Farage On Friday. UKIP Has Arrived As 'A Major Party'.

After over two decades of relentless campaigning, Britain's television regulator yesterday declared that we can now consider ourselves a major party - and should be included in the leaders' debates ahead of the General Election.

Don't be fooled by Mr Cameron's false generosity towards the Greens. He doesn't want them in the debates to be inclusive

Nigel Farage, Ukip leader

Almost 21 years ago, I stood in the Eastleigh by-election for the UK Independence Party. It doesn't even really feel that long ago since I managed to win just a few more votes than the memorable Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony Party. At the time, people told me I was more loony than him!

'You can never break into this country's three-party system,' they said - adamant that the establishment had stitched it up so that no one else could bust open their monopoly and make an impact on British politics.

Well, since then, and in a large part thanks to the information age that dawned in the 90s and blossomed in the 2000s, Ukip has managed to break new ground in the UK, holding the mainstream to account, without ever having had to give up our principles and become a part of it.

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Prime Minister Cameron has reportedly tried to turn the debates into a “bore-a-thon”

The advent of the internet, or at least its gradual entry into every home, meant that people were able to fact check against what they were told by the politicians of the day. It also meant that alternative, or dissenting voices could be heard, as a more liberal medium tested the mettle of major broadcasters and newspapers.

Now, more and more people are consuming the news on their smartphones and tablets, but one thing that the British public enjoyed at the last election, and will no doubt be looking forward to this time around, are the party leaders' TV debates. It's just a shame that Mr Cameron doesn't seem to want to engage. In fact - he's basically admitted that he's a chicken, running scared.

Yesterday, Ofcom advice was published that stated that Ukip should be considered a major national electoral force, and that we should be involved in the TV debates. This came as a bit of a blow to Mr Cameron, who began briefing out to journalists that he would not be taking part so long as the Green Party were also not involved.

But the Greens, says Ofcom, don't count as a major political force in this country. And you can understand that given that they're polling in single figures, only have one MP, and don't really have the momentum that Ukip have. They might, one day. But they currently don't. Remember, the party lost its deposit in the Rochester by-election. Ukip won. Express.