The last parliament saw a dramatic re-alignment in British party politics. The Lib Dems lost two-thirds of their support, while the SNP assumed almost total control of Scottish politics. The transformation of UKIP from irrelevant minor party to European Election winners, by-election insurgents and nationwide force represented another earthquake. 4M votes at the General Election had a profound effect on the result, even though it ultimately yielded only one parliamentary seat.
In this piece for Esquire, from May 2014, I explained the rise of UKIP and their charasmatic leader Nigel Farage.