On the 7th May 2014, Professor Jane Green of the British Election Study team took part in a Political Studies Association media briefing in Westminster, London. Professor Green’s briefing focused upon whether UKIP’s success at the European Parliament elections in May this year would continue to herald success in the 2015 general election. Analysis of the most recent British Election Study data demonstrated that while support for UKIP will fall after May’s European Parliament elections, this decline will be by a much smaller margin than in previous years. These findings were widely reported in national media with Professor Green being interviewed for Sky News and BBC News 24.
The story was also covered in national newspapers such as
The Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10811622/General-election-2015-Will-this-be-Ukips-year.html)
The Financial Times (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f7a1cfbe-d52c-11e3-9187-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3116ycZ66)
The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/06/mehdis-morning-memo_162_n_5276808.html)
Professor Green’s findings were also covered in online news outlets such as
BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27306444) and noted political blogs (http://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2014/05/07/ukip-euro-voters-are-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-say-theyll-support-party-in-general-election-compared-with-five-years-ago/)
In addition, British Election Study Panel Survey data analysed by Professor Ed Fieldhouse of the British Election Study team demonstrated the geographical North-South divide in Britain’s electoral support highlighting the legacy of former PM Margaret Thatcher. Professor Fieldhouse’s findings were featured on the political blog, Democratic Audit: http://www.democraticaudit.com/?p=5092