Ukip eyes 22 seats after ‘ spectacular’ support for party
NIGEL Farage has more than doubled the number of seats on the UK Independence Party’s General Election target list following a “spectacular” response from voters, the Daily Express has learned.
Sources in Ukip’s campaign say that at least 22 constituencies are winnable for the anti- Brussels party on May 7.
Until this week, Ukip has been concentrating on trying to win 10 key target constituencies, including Thurrock, Castle Point and South Thanet.
But party activists are reported to have found unexpectedly high levels of support while canvassing in other parts of the country. Now a further dozen constituencies have been added to the hit list, including some previously seen as insurmountable Tory bastions.
One Ukip campaign insider said: “We’re picking up very exciting signs from the doorsteps.”
“Our support is not only rock solid but growing and we think we are winning over voters with a positive and optimistic campaign.”
New seats added to the Ukip target list include Tory- held Aylesbury, North West Cambridgeshire and Waveney and Labour- held Hartlepool.
Ukip canvassers say Tory support is proving “soft” in many once true- blue heartland areas, with many former Tory voters turned off by the party’s “negative” campaign tactics.
They also believe there are large numbers of “shy Ukippers” who will back Mr Farage’s “People’s Army” on polling day.
Morale in Ukip ranks is high after the party’s campaign was boosted by donations totalling £ 1.3million from Daily Express owner Richard Desmond.
Snatching Aylesbury would be a massive coup for Ukip as the seat is currently held by Tory Europe minister David Lidington with a majority of 12,618. The campaign insider reported “extraordinary” levels of support for Ukip candidate Chris Adams in the Buckinghamshire seat. Ukip activists are also reporting “spectacular” canvas returns in North West Cambridgeshire, held by Tory justice minister Shailesh Vara with a massive 16,677- vote majority.
Ukip is understood to be neck and neck with both the Tories and Labour in the Suffolk coast constituency of Waveney where sitting Tory Peter Aldous has a majority of just 769 votes.
And the anti- Brussels party are also hopeful of achieving a symbolic coup in Hartlepool, currently held by Labour’s Iain Wright with a majority of 5,509.
Mr Farage last night insisted he was confident of becoming Ukip MP for South Thanet.
He likened the challenge of overcoming the 7,617- vote Tory majority in the Kent constituency to a fence in the Grand National.
Talking in a BBC interview, Mr Farage said: “I have to get over this particular Becher’s Brook.
“I’m confident and I believe that I will.”
A YouGov poll yesterday forecast a 13 per cent share of the vote for Ukip, nearly twice that of the Lib Dems on seven per cent.
But party insiders are convinced the “shy Ukippers” phenomenon means the party’s support is being underestimated.