ABSTRACT
From its beginnings in the little known Anti-Federalist League in the early 1990s to its third place in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015 general election (in terms of vote share) and its role in the successful campaign in the referendum on the UK leaving the European Union (EU), the UK Independence Party (UKIP) became a major player in British politics, although its future beyond the Brexit referendum is uncertain. At the time of writing, it had twenty Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and around 250 local councillors. In line with growing popularity among voters, the party's membership more than doubled from 2006 to stand at just under 40,000 in 2016 (Keen and Audickas 2016). While UKIP's core policy has always been withdrawing the UK from the EU, in order to achieve greater success outside European Parliament (EP) elections it has expanded its range of policies over time. In doing so, the party has attempted to connect salient issues, such as immigration, the economy and public services, to EU withdrawal. Building on these to develop new policies for a post-Brexit UK will be essential if UKIP is to remain a political force after its main policy has been put into practice.
