to think it proves lots of people want change

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That ukip are making such huge gains in the elections.
If mnetters could temper their hysteria of screaming racism, I think it is a clear indication that the fundamental principals of the party of no toEurope and no to continued mass immigration are very important to a lot of people

I agree Mooncup - the main parties have lost touch with the common voter. I think Labour and Conservative have tried to be all things to all people rather than nail their colours to the mast and let the electorate make a clear choice.

And of course, no-one trusts that they will do what they say they will do in the pre election promises.

I believe these results will be a big shake-up for the main parties - and about time too.

...they appeal to people who want simple answers and quick solutions

Yeah, you mean thickos, Gordy! Being thick doesn't stop you and your vote being dangerous. And calling thickos thick isn't dismissing them, it's looking at one of the major reasons why people might vote UKIP.

Arsebadger, don't forget that UKIP are also against equal pay for women.

I hope all the women on here who think UKIP are the answer will enjoy working for a pittance just weeks after having a baby that was the result of a legally-sanctioned rape, because they can't have maternity leave. Or having a society in chaos, when all the non-British people living here can't work or have to leave, and they realise just how much those people contribute to our society and too often do the shittiest, most thankful but most vital jobs.

ThankLESS, not thankful!

the main parties have lost touch with the common voter.

this.

some UKIP voters don't actually want us to leave Europe, but as they know that's not going to happen any time soon anyway, it's still a safe way to vote

and this

What the big increase in votes for UKIP shows is the failure of the old mainstream parties to pull themselves out of the mess they've got themselves into by allowing themselves to become professional politicians. Very few of the senior people in any of these parties have had any meaningful work experience outside Westminster/politics, they all sound and look the same to me, and all the parties are riddled with the same types of scandals about expenses etc.

Many of the voters will have gone through the experience of asking a perfectly reasonable question, such as 'Most of the schools are oversubscribed and getting to see the GP takes about a week, has any thought been given to how we're going to fund extra places and a couple of new GPs?' and promptly been accused of being racist. But to me these are valid questions.

their opinion maternity leave is disgusting.

It's hardly news that when the economy suffers nationalism and bigotry becomes more attractive to voters. It's played out all over Europe in the past few years and throughout history.

YABU
There is a thread on here where woman are boasting about not bothering to vote.
When people are apathetic the nutters always gain seats.

Most people voting for them don't listen past the 'Decent Hard Working British Families' clap trap.

Thank fuck i don't live in an area where UKIP has gained seat. Who would I go to if I needed help?
What would they be able to do for me? Buy me a pint and hand me a fag and tell me once the immigrants go home everything will be ok?

in fact, having read up a bit more on their views towards women, I'd be shocked at any woman or man who had any respect for women even considering voting for them ever.

Out of interest I have just checked the UKIP website, and nowhere does it advocate Marital Rape, scrapping Maternity leave/pay, unequal rights for women, or privatising the NHS........

I haven't voted for them and do not have plans to, but wonder where the extreme assertions made above come from, if not from their own printed manifesto?

But as I understood it, being one of the few people on the planet that read their polices properly, Maternity leave would be replaced by a 'universal' benefit that although low, could be claimed for as long as was needed. I would much rather have had 5 years on very little money (doable) than 6 months on no money (not doable.)

How is that disgusting? It would have suited me far better. Oh, and I'm far from thick, thank you.

I think it's stuff that ukip MPs are quoted as saying...

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/30/front-national-marine-le-pen-french-local-elections France

The worse the economic hardship, the more extreme the lurch to the right. www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/16/greece-golden-dawn-hitler Greece

Nigel Farage on women: “Godfrey’s [Bloom, former UKIP MEP] comment that ‘no employer with a brain in the right place would employ a young, single, free woman‘ has been proved so right. With this lunacy, that if you have children you get three months paid leave off work, or six months paid leave off work – he absolutely got it spot on.”

Does this suit you as well then?

Have you got a proper link to that quote Vampyre?

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/21/ukip-nigel-farage-women_n_5365144.html

www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/29/10-good-reasons-not-vote-ukip-nigel-farage-europe

Well none of the Guardians top ten reasons not to vote UKIP involved Marital Rape, scrapping Maternity leave/pay, unequal rights for women, or privatising the NHS........

I still won't vote UKIP (at least, not until I see their full manifesto, which apprently hasn't been written yet according to UKIP supporter claig) but I don't think that lying about what they stand for and then sneering at and insulting those that have voted for them is the way to go to change their minds..........

their members' opinions on those subjects say a lot though. possibly they're not actually stupid enough to officially declare that rape within marriage is okay.

UKIP want to reduce maternity pay to £46 a week :) they also want to do away with the entitlement to paid holidays

it's in their little publicised small business policy ...which if you support them you have hopefully read

The problem is that in my area only the older people (pensioners mainly) bother to vote. And they are more likely to vote UKIP.

I voted (labour) but none of my friends or family in my age group (30s) bothered to vote.

When I went to the polling station I was the only person there. Sheets of names of voters had not been crossed out!

UKIP may win this election but the real winner is 'nobody' that 'nobody' voted for! If that makes sense...

They wanted an end to the two party system. Seems they have got their wish.

Well, I have no problem with the proposed £46 pw Maternity pay, but disagree with the proposed unpaid leave.

BTW I do not support them, because they have not published their Official Manifesto yet, so have no idea what they will propose officially.

AlpacaLypse I agree.

Sneering at swathes of the electorate has contributed to this raggle-taggle group of oddbods getting votes. (Naive "bigoted woman" trash talked by Gordon Brown was a particularly pungent political moment to me.)

By all means point out the strange notions of UKIP candidates and donors; but calling masses of the electorate "thickos" is pretty unintelligent itself imo. Democracy means everyone has a vote, and I'm glad of it.