UKIP to target seats in Kensington and Chelsea

Following UKIP's relative success in the borough of Eastleigh beating Conservatives in the by-election, Farage is now focussing on winning Conservative seats across the country.

Nigel Farage said: "For years Conservatives have dominated councils like Kensington and Chelsea because the only alternative was Labour. All the evils of monopoly manifest themselves over the years and these councils become the pet projects of a self-satisfied group divorced from resident values and wishes.

"There is a massively disaffected Conservative vote in the borough. A resurgent UKIP shares many of the same values as the traditional Conservative voter. UKIP are aghast at the Tower Hamlets type profligacy of the 'Conservative' Cockell administration. Spending £100 million on the new Holland Park School costing twice what it should and offering not one extra place is bad business. Similarly, £23 million on pink granite imported from China to tart up Exhibition Road smacks of total disrespect to hard pressed taxpayers. For the first time in a long while UKIP offers Kensington and Chelsea Tories an alternative."

His comments about the Royal Borough come hot on the heels of a Labour budget amendment which included plans to scrap 'loss making and expensive luxuries' such as Holland Park Opera and Leighton House museum.

The amendment was thrown out at the meeting last week as a budget entailing no increase in Council Tax was passed by a majority Conservative vote.

The party came only 1,700 votes short of winning Eastleigh, which would have given it its first seat in Parliament.

Last week Mr Farage hinted that he would be willing to strike an electoral alliance with the Conservatives, but only if David Cameron was replaced as party leader.

More to come on the budget and council reaction to Nigel Farage's comments.