by Samuel Dale
Douglas Carswell’s defection to Ukip has brought parliament back with a bang.
The independent-minded Conservative MP is fighting a September by-election in Clacton as a Ukip candidate. He is odds-on favourite to win.
The Daily Mail claims eight more Tory MPs are in talks to defect.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage has told us to brace ourselves for more Tory and Labour MP defections.
The right is splintering as we head towards a tight election and it means only one thing: Ed Miliband is more likely to be in Downing Street next year.
Farage and Ukip want to pretend they have a broad base beyond the Conservatives but it is illusory.
Its northern presence is only in Labour bastions where the best they can hope for is to make up the opposition in a general election.
It is a party that has made a name for itself by collecting disillusioned ex-Tories and will continue to do so.
Neil Hamilton, Stuart Wheeler, Roger Helmer, Carswell and even Farage. Ex-Tories are their primary currency.
Carswell’s defection underlines that Ukip votes could stop enough Tory MPs being elected to seriously damage David Cameron.
Ed Miliband could be prime minister within months. That fact is more likely today than last week.
But our dear leader is still acting like a student politician. He needs to get serious about governing.
Bashing bankers, Murdoch and anyone wealthy is not an agenda for government.
What is Miliband’s foreign policy? How would he tackle the an emboldened Russia or rampant Isis?
