UKIP has moved to dump the NF residue that came aboard, and bigots who show their true colors, generally after they’ve run for office, and that’s great, but it *doesn’t matter why* Galloway was invited, it was a stupid move, because he’s all about anti-Semitism and jihad-coddling, and little else.
UKIP’s position on the EU appears to be shared by a lot of people across all party lines — probably not a majority — who otherwise find nothing appealing about UKIP. The Conservatives won an outright majority thanks in part to the failure of Scottish independence in 2014; because the union had endured, the SNP destroyed Labour in its former Scottish strongholds. The Tories also won in part because Cameron promised an up-or-down referendum on EU membership, but offered nothing else to UKIP.
UKIP — zero seats.
What’s the next move? If the referendum fails, and the UK stays in the EU? Will there be a big surge into UKIP?
UKIP Could Win Over 100 Seats Say Experts [10/11/2014]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3214113/posts
Farage on Cameron renegotiation attempt: Hardly worth the wait - truly pathetic
http://www.ukipmeps.org/news_1119_Farage-on-Cameron-renegotiation-attempt-Hardly-worth-the-wait-—truly-pathetic.html
Even though UKIP has no seats and officially little power beyond a few councillors and MEP's, its influence is substantial. It is almost completely because of UKIP that this June vote is even going to take place. Without the rise of UKIP, Cameron would not even have offered a referendum.
If the referendum results in the UK staying in the EU, what then? It might cause a surge of support for UKIP, it might work against us. Leaving the EU is easily what UKIP is best known for and its biggest election plank. I really dont know. Much would depend on the fortunes of the EU in the following years. Certainly if the referendum results in us leaving Cameron is finished. He cannot possibly be the man who went through all this negotiation to keep us in and then be the man who has to go and negotiate us to leave.