UKIP makes major gains in British Council elections

The Tories and Labour alike were reeling today from a series of defeats at the hands of Ukip in early results from the local council elections.
 

Nigel Farage’s party shrugged off a campaign blighted by revelations about some of its candidates to pick up a succession of seats in Conservative and Labour heartlands.

With just one-third of the local election results declared, it had already exceeded its target of making 80 gains.