UKIP GAIN from LAB in EdM's backyard Edenthorpe on Doncaster UKIP 1,203 LAB 1,109 CON 479 GRN 160 EdM sits for Doncaster N

— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 25, 2014

Farage’s party gains council seat from LAB with 41% of vote in EdM’s Doncaster N backyard

There are a lot of places in Yorkshire which spring to mind as good conference venues. Harrogate, Scarborough, York and Leeds would probably be the main choices but not, I’d suggest, Doncaster which is where the Ukip annual gathering takes place in September.

My reading is that this unusual venue has been chosen for two reasons: To flag up that the party is aiming to make inroads in LAB heartlands and, to put personal pressure on Ed Miliband who sits for Doncaster North.

Regular readers of Private Eye will know of the reputation that LAB has had there and until this year Doncaster’s elected mayor had previously been a member of Ukip member.

The man, Peter Davies, has big name recognition in the area and David Herdson has speculated on PB about him being the Ukip candidate in Doncaster North.

So last night’s Doncaster council by election victory by Farage’s party taking a seat off LAB is especially interesting. Ukip is making progress there.

What better opportunity could Ukip have than to announce a decapitation strategy against EdM at their Doncaster conference in a few weeks time?

EdM could have a fight on his hands?

Mike Smithson

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