With Clacton and Rochester going purple, Farage’s Army giving Labour the scare in Heywood & Middleton and the upcoming 2015 British General Election, James Downes and Joshua Townsley writing exclusively for Parliament Street, argue that UKIP still face significant institutional obstacles if they want to become a major force in British politics.

James has worked in market research for YouGov and as a Policy Intern at a Think Tank in Hong Kong on Chinese Immigration Policy. James is currently reading for a PhD in Comparative European Politics at the University of Kent and works as an Assistant Lecturer in Politics and International Relations.