EDINBURGH, November 23 (Sputnik), Mark Hirst – The rise of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) was triggered by the general "appetite for change" in the British society, Lord Mackay of Clashfern told Sputnik news agency Sunday.
"I think UKIP's success is due to an appetite for change without a detailed knowledge of what the change will bring," Lord Mackay, who served under UK Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, told Sputnik.
"I hope more detailed examination of what the change will bring and whether it can be achieved in practice may bring a more realistic approach to the voting as time goes on," Mackay continued.
Mackay remains one of the Conservatives' most senior and respected figures holding the second highest ranking office of state, the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, from 1987 until 1997.
UKIP won a by-election in southeastern England's Rochester and Strood constituency, held on Thursday. UKIP's Mark Reckless gained almost 3,000 votes more than the Conservatives' Kelly Tolhurst.
This is the second by-election victory for UKIP after the party won its seat in the British Parliament in October, when Douglas Carswell took the Clackton constituency with a majority of over 12,000.
UK Independence Party has been gaining ground recently both domestically and in the European Parliament. In May, it won the European Parliament elections for the first time, securing 24 seats and marking a historic shift in the British political landscape. The rise of the party came with the strengthening of anti-immigration and eurosceptic sentiments across Britain.
