'Farage Friday' hints at start of four-party politics

By Tom Bradby: Political Editor

It is early days, with many results still to come in, but so far the headlines seem to have it about right; it is Farage Friday.

And it is does look as if it might be something of an earthquake. Perhaps we really are at the start of the era of four party politics.

Whether or not that proves to be true does largely depends on Mr Farage himself.

He has a substantial opportunity, but he knows that a general election is a very different beast and that dislodging incumbent MPs with well-oiled and funded party machines behind them is a much bigger task.

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But it would be foolish to dismiss the UKIP surge as a flash in the pan.

The Sun poll yesterday, which indicated forty-four percent of us think there is no difference between the three main parties, suggests Mr Farage has an opportunity to fashion an alternative agenda beyond issues like the EU and immigration that could unsettle the other parties still further.

The prospect of a concerted low-tax, smaller state offer would particularly unsettle Tories on the right of their party who are frustrated at Mr Osborne's caution.

Mr Farage has been making a lot of trouble for his opponents. He could make a lot more.

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