Trudi Davies The Politics Show South East

The dawning of a fledgling party

Welcome back and thanks for joining us for a new series of the South East's Politics Show.

This week we look at birth and rebirth - in relation to politics that is.

The Seagulls Party is gearing up for the next round of local elections and the UK Independence Party looks to re-launch itself with a new leader - the South East's Nigel Farage.

Both are looking to damage the Liberal Democrats, who are also in our patch for their Party conference next week.

All that and we gaze into the political future with Ivor Fireman - Tarot reader on Brighton Pier.

Join the party

As the conference season begins and the Liberal Democrat Party roll in to Brighton, we start with a look at the continuing saga of a new football stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion.

Brighton and Hove Albion Supporters are so fed up with the Lib Dems in Lewes that they are starting their own political party.

Enter the Seagull Party.

Irritated by, what they see as, stalling and blocking tactics on the part of the council and the Lewes MP, they are going to take them on at the ballot box in May next year.

They are planning an all day vigil followed by a demonstration on Sunday, the first day of the Conference, and they hope that by the end of the day the Lib Dems will be under no illusions as to what they regard as the big story in this neck of the woods.

Ed Bassford, a Seagulls Party candidate, claims that the Lib Dems are committing political suicide by ignoring them.

Text us on to 07786 209252 or email us via the link below. Give us your thoughts on the Stadium and Paul will put some of your thoughts to our live guests, Ed Bassford and Cllr David Neighbour, Planning Officer Lewes District Council

Nigel Farage will be looking for unity

Who are U?

The South East now has its very own party leader - Nigel Farage of UK Independence Party was elected early this week. That's the good news.

The bad news, for Mr Farage at least, is that this is the same party that David Cameron referred to earlier this year as a bunch of "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists".

In the 2004 European parliament elections, UKIP demonstrated that on its core policy, British withdrawal from the EU, it has the ability to cause some damage to the three main parties.

UKIP won 16% of the vote and pushed the Lib Dems into fourth place.

But the challenge for Mr Farage will be to widen the Party's appeal in the coming local and future national elections.

What will the cards turn up..?

Shaking off the looney and fruitcake tags, may prove easier than the charge of racism. Immigration is another policy where UKIP scores well, so how will they present this to the voters?

Mr Farage's first task though, may well be to raise his profile in his own constituency.

Paul Siegert takes a photo of the new leader to Haywards Heath to assess how recognisable he is and how many of his Party's policies they can name.

We put the results to him live in the studio.

Text us on to 07786 209252 or email us via the link below. What do you think about UKIP - Fruitcakes or future Government?

On the cards

It's always difficult to predict what's going to happen in politics, as recent events have shown, but Paul is hoping that we can do just that.

During the conference season he will be putting three questions about each party to Ivor Fireman - a Tarot Reader based on Brighton Pier.

Will the cards predict the trends?

We compare the results each week, and attempt to answer the burning questions of the day - watch this space.

Text us on to 07786 209252 or email us via the link below. Do you have a political prediction?

The Politics Show South East

Join the Politics Show team on Sunday 17 September 2006 at 12:00 BST on BBC One.

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