View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
12 February 2015updated 24 Jul 2021 11:23am

Nigel Farage blasts “incredibly dull“ election campaign: is Ukip being ignored?

The Ukip leader has dismissed the election campaign as "incredibly dull" so far – is it because the main parties are finally ignoring Ukip?

By Anoosh Chakelian

I agree with Nigel. The election campaign so far has been “predictable” and “incredibly dull”. Aside from flurries of The Thick of It-style 24-hour media excitement over a pink minibus and some nuns, the main parties have been rumbling along painfully safely. 

Labour tells us how it will fix the NHS without any wild spending annoncements; the Tories say they’ll carry on bringing down the deficit as part of their long-term economic slogan – I mean, plan. The Lib Dems say nice things about carrying on raising the tax-free allowance. Again.

In his “appeal to Britons” in an article in the Telegraph today, Farage writes:

This election campaign has been incredibly dull so far. Labour is trying to claim our National Health Service, as if they own it. The Tories are trying to grab at the economy, as if they haven’t presided over a doubling of the national debt in just five years, and failing to erase the deficit. Pretty predictable stuff.

But he may well fear the campaign’s dullness as well as deride it. Because it looks like the two main parties, at least superficially, have finally begun to focus their efforts on their policy comfort zones rather than being spooked by Ukip.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Ukip has had remarkable achievements throughout this parliament. The party’s stand-out successes have been winning the European elections last year, winning its first two elected MPs in the space of two months, and forcing the “establishment” parties’ hands regarding immigration and Britain’s EU membership.

Both David Cameron and Ed Miliband have been compelled by this insurgent party to discuss topics they would much rather have left well alone. And initial prevarication dissolved into the PM conceding an EU referendum and Labour entering the “immigration arms race” against many of its own MPs’ wishes.

Yet it looks like Ukip’s success this parliament may now have peaked. Not only will Mark Reckless MP and Ukip candidates in target seats – including Farage – have an incredibly tight fight on their hands, but it appears the two main parties are no longer talking (or proposing policy) about subjects that belong on Ukip turf.

When Cameron set out his six manifesto priorities last month, neither immigration nor the EU was included. And, silent on immigration since the beginning of the year, Miliband’s party has only mentiond the EU in the context of reassuring businesses that it stands firmly against calling a referendum.

And even the prospect of Farage’s party propping up a minority government in Westminster has had the sting taken out of it, following the Tory party chairman Grant Shapps ruling out a deal with Ukip.

As Farage launches his campaign today, he will attempt to put Ukip back on the map. It will take all the energy and optimism his party has displayed over the past few years to drag Labour and the Conservatives away from their doggedly comfortable campaign paths.

Content from our partners
Development finance reform: the key to climate action
Individually rare, collectively common – how do we transform the lives of people with rare diseases?
Future proofing the NHS

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU