Abstract
With thr impending European elections likely to produce a first place (in terms of both percentage of the vote and of seats won) for UKIP, it is an appropriate point to consider the position of the party in British politics. Despite its electoral successes in recent years, there remains a lack of scholarly interest in a group that has operated in a distinctly anti-political fashion. The panel addresses this by providing a series of perspectives - psephological, political and organisational - that highlight not only UKIP's potential to play a continuing role of influence in the party politcal system, but also the limitations on it achieving that potential. In particular, the panel will explore the difficulties of moving from being a party of protest to one of government and of upscaling activities beyond its present base.