Ukip surges into lead in European election contest...

[dutchman]

Ukip has surged into the lead in the European election contest despite a bruising week of controversies, a poll revealed today.


Former Tory donor Paul Sykes (left, with Mr Farage)

Nigel Farage's party recorded 31 per cent support in YouGov research for a Sunday newspaper, three points ahead of Labour, with the Tories languishing in third on 19 per cent.

It is the first time the company has given Ukip an outright advantage in the race, with ballots due to be cast in less than a month.

The results in the survey for the Sunday Times revealed today are in line with a ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday last month.

That put Ukip on 30 per cent, Labour on 28 per cent, and the Conservatives on 21 per cent.

The findings suggest Mr Farage has not sustained significant damage from furores over his expenses, ‘racist’ posters, criticism of misleading campaign literature and dubious comments from activists.

Former Tory donor Paul Sykes, said to be worth £650million, has pledged to plough more money into Ukip after funding one poster campaign.

He told the Sunday Times there would be ‘at least another two waves’ of adverts before the European elections.

‘I'm not giving up,’ he said. ‘That will warn the Conservatives what is going to happen. We will get more democracy in Britain if it skints me.’

Separate ComRes research for the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) has highlighted disaffection among voters with European institutions.

Some 59 per cent believe the European Parliament does not represent the views of voters, with the number rising to 68 per cent among those aged over 55.

More than half of 18 to 24-year-olds are not planning to cast a ballot next month.

ERS chief executive Katie Ghose said: ‘This year's European elections are receiving an unusual amount of attention.

‘With Ukip's rising popularity, the TV debates between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage, and the Conservatives' promise of an in-out referendum, European politics has seldom been so prominent.

‘And yet these results show that people still feel alarmingly distant from European affairs.

‘We already know that nearly three-quarters of Britons feel their voice doesn't count in the EU and it looks like the problem is getting worse, not better. It's time to tackle the growing disconnect between the British people and European politics.’

[dutchman]

[rebbonk]

I can Flapddodle, and as I've said before, a charismatic leader with a following that possibly don't understand the real agenda can be very dangerous. Believe me, far too few people in this country understand politics, and (In My Honest Opinion) many are too stupid to be allowed the vote. We have what we have: but in no way are we a truly democratic society.