UKIP's Wins Show It Has The Thatcher Factor UKIP's victory in Rochester and Strood shows once again they are a party that cannot be ignored. With two elected MPs sitting in the House of Commons, Nigel Farage's party has elbowed its way into Westminster. However, if they truly want to become an established political party, rather than just a political force, there are some tough decisions coming up. One of the peculiarities of UKIP is its ability to appeal to voters from across the political and socio-economic spectrums. In many ways this is similar to Margaret Thatcher's ability to pull in both staunch Conservatives and the aspirational working class. In a similar way to UKIP, Baroness Thatcher first came to power thanks to widespread dissatisfaction with the Britain of the time (in Thatcher's case, the Winter of Discontent; for UKIP, the fact many of their supporters feel left behind by a changing Britain). Thatcher came to power amid widespread disillusionment Nigel Farage's party has managed to pick up votes from disgruntled former Conservatives in the Tory shires and working-class Labour supporters in their Northern heartlands. Another big driving force behind the UKIP movement are people so disenfranchised with Westminster that they do not vote at all. That's why they have pulled off by-election wins in Clacton - which contains the most deprived ward in the country - and well-heeled Rochester. This cross-party appeal has - undoubtedly - been good news for UKIP so far. However, if Nigel Farage wants a well-established party with a grip on Westminster in the long term, a coherent message across the country is imperative. Showing different faces to different parts of the country (such as benefits and the NHS in Labour heartlands, gay marriage and lower taxes in Tory seats) will be unsustainable. Already there are rumblings among UKIP high command that if too many Tory right-wingers defect to the party, it could put off Labour switchers. UKIP will be cheering the latest by-election win - but the party's healthy growth rate will have consequences.