The potential for Ukip to reshape British politics is revealed in a rare constituency poll showing the Conservatives are in third place behind the party in Thanet South, where Tory MP Laura Sandys this week announced her decision to stand down at the next election.
The poll commissioned by a Ukip donor and conducted by the polling company Survation, shows Labour in first place with 35% (up nearly five percentage points on the general election), Ukip second on 30% (up 24 points), the Tories third on 28% (down 20 points) and the Liberal Democrats fourth on 5% (down 10 points).
The poll in a key Labour-Tory marginal is one of eight constituency surveys being conducted by Survation for Ukip donors. It is likely to be used by the party to help decide where its leader, Nigel Farage, has the best chance of winning an historic first parliamentary seat for Ukip. In total more than 5,000 people will have been polled in the exercise. In Thanet, 515 people were questioned between 19 and 25 November.
There has been much speculation that Farage will stand in Thanet, and this one of the reasons for Sandys' decision to stand down. GUARDIAN.
