Nigel Farage: All Voice and No Ideas?

Yesterday morning, I heard Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) being interviewed by Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5Live (the programme of which is available to listen to on the BBC iPlayer website). Thinking that it was strange for the leader of what has been considered as a protest party appearing on big-time radio, I listened closely, assuming what I believe most people think: that UKIP is a far-right party, which differs from the British Nazi National Party only by being a little less racist. But listening to Farage more and more, it started to dawn on me that this man could perform in confrontational interviews. Victoria Derbyshire wasn't one to sit on the fence, and attacked Farage on his economic policies, claiming they don't add up, but Farage vehemently defended his policies. I haven't heard much from Farage (I'm not one who supports right-wing politics), other than Farage's own attack on the President of the European Union, Herman van Rompuy (well worth a look on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dranqFntNgo), but after the discussion on the radio this morning, where he also fielded questions from callers, I think he came out rather well.

He has energy that both David Cameron and Ed Miliband lack (imagine him laying into either the PM or the Leader of the Opposition at Prime Ministers Questions!), and even if his political beliefs leave a lot to be desired, as a political character, I can see a lot of people voting for him, even if it as a so-called "protest vote" against the Big Three of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. This was obvious in the May 2013 Council Elections, where in previous Local Elections, UKIP have done poorly (admittedly, because few UKIP councillors stood for election), but this time round, they won 147 council seats, up from the 8 they had from those councils last time they were up for election (which was 2009, incidentally). This gain of 1737% is a huge jump on four years ago, and is the best result for a party outside of the Big Three since the Second World War.

The problem that faces the so-called "clowns", "loonies" and "fruit-cakes" as David Cameron and other members of his Cabinet have described UKIP, is the public perception of themselves. People see them as closet-racists, convinced that if they come to power, UKIP will force out anyone who does not fit the criteria of being "British": i.e. white, middle-class, born in Britain, like cricket, drink tea etc. If UKIP have any chance of gaining power, Middle England is unlikely to vote for them, for the same reason people don't vote for the BNP: perceived racism is bad. So, I suppose the real reason why Nigel Farage appeared on prime-time radio yesterday morning was to try to dispel that very label. To show people that they are a viable party which is legitimate, and not just the protest vote that the Lib Dems were before they got in to coalition with the Conservatives. I think a lot will depend on the next two years. If the economy is in a significantly better state than it is now, or if Ed Miliband becomes a stronger leader than he is now, and rebrands himself to appeal to voters, then UKIP's influence in 2015 will be little, if not none. If, however, the economy continues to flat-line, and Miliband continues to be the weak leader, both of the Labour Party and at PMQs, then Nigel Farage's party may have influence in the form of a couple of seats in the House of Commons. A lot, it seems, rests on the next two years. Farage may find he has a voice after all.