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The UK Independence Party is on course to win the largest share of the vote in May's European Elections, according to a new poll. The party is currently on 30 percent, with Labour in second place on 28. The ComRes poll for the Independent on Sunday, which bases its European voting figures on the 38 percent of respondents who said they are "absolutely certain" to vote, is the first poll for some time to ask a question specifically about the European elections. The Conservatives, who maintain that they are the only party who can offer a referendum on the EU,...

Nigel Farage speaking at the EU Parliament: “Years ago, Mrs Thatcher recognised the truth about the European project. She saw that it was about taking away democracy from nation states and handing that power to largely unaccountable people. Knowing as she did that the Euro would not work, she saw that this was a very dangerous design.”

The leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, has claimed that his party has now displaced the Liberal Democrats as the "third force" in British politics after it performed strongly in three byelections. In the party's strongest showing in a Westminster byelection, Ukip secured 21.79% of the vote in Rotherham, claiming second place behind Labour, which won with 46.25%. The Lib Dems trailed in eighth place on 2.11%. Labour scored a hat-trick of comfortable victories in the three byelections held in its safe seats of Rotherham, Middlesbrough and Croydon North.

Though tempting on recent experience, it would be reckless to assume that nothing of any lasting significance will happen at this autumn's three main party conferences, which begin with the Liberal Democrats this weekend. But it may be a pardonable exaggeration to say that the most influential event of the season could be done and dusted before Nick Clegg and his party even get down to business on Saturday. The annual conference of Britain's fourth party is unlikely to get more than passing attention when it gathers in Birmingham tomorrow for two days. But the UK Independence party, now to...