UKIP rise welcomed

Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s Deputy Leader

UKIP Deputy Leader, Paul Nuttall, has welcomed a new poll of voting intentions showing that the party is now only two points behind the Tories.

The survey by Survation showed that the Conservatives have slumped by five points to a record low for the pollster of 24%.

UKIP has jumped six points since the start of the month - days before it scored dramatic local election wins - to 22%.

Labour has slipped one point to 35% but its lead over the Tories stretched to 11 points. The Liberal Democrats were down one point at 11%.

Survation's findings - based on 1,000 responses from an online panel - were calculated using a weighting system to reflect a number of factors including individuals' stated likelihood to vote.

It also showed an eight-point rise to 30% since January of those intending to back Ukip in next year's European Parliament elections, with the Tories down four points at 20% and Labour unchanged on 30%.

“The results of this survey do not surprise me at all,” said Mr Nutttall, North West MEP.

“More and more people are turning to us as the only political party speaking their language. You only have to read the newspapers, listen to the radio, watch the TV or access the internet or social media to see that UKIP is the way forward.

“The Conservative Party is running scared of us - and quite rightly so - they and the other parties, realise that we our policies resonate with the man in the street and are plain common sense,” said Mr Nuttall.