greens were both making waves in elections before UKIP was founded.

Everyone knows (more or less) what both the Greens and the BNP stand for, which is more than can be said for UKIP.

And UKIP are very new at the local council election game.

To be honest, I don't think any of these parties has had either or particularly good or bad election - but under the circumstances, UKIP has done about as well as either of the others, and about as well as could be expected.

Westcountryman

UKIP results in summary:

UKIP gain 2 and retain 2 on Newcastle-under-Lyme (4 in total):

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Newcastle-Under-Lyme council

UKIP gain 1 on Hartlepool, and retain another (2 in total):

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Hartlepool council

UKIP gain on Dudley (1 in total):

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Dudley council

UKIP lose 1 on Slough (Now 0):

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Slough council

UKIP retain 1 on Stevenage (1 in total):

BBC NEWS | Election 2008 | Stevenage council

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douglas denny

I have heard this argument for years. It is absolute rubbish.

UKIP is a political party. The ONLY reason for the existence of a political party is to put candidates into elections - all of 'em ! and most especially local ones.

The history of political parties shows they grow in the public consciousness from the local elections (and their branches) upwards - NOT the other way around.

I have said it a million times - It doesn't matter what the vote is: even two votes only: the candidate bloke (or blokess) and his(her) mum! IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE BALLOT PAPER - YOU DON'T EXIST !

... and it is an open field for the opposition.

DED.

C_steam

shout that one a bit louder! Absolutely true, of course. The local branches and activists are sometimes held back by the lack of strategy up top.

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Richard Allen

We did not retain seats in Newcastle or Hartlepool as the seats we already held there were not being contested this year.

kernow

Not strictly true! Not for love nor money would I put my name forward to be a councillor and that goes for a lot of members like me!

HighlandFP

When are you people going to realise that this parliamentary democracy stuff is ****?

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