The UK Independence Party (UKIP, /ˈjuːkɪp/ YEW-kip) is a Eurosceptic right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party describes itself as a "democratic, libertarian party".
UKIP has never won a seat in the House of Commons, but has three members in the unelected House of Lords, all of which are as a result of defections by Conservative peers. It also has 12 seats in the European Parliament, which is a reduction from 13 won in 2009 because of defections, but with one gained from the defection of Roger Helmer from the Conservative Party. UKIP currently holds one seat on the Northern Ireland Assembly due to a defection from former Ulster Unionist Party MLA David McNarry in October 2012.
The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, was re-elected on 5 November 2010, having first served from 2006 to 2009. Farage has been a UKIP MEP since 1999 and is a founding member of the party after leaving the Conservative Party in 1992 when it led Britain into the Maastricht treaty.
In the 2009 election to the European Parliament, UKIP attained 13 seats with 16.5% of the vote, coming second behind the Conservative Party, overtaking the Labour Party in terms of votes, and drawing with it in terms of seats. In the 2010 general election, the party polled 3.1% of the vote, an increase of 0.9% from the 2005 general election. In the 2011 local elections, UKIP took control of Ramsey town council, and maintained its seven councillors across England, and one in Northern Ireland.
Read more about UK Independence Party: Party Leaders, Policies
Famous quotes containing the words independence and/or party:
“Our treatment of both older people and children reflects the value we place on independence and autonomy. We do our best to make our children independent from birth. We leave them all alone in rooms with the lights out and tell them, “Go to sleep by yourselves.” And the old people we respect most are the ones who will fight for their independence, who would sooner starve to death than ask for help.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“Whoever has provoked men to rage against him has always gained a party in his favor, too.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)