2381/28316
Philip Lynch
Philip
Lynch
Richard C. Whitaker
Richard C.
Whitaker
Gemma Loomes
Gemma
Loomes
The UK Independence Party: Understanding a Niche Party’s Strategy, Candidates and Supporters
University of Leicester
2013
Social Sciences
Political Science
Government & Law
ELECTION
POLICY
2013-10-21 11:33:37
Journal contribution
https://figshare.le.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/The_UK_Independence_Party_Understanding_a_Niche_Party_s_Strategy_Candidates_and_Supporters/10135766
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second in the 2009 European elections, but niche parties associated with a single issue face a dilemma about how to progress. On one hand, if they move too far beyond their core issue, they risk losing their distinctive position and support base. On the other, if they are to grow their representation, they need to develop a broader platform and this can provoke internal tensions. We assess the political attitudes and views on party strategy of UKIP candidates using surveys at the 2009 European and 2010 general election, and compare them with the views of UKIP supporters using opinion poll data. We demonstrate that UKIP’s candidates and supporters are closely aligned, with both groups being strongly Eurosceptic, favouring tighter immigration policies and distrusting the main parties. We also show that UKIP’s leadership and candidates wish to extend the party’s narrative, but differences remain over what issues it should focus on, as well as over competition with the Conservatives and UKIP’s role in the European Parliament.