Video: UKIP's general election campaign launch

UKIP election news on Twitter

For live UKIP election news through the night, follow @Bloggers4UKIP on Twitter.

Victory for Syriza in Greek elections

The anti-austerity Syriza party looks to have won the Greek elections by a sizeable margin.

Exit polls suggest that Syriza got between 36% and 38% of the vote with second placed New Democracy trailing by 10%. Syriza's vote share means they will secure between 149 and 151 seats and they need the 151 for an outright majority. Just over 40% of the votes have been counted so far.

Syriza is a soft eurosceptic party, opposed to EU austerity and the German takeover of the EU. They support continued membership of the €uro but not at the expense of Greek sovereignty.

There are going to be some sleepless nights in presidential palaces across Europe tonight.

Building tangible foundations for Young Independence

I joined Ukip deciphering that it’s more than just a political movement, it’s a social movement. The evidence is clear when you walk into a pub and notice the pub landlord has tossed a cascade of Ukip’s ‘Save the Pub’ beer mats around the pub; do you see the same for Labour, Tory – or Lib-Dem – supporters? No, now those activists only exist in a realm isolated from of the average man or woman, although they may pop by at election period. Ukip is different. And I believe this movement has to reach the youth if we really want to establish ourselves in the social fabric, and I think it is vitally important, as we've seen in currently in Young Independence, young supporters make their own interpretations of Ukip policy or values; enhancing the sense of the yellow, purple and striped tied Youth Kipper which I believe is a crucial beneficiary to the concept of the ‘broad church’ of Ukip, which is a good thing.

Many young people feel naturally attached to what the Party stands for, however I worry that they are rummaging for a local Ukip presence, and Young Independence (if they've ever heard of it), when frankly it should be vice versa. I want to build tangible foundations for YI branches to seep new members - and activists, and of course establish more branches, particularly in constituencies where we do possess YI members willing to do their bit for the party. I am a strong believer in YI branch chairmen getting down and dirty for youth support; where do the youth go in your areas; youth clubs; social events; sixth form, college and university debates etc? My personal interaction with these branches would be key, moreover establishing a network between branches is essential; learning from the tactics of one another is what we really need to get YI together – and to be helping one another in terms of campaigning, transport and events. A relationship should also be established with your local Ukip branch in boosting these factors. I shall email, use social networking or meet branch representatives at party events, so we can share information and ideas.

I am a strong believer in transparency; and I will update YI and the rest of Ukip, with what I do as Grassroots Officer in my blogs or emails, as well as taking into light your personal queries or interests. I will contact EVERYONE on the incoming database; no one will be left out.

                

I have begun drafting plans with former YI Interim Chairman Rob Comley, embracing social networking in the process, to gather a bunch of Ukip supporting sixth formers, college students and university students to discuss why they want to leave the European Union, and why they believe in Ukip – before a camera; fruitful content which can be widely distributed. These - and many more - approaches should be taken to reach the social media capacity of other political youth organisations, such as Young Labour and Conservative Future, which are blatantly losing the argument but currently only have meek opposition.

 We must look beyond university as the majority are elsewhere, and that role of 'beyond' should be naturally carried out by the Grassroots Officer. Ukip’s Libertarian image - with a spice of Lady Britannia's common sense - can’t be amplified by merely the Party Leadership, but youth themselves. Similarly, we need more YI members out on the doorstep rather than older activists who struggle to walk up myriads of stairs; I have witnessed this struggle firsthand leafleting around London. Young Independence needs to be a tangible fighting force, not bluntly just on the internet. That includes activists from all over Great Britain gathering for the greater good.

We must imprint ourselves in the social fabric; YI must defeat concrete jungles and tribal voting through youth networks, and therefore Ukip will surely have a beaming, long term future.

Votes much appreciated!

My manifesto - Alexander Balkan – Candidate for Grassroots Officer of Young Independence.

Proposer: Rob Comley. Seconder: Henry Reilly. Assentors: Jack Duffin, Kelly Gravett, Richard Harrington, Laura Howard, James Lynch, Gareth Shanks, Peter Thurston and Ben Walker.
 

