It would appear tax cuts, the NHS, don’t let Labour ruin it and vote Nigel and get Ed is the Tory strategy for 2015.

 

COMMENT Like it or not, DC hit the spot this year in a way that EM didn't. UKIP is a vote for Labour line loud and clear.

— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonSKY) October 1, 2014

Cameron doing well today…touching all the issues….and attempting to set the battle lines…Miliband will have to respond….

— Lord Ashcroft (@LordAshcroft) October 1, 2014

40p tax rate only payable at 50,000 under Tories. If this speech doesn't shift polls a bit, difficult to know what will.

— Toby Helm (@tobyhelm) October 1, 2014

Ukip defectors must be wondering if they, well, did the right thing…watching this.

— Toby Helm (@tobyhelm) October 1, 2014

DC: "In May you could go to bed with Nigel farage and end up with ed miliband"

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) October 1, 2014

 

The vote Nigel get Ed meme is interesting, in the recent Lord Ashcroft national poll, UKIP voters preferred a Tory government to a Labour government by 27% to 23%, it may not be the panacea the Tories hope it will be, but if it is a close election, every vote helps.

All of this could well be overshadowed by any further defection(s) tonight, but in the medium to long term, it should shift some votes to the Tories, if it doesn’t then I’m not sure what else there is left for the Tories to do to retain power in May 2015.

TSE