The Rise of UKIP: A Party Trapped in Britain's Isolationist Past

In the 2009 European elections, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has made significant gains, reflecting a growing disillusionment with mainstream politics and the European Union. UKIP's rhetoric, mirroring Britain's nostalgic isolationist past, has tapped into the anxiety and apathy of voters, particularly in Conservative strongholds. The party's promise to "get our country back" and "regain control of our borders" has resonated with some Labour voters and Liberal Democrats, further eroding the support for the mainstream parties.

Key Takeaways:

• UKIP's surge in vote share can be attributed to the European elections' unique format, which lends itself to protest voting, and the mainstream politicians' failure to engage with the electorate on European issues.
• The party's weakness in the past has allowed fringe elements to gain traction, with 5 out of 6 voters marking their crosses against parties that want Britain to remain in the EU.
• Charles Kennedy's Liberal Democrats lost out, despite their efforts to hide their pro-Europeanism behind opposition to the Iraq war.
• UKIP's strong performance in former Conservative heartlands presents a painful paradox for Michael Howard, as the party strives to present itself as a credible government-in-waiting.
• The Conservatives' prolonged weakness and Mr. Howard's failure to present himself as a winning alternative to Tony Blair have created an opportunity for UKIP to gain traction among disaffected Tories.
• The pressure from UKIP threatens to pull the Conservatives to the Europhobic right, potentially further distancing them from success in the general election.

Statistics:

• 5 out of 6 voters marked their crosses against parties that want Britain to remain in the EU.
• UKIP's vote share in the European elections is significant, but its impact on the overall composition of the European Parliament is yet to be seen.
• The UK's membership of the European Union costs £30m per day.
• Traffic congestion charging, abolition of a decent telephone directory inquiry service, and other issues are cited by UKIP as being the responsibility of the European Union.
• 6,841 votes were cast in the UK for the UK Independence Party in the 2004 European Parliament election.
• In the 2009 European Parliament election, UKIP secured 2,097,462 votes, representing 16.5% of the UK's total vote.

Sources:

• Philip Stephens, "The rise of the xenophobes", Financial Times, 2009
• UKIP's 2009 European Parliament election results