New UKIP Councillor elected

UKIP's newest councillor is Kenny Davis who won a by election yesterday for a vacant seat on Northam Town Council.

Cllr Davis won with 37% of the vote followed by an Independent on 33% and the Tory candidate bringing up the rear on 29%.

Turnout for the election was 18.87% which is about right for a parish or town council by-election.

Well done Cllr Davis and well done voters of Northam for choosing the right candidate!

Another great result for UKIP in Skegness

Another great result for UKIP yesterday, sadly not enough for a win though.

Chris Pain contested a Skegness Town Council seat yesterday and came second, beating the Tory candidate (no Lib Dem, a sign of things to come?).

The results were:

Lab 40.07%
UKIP 31.95%
Con 27.96%

Another great result, just a shame it wasn't enough for the win.

UKIP win Seaford Town Council seat

UKIP's Alan Latham was elected to Seaford Town Council yesterday, beating the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems.

The result was:

UKIP 428

Con 365

LD 344

Lab 105

Well done Alan, that's a great result.

Another second place for UKIP

UKIP had an excellent result in the election to fill expenses thief, Lord Hanningfield's vacant seat on Essex County Council.

The seat was, unsurprisingly, retained by the Tories as you would expect from a "true blue" seat with 1,820 votes but the UKIP candidate, Jesse Pryke, came second with 736.

Third place went to Labour with just 273 votes, fourth to the Lib Dems with 160 and the communist Green Party candidate received just 80 votes.

Obviously a win would have been a better result but second place in an election contested by all three of the LibLabCon is still an excellent result.

Can you help identify the Grimsby Slasher?

The woman in this video caused hundreds of pounds of damage to UKIP posters during the election campaign in Grimsby last month.  Humberside Police are appealing for help in catching the Grimsby Slasher.

True Finns come third in Finnish election

UKIP's partners in the EU Parliament, True Finns, have come joint second by votes in today's Finnish general election with 19.1% of the vote.

The party has gone from political insignificance 4 years ago to finish in third place today and may end up a major player in the coalition that will be formed to govern Finland in the coming days.

The final results are:

• National Coalition Party 20.3% (44 seats)
• Social Democrats 19.1% (42 seats)
• True Finns 19.1% (39 seats)
• Center Party 15.8% (35 seats)
• Left Alliance 8.1% (14 seats)
• Greens 7.2% (10 seats)

Billboards attacked in Oldham again

Someone in Oldham is scared of UKIP judging by the two attacks on UKIP billboards in less than a week.

The first set of billboards and posters with the slogan "Against Unlimited Immigration" were vandalised last week and posters have been vandalised again overnight.  Local BNP activists are believed to be behind the latest vandalism based on the illiteracy and incoherence of the messages written on the posters.

Both attacks have been reported to the police.

Thirsk and Malton Result

Toby Horton, UKIP's candidate for the Thirsk & Malton constituency, polled 6.6% in yesterday's election to come in in fourth place.

Toby almost doubled the Liberal Party's vote and was just shy of half the Labour Party's vote.

Although I'm sure he's disappointed not to have won, he should at least be reassured by the fact that he broke the 5% barrier to retain his deposit, beat the Liberal Party and achieved over a 100% swing for UKIP.

Nikki Sinclaire MEP Election address:

This is the CV that will appear on ballot papers and in INDEPENDENCE.

I am honoured to be proposed and seconded by two of our recent "Gold Medal" recipients, both stalwarts of our party who have played an essential role in our success. I am also grateful to the hardworking grassroots members across the UK who assented to my nomination. These people reflect my candidature.

UKIP is now a force in British politics and credit must go to Nigel Farage. It is a loss to our party that he never led us into a General Election campaign. Many of you will know that I have made every effort to seek a change of heart from him with my petition but to no avail. I was not in favour of a leadership campaign so close to a General Election.

