Ukip leader Nigel Farage is heading to Westminster as MP for Thanet South, according to a new poll carried out in the Kent seat.
The survey by Survation for major Ukip donor Alan Bown found that Mr Farage has 39% of support in the constituency – well ahead of his nearest rival, Conservative Craig Mackinlay on 30%.
Mr Farage has been forced to devote a large part of his General Election campaign to the street-level fight for Thanet South – taking him away from the national battle – after previous polls suggested he could struggle to win. One survey for former Tory treasurer Lord Ashcroft had him trailing his Conservative rival by five points in November.
The new poll suggested that the effort was paying off. More voters in the constituency told the pollsters they had received a phone call, a leaflet or a door-knock from Ukip than either Tories or Labour, and more said they had met Mr Farage than any other candidate.
Labour was just about keeping in touch with the front-runners in Thanet South, with its candidate Will Scobie securing 26% support in the new poll. But Liberal Democrat Russ Timpson appeared to be heading for a lost deposit on 2%, and comedy landlord Al Murray was making little impact, as all the other parties combined only racked up the backing of 3%.
* Survation interviewed 1,057 residents of the South Thanet constituency on April 22.