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Captain Starlet wrote: I'm more inclined to believe the first half there, not only because it sounds much more preferable but when economies recover these parties often disappear, not to mention people soon tire of the novelty of supporting such a party once they realise what a bunch of idiots they are. I do feel ukip are soon to go back under their rock and we'll go back to forgetting them again.
I do find it annoying, and unfair, that the media are all over them for actually gaining a seat that would have been won by Carswell anyway, so hardly a ukip victory, when other parties with less members have had MP's for years. But then that's the bias of british media I suppose.
Well, I hope it goes without saying that I far prefer your scenario. But it's because I'm not convinced that the economy is recovering (a lengthy crash may contain periods that appear like recovery) that I have a nagging concern.
Also, while the media is all over them, I don't think it's anything to do with the Carswell by-election. In fact, I'd suggest that's getting the cart before the horse, and the Carswell by-election happened precisely because the media was all over them. I watched the BBCs coverage of the European elections and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it honestly felt like a Party Political Broadcast for UKIP for extended periods of the night (and I wasn't the only person to notice, this perception was widely held if social media is anything to go by). The Mail, Express and - to a lesser extent as they're still firmly behind the tories - the Murdoch papers are even worse.
Whereas the media always seemed vaguely hostile towards or - at best - bemused by, smaller parties this is not the case with UKIP. They are taking them and their ideas very seriously. And that in turn confers legitimacy, which then - in a feedback loop - draws further media coverage. If I was British I'd be very unhappy with my media right now. More so than usual.
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