I have been urged by many across the country to put my name forward to debate the future direction of the party, essential in the light of recent developments and proposals.

History

I became involved with UKIP after the Tory treachery of Maastricht. Volunteering in the European elections of 1994 I subsequently became a member in 1996.

I have been a Branch Committee Member, Branch Secretary, Branch Chairman, Regional Committee Member, Regional Chairman, Head Office Manager, NEC Member and Party Secretary.

I have stood in local elections, two General Elections, one European Election and now find myself as an MEP!

I have also two years' political experience in the US campaigning for a member of Congress and also on the Californian "recall" procedure with its subsequent election of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This year, I put all my skills and experience into being the Campaign Manager for the West Midlands, winning a third of the seats and securing UKIP's highest vote increase.

Principles

I seek unequivocal withdrawal from the EU. Reform is not and can never be an option.
To promote freedom and liberty for the individual that would encourage each person to develop independence and responsibility.
I believe in equality of opportunity and treatment for all under the rule of law.
I loathe political correctness and positive discrimination.
These are not just words but the passion that drives me forward in my work representing UKIP and my country.

UKIP - the way forward

The time has come for a fresh approach and a debate on the future of our Party. UKIP is the only vehicle to take our country out of the corrupt and doomed mess that is the EU. We must not rest on our laurels but continue with all our muster against the Euro-federalists. We need to take a critical look at our party and not be afraid of the changes needed to take us forward. UKIP started as a grassroots party. This is a principle we should never forget. No member should be left behind in our fight. This party has far too many ex-members. We need a united front to defeat our enemies.

Finally we are in the centre ground of British politics, no longer thought of as an offshoot of the Tory party. The European Elections cemented this by UKIP winning outright in Labour heartlands such as Stoke-on-Trent, Dudley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Plymouth, Hull, Hartlepool and Sunderland. We did not win one single Conservative heartland.

We must consolidate this and expand our message across the political spectrum. Polls show that our cause now has majority support. We need to claim that support, not restrict ourselves once again by being seen as a Tory splinter group.

Besides our message, our great asset is Nigel's ability to articulate our cause. As Leader I would retain Nigel as our lead spokesman. Nigel has already indicated he is willing to do this.

A major change needed within the party is communication, administration and policy making. The recent Court of Appeal decision which means that, due to a simple administrative error, we may have to pay over £360,000 into government coffers, underlines our need for improved professionalism in the party.

Our administrative office in Devon does a fantastic job. However, we need investment in the regions to supplement our branches. Our infrastructure has not grown with our electoral success and if we don't heed the need for change it will be the biggest obstacle to us achieving real success.

Our internal communication leaves a lot to be desired. Ideas such as a "letter database" whereby all letters by members published in newspapers/magazines across the country can be accessed by other members and used in their area - Simple, free and effective. WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS!

The Party Leader and officers need to be available to members by regular meetings in their region on a regular basis. Members deserve regular newsletters. I promise all this.

In short, I believe my organisational and administrative ability, coupled with Nigel evident abilities, can harness the improvements we need to take us forward.

Sticky Issues

Under my leadership UKIP will never be part of a pan-European party. Under Article 191 of Nice, these parties aim to assist further EU integration. I could not believe my ears when I heard the proposal that we should join one. I am proud that I was one of only two UKIP MEPs that spoke and campaigned against this recent proposal.

It is 10 years since we first sent MEPs to Brussels. The intent of UKIPs 1998 Conference (which allowed elected MEPs to take up their seats) was to make the MEPs work for the Party. There is a tendency for it to be the other way round. The Party needs to be able to be powerful in its own right, democratically controlled by you, the members. We MEPs are privileged to fight the cause on your behalf and are there, politically and financially, to further that cause.

Being an MEP

Being an MEP allows me use of substantial resources to represent you as Party Leader. For example, my 15,000 miles' travel allowance will permit me to travel across the country promoting the Party. I have members of staff to assist me. I have a professional fully-equipped office in Birmingham, financed by my allowances, and only five minutes away from the BBC and ITV studios. To qualify for these allowances, I need to spend, on average, three and a half days a month in Brussels/Strasbourg. The rest of my time will be here, in the UK, and I commit to spending my time touring the country, promoting UKIP, to give us the best chance of electoral success.

Since being elected an MEP, I have committed a third of my net salary to the Party. I have edited and paid for 100,000 newspapers to be distributed by West Midland branches. A further 500,000 are planned, with some going to the North East and Scotland where UKIP does not yet have MEPS. I am financially supporting and attending Freshers´ Fairs at universities to further our message. I have a full website, including a page on transparency, at www.yourmep.org which is regularly updated. Take a look to see what I did in my first 100 days as an MEP.

What others say

"Nikki has been with the Party since it was set up in 1993 and has worked tirelessly in every capacity including MEP. She is an excellent administrator and will prove a worthy successor to Nigel Farage." Sonya Porter, Founder member and leading activist

"I have known Nikki since 1999 she gives 110% to UKIP and to getting us out of the EU. She has proved herself and no doubt will prove to be a good leader" John Botting, PPC & Chairman, Maidstone

"I could not think of anyone better than Nikki to be Party Leader. She has the grassroots level of this Party in her heart and will always listen to the thoughts and wishes of every member" Sam Sutton, Hampshire Organiser

"Nikki is the only candidate I trust to increase our support and profile amongst the whole of the electorate in this time of change" Ray Finch, PPC Eastleigh

"Nikki is an experienced veteran of UKIP, who relishes the challenges of trying to take the party over from UKIP's greatest leader Farage. This will truly be her greatest challenge." Ramsey Urquhart, Branch Secretary, Glasgow

"Support Nikki, the only candidate for leadership, with the determination and vision to succeed." Ron Nixon, UKIP Mansfield

"I happily declare my full support for Nikki's bid for leadership. To me, she will take the party in a modern, progressive direction and that is something I wholeheartedly endorse. With Nikki as leader, UKIP can only go forwards to greater success" Jacob Ellett, Young Independence activist

Contact - Further Info

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, or to express your support. Contact me at 123 New John Street, Birmingham B6 4LD or telephone free 0800 1577916. Email Nikki at nikki@ukip.org

And Finally

My loyalty and support for the cause and UKIP is absolute.

I will continue to work tirelessly for our cause as Party Leader, or support the person you choose.

UKIP, election,

UKIP is gaining more seats, as voters become more fed up with the Lib/Lab/Con stance on the Lisbon Treaty and the UK's place in Europe.

UKIP reports:

UKIP scored another big win in local government with an overwhelming result in the Billericay Town Council by-election last night.
UKIP's Cllr Susan McCaffery won 57% of the vote, more than the total vote of all other candidates combined.

Cllr Peter Reeve, UKIP Regional Organiser for the Eastern Counties said. “We are very proud of Susan for the fantastic result that she and her team have achieved.

"She is passionate about the local people of Billericay and her commitment has been rewarded by the trust that the local community have now placed in her. She will be an excellent voice of the people.

"This is one of a series of big wins for UKIP in local elections across the Eastern Counties. Susan will join the fast-growing team of UKIP councillors who are fighting to restore local democracy and force polticians to start listening to the local community again.

"It is also another nail in the coffin for the Labour Government and the National Socialist BNP."

The result for the Billericay Town Council South West ward by-election was:

480 (UKIP) Cllr Susan McCaffery

266 (Labour)

95 (BNP)

Cross-posted

64% of Tories would vote for Farage

ConservativeHome is doing such a wonderful job of promoting Nigel Farage's election campaign and showing the huge gulf in the Tory Party caused by the European Empire and UKIP.

No need to spend a fortune on a polling company to find out how many Tories are intending to vote for Farage, ConservativeHome have already got the answer - 64%!


The Tories are more split than ever under the expert leadership of David Camoron. Keep up the good work Dave.

Local election result best ever for UKIP

Thursday's election was undoubtedly UKIP's best result in a local election in the party's history.

