Nigel Farage, the leader of the anti-European Union United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip), launched the partys campaign for the 2015 general election by unveiling a five pledge poster on 30 March.
The poster, which was revealed on the side of a van to a scrum of journalists in London, featured the face of the Ukip leader and five key election pledges appealing to the right-wing partys core support.
Pledges included breaking away from the European Union, a promise to control borders and bring down immigration, a £3bn ($4.44bn) increase in NHS spending, to cut foreign aid and not to tax workers on the minimum wage.
What we have done with this pledge card, is to reiterate the key points with which we are going to fight this campaign. To say to the British public that Ukip is completely distinct with every single one of those policies. We know all five of those have majority support within the opinion polls. My job is to convince people to vote for change. If they want change, they have got to vote for it, said Farage to a crowd of reporters surrounding him at the launch.
The Ukip leader will take part in the second television debate of the 2015 campaign on 2 April, a seven way format involving the Prime Minister and the leaders of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green party, the Scottish national party, Plaid Cymru and Ukip. Farage told reporters that hes taking Thursday very seriously.
I hope that I am able to get across to the viewing public the fact that Ukip alone is completely distinctive on these key issues; like open door immigration and our relationship with Europe, he added.
The general election, on 7 May, is expected to be the closest fought election for years. Britains first past the post electoral system means Ukip have no realistic chance of forming the next government, but Farage could prove instrumental in propping up a minority government or forming a coalition.
