Within minutes of our arrival at Labour’s Margate office, a small, arty-looking constituent with big denim turn-ups comes through the door holding his jaw, claiming he’s just been punched by a Ukip supporter.
Nigel Farage, travelling in a Land Rover Discovery preceded by two blokey, noisy Hiace type vans, had been on a quick canvass. For Dan Thompson, a 40-year-old social artist out looking for a new sideboard, the opportunity was too good to miss. He shook hands with Farage and told him he was seeing a lot of "open racism, fascism and open division" happening in Ukip's name but not denounced by its leader.
Farage retorted with words to the effect, you lot are the worst – but everyone remained civil. Then down the road 10 minutes later, according to Thompson, a fellow in a car with a UKIP flag began to shout at him and the artist crossed the road all the better to hear him and take photographs of him. Upon which the Ukip supporter got out and gave him a lame punch for his trouble.
Thompson, whose other claim to fame is as sender of the tweet that sparked the mass voluntary clean-up after the London riots, was unbloodied but shaken, though not too shaken to tweet the news. Suddenly he was swamped with calls from a breathless national media – even the Daily Telegraph – desperate for drama on the eve of polling day. For an hour or two, the quiet Margate office became a busy hub, with Thompson giving interviews alongside the energetic young Labour contender Will Scobie.
For a party desperate to raise its profile over force-of-nature Farage and the Conservative frontrunner, Craig Mackinlay, it looked like one of those unfortunate yet fortuitous election events. The stakes are sky high for Mackinlay – an ex-Ukipper, fighting to hold a 7,600 vote Tory majority – and a rather nervy-looking Farage, who has promised to stand down "within 10 minutes" if not elected. Latest surveys have the pair locked in a tie, amid whispered talk of Labour support drifting to the Tories just to shut him out. Scobie is up against it.
The Thompson incident was an undiluted heart-sink for Iris Johnston, elected leader of Thanet District Council only a few weeks ago after 20 years a Labour councillor, and former Glengara Park (Dún Laoghaire) schoolgirl. The 66-year-old is now trying to rebuild the reputation of a dysfunctional council (two leaders have ended up in prison, one for printing his own money), but long ago made it her mission to unite atomised communities in an area that never had the bonding factor of heavy industry and is still suffering the loss of its holiday resort industry to Spanish packages.
Bigots
So for anyone wondering why Farage chose South Thanet in his sixth attempt at an MP’s job, the answer is obvious. It lies in deprivation and fragmentation, encapsulated by Cliftonville on the edge of town, with its 53 nationalities, and Farage’s threatening message that herein lies the future of all Thanet.
Iris Johnston prefers to focus on the positives, like the impressive Turner Contemporary gallery beside Margate strand and Thanet’s burgeoning £279 million tourist industry. But to many seething locals, Farage, the City metals broker with no stake here, has brought only stigma, leaving an impression of Thanet as a seething hotbed of small-minded bigots versus immigrants.
The thought of a Ukip victory here elates and incenses many. How many is the question. A Broadstairs man confidently predicts nine out of 10 votes for Ukip. Its flags fly from boat masts in Ramsgate harbour and in a country where elections are barely visible, its banners are notably present in private gardens.
It's all a long way from the fertile farmland and fruit trees that gave it its moniker, Garden of England.
Scobie says the heightened Ukip aggression became apparent two months ago when the polls started tightening. “Something turned. This is totally different. People I’ve known for three or four years, suddenly you couldn’t get them to talk to you. It got aggressive. I don’t know why – it was nothing we were doing. Are we building up to something here . . . ?”
Stories are traded of small but significant acts of intimidation.
Earlier, Farage had stopped at the Ship-Shape cafe in Ramsgate to pose with a cup of tea. Not, for some reason, the usual blokey pint to accompany the now more stilted gags, guffaws and spin. For a few days now, he has been talking down expectations; a handful of MPs maybe and a lot more talk about council seats.
As he finishes, he thanks everyone for coming along – “and if you believe any of it then you’re silly”.
Does he believe any of it himself ? Who knows.
On polling day, he spooks the media hordes by turning up to vote two hours early. “Ridiculous to the end,” said one.
On the other hand, the Farage factor has ensured there is hardly a bed available in South Thanet. My Ramsgate hotel has been booked out for 40 nights, says the delighted manager. On polling day, the sun is glistening on the waves out on Ramsgate harbour. Thanet looks beautiful.
