UKIP chairman secures a second Euro seat (From Gazette Series)

UKIP chairman secures a second Euro seat

A SURGE in the popularity of the United Kingdom Independence Party at Thursday's European elections has sent shock waves throughout Stroud district's political communiies.

Jubilant UKIP - whose main agenda is to take Britain out of the European Union - scooped two of the seven seats after enjoying an 11.9 per cent rise in its share of the vote since 1999.

The party is led by former Stroud Tory MP Roger Knapman, who used to live in North Nibley but now resides in Devon. He won his party's second South-West seat.

Graham Booth, who was elected for a second term, said there was no doubt that the boost reflected a rise in anti-European feeling.

"It is a tremendous result," he said. "It does confirm there is a major part of the British public who are against the European Union.

"It really does give us the credibility to reach a much wider audience. People are sick of being dictated to by Europe, its arrogance and its extravagance.

"The writing is on the wall for Europe and I do not see how Tony Blair can sign up to the EU constitution after this result."

The Green Party did not win a seat after gaining just over seven per cent of the vote. Prominent party member John Marjoram said the results were disappointing.

"We did expect to win a seat," he admitted. "We have been caught by a naive electorate with a very simplistic view about Europe and the future of Europe. "If we are not in Europe wherever do we go? Are we to become another state of America?"

Much of UKIP's support seems to have come from disaffected Conservative supporters angered at their party's stance on Europe.

But Caroline Jackson said the UKIP surge was only a temporary set-back for her party's ambitions in Europe.

"I would regard this a temporary spasm because people have taken their opportunity to show they do not like the European Union," she said. "I would hope most of that support will come back to us at the next election.

Stroud prospective Tory Parliamentary candidate Neil Carmichael said: "Despite a fairly strong showing from UKIP, the Conservative Party still managed to surge ahead of Labour, enhancing the margin of victory achieved in the local elections.

"The electorate has expressed considerable disillusionment with the Labour government and notable dissatisfaction with the idea of a European constitution.

"The Conservative Party is perfectly placed to provide clear solutions for public services, taxation and the future of the European Union."

Stroud MP David Drew, a long-term critic of the European Union, said his government should change its policy and strive towards fewer ties with the EU.

"Overall the results were very disappointing for Labour," he said. "The EU has done itself no favours in the way it appears to be obsessed with controlling more and more of the minutiae of life.

"Its economic policy is too rigid with regard to the way national economies can spend and that is its single biggest failing. A government needs to have the freedom to borrow to back up its economy. I think the Labour Party is coming back to sharing this view."

Polling for Euro seats in the South-West region resulted:

British National Party 43,653, Conservatives - Putting Britain First 457,371, Countryside Party 30,824, Greens 103,821, Labour 209,908, Liberal Democrats 265,619, Respect - The Unity Coalition (George Galloway) 10,437, UK Independence Party 326,784.

The number of votes rejected was 5,208

Elected were Neil Quentin Gordon Parish (Con), Graham Harry Booth (UKIP), Graham Robert Watson (Lib Dem), Caroline Frances Jackson (Con), James Glyn Ford(Lab), Roger Maurice Knapman (UKIP), Giles Bryan Chichester (Con).

South Gloucestershire in a 37 percent turn-out polled: British National Party 3,566, Conservatives 20,007, Countryside Party 977, Greens 4,040, Labour 13,962, Liberal Democrats 15,070, Respect 433, UKIP 13,629.

The number of votes rejected was 125.

Stroud district polled: British National Party 941, Conservatives 12,547, Countryside 281, Green 4,423, Labour 7,028, Liberal Democrats 5,343, Respect 273, UKIP 6,002