Sentences with phrase «ukip defections»

The rhetoric around Ukip defections became significantly harsher during the conference as the party leadership sought to discourage any more MPs from following suit.

MP Mark Reckless's defection from the Tories to UKIP prompted the contest - the second by - election caused by a UKIP defection in just over a month.

Not exact matches

The defection was so secret not even Ukip press officers were not told of it until the shock announcement at a press conference this morning.

«Discussions» with Conservative party MPs, MEPs and peers about potential defections to Ukip are underway, Nigel Farage has claimed.

Carswell's defection, which was kept secret from all but the very highest levels of the UKIP hierarchy, has surprised many in the local party.

The government is struggling to craft a motion that satisfies Liberal Democrat MPs — who in many cases owe their seats to anti-Iraq-war defections from Labour in 2005 — as well as little England Tory backbenchers who, nudged by Ukip's anti-intervention stance yesterday, fear that Nigel Farage speaks for their voters better than Cameron does.

Nigel Farage has described the defection of Conservative candidate Mike Whitehead to Ukip as «another hammer blow to Tory pretensions in the north of England».

Nigel Farage has said Ukip is «becoming the opposition party» in northern England following the defection of Conservative candidate Mike Whitehead earlier today.

David Davis has accused Nigel Farage of making a misleading statement over the «defection» of Conservative Mike Whitehead to Ukip.

A defection is pretty quickly forgotten though, the real kicker from the Carswell defection is the by - election that comes with it, if UKIP win that by anything like last night's Survation poll suggests expect a much more concrete impact on the polls.

Reports of Conservative voters jumping ship to join UKIP, follow previous defections including Winston Churchill, elected as a Conservative MP defecting to the Liberal Party and back again, plus the SDP in 1981 mainly formed from the Labour ranks.

Douglas Carswell, the Conservative MP for Clacton, has dropped a bomb by announcing his defection to UKIP, and will fight a by - election to give his constituents the chance to pass judgement on the decision...

The mass defection of the Ukip vote to the Tories in Leave areas could store up huge problems for Theresa May, placing the prime minister under even more pressure to deliver the kind of clean Brexit that her new backers, the ex-Ukippers, crave.

He predicted there would be further defections to Ukip.

The least surprising part of Douglas Carswell's defection to UKIP was surely his decision to resign his Clacton seat and seek re-election in a by - election.

Carswell's defection has clearly been on the cards for some time, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage telling BBC Radio 4 that he first discussed the move with him 18 months ago.

In Rochester and Strood, where the defection to Ukip of yet another Tory candidate, Mark Reckless, prompted another byelection in November 2014, the Conservatives could have breached the spending limit by a far larger amount — more than # 51,096.

Nigel Farage told Conservative MPs unhappy with David Cameron they were «in the wrong party» as he was asked about rumours of defections to UKIP.

The Tories deliberately bigged up the UKIP threat to Labour in advance of the by - election because it was a win - win for them: either it would increase defections from Labour to UKIP, or (as happened) UKIP would disappoint.

Tory Eurosceptics say they will push for exit after general election as Ukip tries to build on Douglas Carswell's defection

While his defection may prove a double - edged sword for Labour, and it may even disrupt Ukip, it is really horrible for David Cameron.

Essex vote triggered by former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell's shock defection to Ukip will be held on 9 October

With that in mind, the Conservatives can not afford to lose seats to Ukip, starting with the two by - elections they now face as a result of defections from Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless.

Last week, two Tory peers, Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord Willoughby de Broke, announced their defection to Ukip.

Carswell's defection to Ukip has caused worry among senior Conservatives that other MPs from the party could be about to follow suit.

As the Conservative conference gets under way in Birmingham, Prime Minister David Cameron says the defection to UKIP by Tory MP Mark Reckless is «counter-productive and rather senseless».

UKIP leader Nigel Farage indicated there could be further defections to UKIP in the months running up to the general election - without necessarily forcing a by - election.

UKIP MEP Patrick O'Flynn describes former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell's defection to UKIP as a «magnificent gesture».

[1] In Welsh Assembly elections the Welsh Conservatives were the third most supported party, having been overtaken by Plaid Cymru in the 2016 election; although following a defection from Plaid Cymru to Labour, and a defection from UKIP to the Conservatives, they are now the second largest party in the Assembly.

It took three defections to UKIP — those of Eurosceptic agitators - in - chief in the Commons, Douglas...

Despite this, Labour's lead in these seats has grown from 9 to 14 points over the last two years, largely because of the defection of Tory voters to UKIP.

Talk has turned to more potential defections now that former Tory Mark Reckless has been returned to parliament as a UKIP MP.

Due to Mike Nattrass's deselection and Nikki Sinclaire's defection to the «We Demand a Referendum» party, UKIP will be fielding no incumbent MEPs.

Guido has an important story this morning concerning Lord Pearson's recent defection to UKIP.

In an article for the House Magazine (not yet online) Sir Malcolm Rifkind sees benefits for the Conservative Party from recent defections to UKIP.

UKIP have been on a slow but steady downwards trend since their support peaked after Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless's defections.

Where even UKIP have managed to attract one defector, it's hard to see where future Conservative defections might come from.

ConservativeHome executive editor Mark Wallace claimed former Tory MP Douglas Carswell had made the wrong decision, and his defection to UKIP threatened the possibility of a Tory election win at the 2015 general election.

Carswell said that if Ukip won the Rochester and Strood byelection on 6 November, which has been triggered by the defection of Conservative MP Mark Reckless, the «silent, reflective doubt» would become «something far more kinetic and animated and urgent».

Voters go to the polls in the Rochester and Strood by - election on Thursday, prompted by the defection of MP Mark Reckless from the Conservatives to UKIP.

Carswell's defection underlines that Ukip votes could stop enough Tory MPs being elected to seriously damage David Cameron.

Their numbers were previously boosted by the defection of two sitting UKIP councillors whose four - year terms were coming to an end; they held onto their seats in these areas whilst also gaining a seat from UKIP and another from an independent in Rugeley, leaving them with four net gains.

The hardening of the Tory position on Europe came amid fears at the highest levels of the party that the prime minister could be heading for a second successive byelection defeat at the hands of Ukip in next month's byelection in Rochester and Strood that was triggered by the defection of Mark Reckless.

Last week was the Labour leader's big fight - back speech, this week was meant to be about the Tory by - election defeat to Ukip and next week should have been David Cameron's Götterdämmerung with new defections to Ukip and the emergence of a letter in the press, signed by dozens of Tory backbenchers, calling for a change in leader.

Since the defection of Douglas Carswell to Ukip it has been accused of being on the verge of a split, but that, in fact, has already happened.

As illustrated by the defection of Tory MP Mark Reckless in 2014, there is a thin line of demarcation between eurosceptic Conservatives and UKIP.

However, any defections to Ukip will kill the chances of Tory gains in the Midlands and North West.

Everything about politics is relative and after a stinker of a week for Labour, it's clear the Tories» conference this week is going to be even worse after the shock defection of Rochester and Strood MP, Mark Reckless, to Ukip.

Prime Minister David Cameron has described Mark Reckless» defection to Ukip as «frustrating» and «rather senseless».

But didn't stop UKIP winning the European elections and the defection of two Tory MPs to UKIP.