Despite the fact UKIP gained only 8 seats, the result needs to be looked at in the right context. The Conswervatives were always going to win the election although I don't think anyone would have predicted The Tories gaining 217 councillors, Liebour losing 250 and "others" having the same total number of councillors as Liebour.

The fact is, the Tories were always going to win the local election and they were always going to win it convincingly. The Lib Dims, in their traditional role of the "none of the above" party, were always going to mop up the left wing votes that didn't go to the Tories and they'll be quite happy, I'm sure, to have only made a net loss 8 councillors.

With only a couple of exceptions, UKIP candidates came either first, second or third in seats they contested. Taken as an average over all seats contested by the party, UKIP came a very close third overall. There are too many results to go through to work out the position as an average of all seats, whether there was a UKIP candidate or not, but there's a good possibility that UKIP came above Liebour on vote share even though Liebour contested almost every seat.

I don't expect any of the papers will report on UKIP's historic performance, they'll all be too busy writing about the success of the Conswervatives, lamenting the decimation of Liebour or navel gazing about the BNP getting 2 councillors elected. I'll be sending letters to newspapers pointing out what a fantastic result this was for UKIP, hopefully a lot more UKIPpers will too.

UKIP tally up to 7

UKIP has gained 7 councillors in total from the 30 councils that have declared results from yesterday's election.

Four of the six have been elected in Staffordshire, putting them on an equal footing with the Lib Dims and above Liebour who have gone from controlling the council with 32 councillors to losing it with 3. UKIP have also won in Nottinghamshire ,Norwich and Suffolk.

Tomorrow is UK Independence Day

Tomorrow is June the 4th, UK Independence Day.

Here are your instructions for tomorrow:

1. Take your voting card to your local polling station
2. Exchange your voting card for a ballot paper
3. Find the box with UK Independence Party written next to it
4. Put a cross in the box

If you encounter any canvassers for the LibLabCon, the Greens, Libertas, Jury Team, the English Democrats, the BNP or any of the other eurofederalist and/or racist parties, adopt the Churchill victory pose as seen on the thousands of UKIP billboards and posters up and down the country, rotate your raised hand 180 degrees and optionally utter the first string of Anglo Saxon words that spring to mind.

Vote For Dave Pascoe In Rossmere Ward

A by-election is to be held on May 7th for the Council Seat left vacant following the sad death of Rossmere Councillor Michael Johnson in February. Mick and Dave were opposed politically but they conducted their opposition without personal animosity. They often ‘crossed swords’ during campaigns and debate was always ‘lively’. RIP Mick.

Vote For Dave Pascoe In Rossmere Ward!

Dave lives in Rossmere Ward and has fought this seat four times in the past, each time coming closer to winning with an increased vote every time. In 2008 Dave broke through into second place when the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed.

Only UKIP is a credible alternative to Labour in Rossmere Ward. Tories or Lib-Dems can’t win in Rossmere and Labour will be lining up one of their Party Faithful who will expect to take the seat by right. I hope the residents of Rossmere don’t allow themselves to be taken for granted!

UKIP wanted the election to be held on June 4th since this would have reduced the costs of holding the election as it would have been on the same day as the European Parliament Elections. However, the current politicians don’t care about how much of your money they waste and they have decided that saving money isn’t important.

Dave will be sending detailed proposals during the campaign but if you would like to know more, display a UKIP poster, or help with the campaign then Dave is always available.I know he would invite you in for a cup of tea but that’s illegal during a campaign! Politicians can promise you the earth but they can’t give you a cup of tea!

If you can help in the By-election please telephone Dave Pascoe on 223754 or
e-mail him at d.j.pascoe@btinternet.com.

2008 Election Results: Rossmere
Michael JOHNSON - The Labour Party Candidate 488 Elected
Mike LUDGATE - Conservative Party Candidate 197
David PASCOE - UK Independence Party 373 -2nd
Pamela TURNEDGE - Liberal Democrat 258

UKIP - your anti-EU voice and choice.