If UKIP become a member of a coalition government it may not give them the keys to No 10 Downing Street but they will certainly have an influence on any party they go into government with. It also depends if their leader Nigel Farage is elected as a MP and if so, will he then become deputy PM say to Ed Milliband or David Cameron.
The big policy for UKIP if they gain entry to a coalition government will be to have an in/out referendum about whether the UK is better in or out of the EU. The Conservatives of course are promising an in/out of Europe referendum too should they return to power and one would have thought that the Conservatives would be natural bed fellows for UKIP regarding this policy.
Whereas Labour would be an all together different kettle of fish for UKIP in coalition as Labour under Ed Milliband are more pro - European.
UKIP stand on an anti - European platform whether that be closer union with Europe or European immigrants arriving in the UK supposedly stealing British jobs. It would seem UKIP wish to turn the clock back before the UK joined the EU or common market, as it was known back then, to a golden age when the UK could trade with the world without any rulings from Brussels on the subject.
People like UAF (Unite Against Facism) feel UKIP are racist because they speak out against the amount of immigration coming into the UK, mainly from Europe but not exclusively, and the fact that these people are supposedly stealing British jobs and changing our culture forever.
It must be noted that alot of people like Romanians as featured in Channel 4's 'The Romanians are coming' are often doing jobs that the native British do not want to do and let's face it, this has always been the case with immigration into the UK whether that be Asians and Afro - Carribeans in the 1950s or Eastern - Europeans of today.
Many people including Conservative voters and Labour are turning to UKIP because they are fed up of the same old parties and wish to give UKIP a go whether that be at a local level or Westminster. Their policies on welfare, the NHS or work seem fairer to a lot of people and also it seems to a lot of the British electorate they connect with them because of these points.
Are UKIP a racist/phobist or 'what ever other' label you wish to put on them-party simply because they seem to stand up for British people the other parties appear to have left behind or don't care about, well it depends on your standpoint. If you're left wing then probably 'yes', however, in a democracy an individual, organisation or political party should be able to hold views in a free speech democracy. However, with political correctness these days it seems our freedom of speech, even if it regretably upsets a certain group, is being curtailed and it seems UKIP are one of the few people challenging this.
Certainly when it comes to immigration with UKIP's constant rant about it, it has made the other parties look to their laurels and make it part of their electioneering, however, how well UKIP will do at May's general election remains be to be seen.