The UK Independence Party (Ukip) is the most significant new force in British politics for a generation. Under the leadership of Nigel Farage, the party has enjoyed a remarkable rise, winning the 2014 European Parliament elections as well as two parliamentary by-elections, and attracting mainstream defectors to achieve major party status. By the time of the 2015 general election, Farage and Ukip stood on the threshold of becoming a major force at Westminster.
This account is a must-read for anyone interested in the inside story of Ukip's quest to change British politics during one of the most unpredictable and dramatic elections in recent history. Based on unprecedented access to the party and its key players, the book pulls back the curtain on one of the most intriguing campaigns in living memory. It includes behind the scenes observations from the campaign trail and more than one hundred interviews - with leading Ukip insiders such as Nigel Farage, Douglas Carswell, and Mark Reckless, as well as major donors, strategists, and figures from across the political landscape as they grappled with Ukip's rise.
Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo reveal what really happened during the 2015 election campaign and in the by-elections and defections which preceded it, providing detailed accounts of the critical moments that shaped both the election itself and British politics more widely. The book also makes extensive use of British Election Study data from over five decades to answer important questions about the rise of Ukip and what it signifies. Who voted for Ukip and why? How are political loyalties in Britain changing over time? What are the deeper currents that have made Ukip's rise possible and will continue to shape its future? And what does the party's campaign for power reveal about the current evolution of British politics and society?
UKIP takes readers inside the campaign, telling for the first time the exciting inside story of a new party attempting to redraw the map of British politics.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198736110
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 822 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 31 mm
[A] path-breaking study. - David Marquand, New Statesman
Goodwin and Milazzo tell their tale with brio and a fine journalistic eye for the good story ... They are particularly good on the Ukip threat to Labour. - Philip Collins, The Times
These are the best academic minds on the subject. - John Rentoul, Independent
Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo meticulously map UKIP's politics and appeal in their book UKIP: Inside the Campaign to Redraw the Map of British Politics - essential reading ahead of the Euro Referendum in which UKIP will no doubt feature strongly. - Mark Perryman, Huffington Post UK
Both a very good bit of political science and a comedy classic. - Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
The author's account of the election risks giving political science a good name. It is better sourced than any journalistic version of the same events I have read and has a commitment to narrative rare in academic writing ... Goodwin and Milazzo have an eye for the telling detail. - Oliver Wiseman, Standpoint
With impressive insider access to the major players in UKIP and a wide sweep of polling data the book presents a powerful account of an insurgent political party. - The Ruralist
The closeness of the authors to UKIP's campaign really does allow for a blow-by-blow account of the trials and tribulations of the partys breakthrough year. - Melanie Onn, Labour Progress
I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying @GoodwinMJ book about the UKIP election campaign. Amusing and entertaining! - Douglas Carswell, on Twitter (@DouglasCarswell)
Matthew Goodwin and Caitlin Milazzo meticulously map UKIP's politics and appeal in their book UKIP; Inside the Campaign to Redraw the Map of British Politics - essential reading ahead of the Euro Referendum in which UKIP will no doubt feature strongly. - philosophyfootball.com
Goodwin and Milazzo tell the story of UKIPs remarkable rise and provide the analysis needed to understand why it happened. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what has proven to be a major challenge to the conventional order of British party politics. - John Curtice, University of Strathclyde
A neat balance between insider account and expert analysis, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand Ukip--the bad boy of British politics. - Tim Bale, author of Five Year Mission: The Labour Party under Ed Miliband
A remarkably readable and well-informed work. It tells in a penetrating but objective way how Nigel Farage built a party from almost nothing to... winning four million votes (but only one seat) at Westminster. Anyone seeking to understand how the familiar regularities of British politics have so recently come under challenge should read this objective and well-informed study. - Sir David Butler
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