UKIP to 'target Labour voters'

23 March 2013 Last updated at 07:43 ET

The UK Independence Party will be "actively targeting" Labour supporters in upcoming local elections in England and Wales, its leader says.

Nigel Farage is telling activists at their spring conference that the party has an appeal beyond disaffected Conservative voters.

He is expected to focus on what he sees as the impact of immigration in working-class communities.

He is also due to voice his criticism of recent press regulation changes.

The three main parties - the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Labour - struck a deal this week to establish a new press regulator by royal charter.

Mr Farage is expected to condemn the idea as unnecessary state interference in a free press.

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says UKIP is in a buoyant mood, partly due to its candidate coming second in the Eastleigh by-election at the end of February.

The by-election was called after former Lib Dem cabinet minister Chris Huhne resigned as an MP following an admission he had perverted the course of justice over driving licence points.

Mainstream debate

The seat was won by Lib Dem candidate Mike Thornton, while UKIP candidate Diane James got 11,571 votes, on a 19.3% swing from the Lib Dems.

The Conservative candidate won 10,559 votes, representing a 14 percentage points fall in her share of the vote since the general election, while Labour was fourth with 4,088 votes.

The result was UKIP's best: almost 28% of the vote, and its fourth second-place finish in a race for a Westminster seat in two years.

During the conference, the party also announced that broadcaster and columnist Jon Gaunt had joined it.

UKIP's two biggest policy themes - withdrawal from the European Union and the impact of immigration - enjoy a prominence in mainstream political debate never seen before, our correspondent adds.

Mr Farage is expected to focus, in his speech at lunchtime in Exeter, on what he sees as the impact of immigration in working-class communities: putting pressure on public services and squeezing wages.

Local elections will be held on 2 May.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

UKIP to 'target Labour voters'

Dengan url

https://beritaberbagiceria.blogspot.com/2013/03/ukip-to-target-labour-voters.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

UKIP to 'target Labour voters'

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

UKIP to 'target Labour voters'

sebagai sumbernya