UKIP could cost Cameron the election – Media roundup: April 25th, 2013

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UKIP could cost Cameron the election

“UKIP is set to be the “most serious fourth party incursion in English politics” since the Second World War, election experts predicted yesterday. The anti-EU party, with its campaign focus on immigration, could double its councillors in the county council elections on May 2 and scupper Tory chances in hundreds of other seats. But a strong showing could lead to a more worrying result for David Cameron in the 2015 general election, when UKIP could take at least 6 per cent of the Tory vote, the academics suggested. Professor Colin Rallings, from Plymouth University, said that next Thursday’s election would provide a vital “staging post” for UKIP’s chances in the European elections next year, when they could top the polls in vote share. “This in turn will begin to impact on their chances in 2015,” he said.” – Times(£)

Other highlights

• The three straws the Tories grasp when they fantasise about a second term – Rafael Behr, New Statesman
• The Tories are giving unity a try – James Forsyth, Spectator
• Remarkable Chutzpah – The Sun