General Election 2015: The battle for South Thanet is hotting up as Nigel Farage calls on Ukip supporters to help fight Tories
Things are hotting up in South Thanet, the seat Nigel Farage is hoping will be his come May 7.
By now, the Ukip leader may well have expected to be storming ahead in the polls considering the huge publicity he has generated. But yesterday it emerged that he was likely to come in third, with the Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay tipped to win the seat.
Given that outgoing MP Laura Sandys is a Tory that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. But Farage is not going down without a fight.
To that end, supporters of the so-called "people's army" are being urged to join him in Thanet this weekend “so we can fight the establishment parties and their £millions that they're throwing at our insurgent movement”.
Emails have gone out across Ukip's mailing list calling on supporters to “battle” Labour and Conservatives.
If you're going from outside the constituency it'll probably be an early start: supporters have been asked to meet at 21 King Street in Ramsgate at 10am on both Saturday and Sunday.
“Please commit to coming and helping us in South Thanet this Saturday, or Sunday. And additionally, we need your help in the week too. So if you can come tomorrow, or for Monday and beyond, that'd be greatly appreciated,” Farage said in the email.
“Do me a personal favour, friend, and come along this weekend”.
Ukip received more than £1.5m in donations during the last quarter of 2014, compared with £8.3m received by the Tories. Clearly the Conservatives are dwarfing Ukip, but it's hardly chump change, especially when compared to the rather paltry £248,000 given to the Greens.