Campaigning for Eurosceptic candidates

UKIP, as Lord Pearson said at the Spring Conference in Milton Keynes, is genuinely breaking the mould of modern British politics. As it is more important, strategically, to get some genuine opponents of British membership of the EU into the House of Commons than get a possibly small number of UKIP votes in those few constituencies, the candidates have stood down in seven constituencies.

The Worcester News reports that Lord Pearson is going further in a few of those constituencies where he intends to campaign for the eurosceptics who have the greatest chance either to retain their seats or to get in on May 6.

It has to be made clear, however, that there needs to be a definite commitment on the part of the candidate who is not to be challenged by anyone from UKIP.

"It won't be enough for them to say airy-fairily 'I'm a better off outer' - they will have to give a commitment with which I am satisfied that they really will fight for our freedom when they get into the House of Commons in questions and debates... and if necessary they must defy the whip," he [Lord Pearson] told the Press Association.

Interestingly, some Conservatives interpreted this move as to mean that UKIP will not be campaigning against any of their candidates who might be defeated by a Lib-Dem after that unexpected surge in public opinion. The truth had to be explained to them.