The Daily Politics

Paul Nuttall accuses the Westminster elite of "sitting on the fence" on the in/out referendum. He says they've been doing it for so long "they've got splinters in their backsides".

He's asked who's running UKIP, after Nigel Farage said the party isn't his priority at the moment - winning the EU referendum is. Nigel, alongside UKIP's national executive, Mr Nuttall adds. He's optimistic about the party's prospects in next year's local and London mayoral elections.

The Daily Politics

UKIP deputy leader Paul Nuttall says it's thanks to UKIP that David Cameron has pledged to hold an in/out referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. He says it was done to "try to shoot the UKIP fox". Mr Nutall adds that the party will run a "positive" campaign.

"We want to get started right now. Get campaigning, get momentum, because the Yes campaign has started," he adds.

He urges Business for Britain to join the umbrella group that is campaigning to leave the EU.

The Daily Politics

Nigel Farage will attempt to rally his UKIP troops with a conference speech designed to kick off his party's campaign for an Out vote in the EU referendum to take place in the next two years.

In a Daily Politics film from the conference venue at Doncaster Racecourse, Giles Dilnot spoke to the leader, and to chairman Steve Crowther, about future priorities for the Eurosceptic party.

The era of New Labour is over, Blairite pressure group Progress declares in an editorial this morning, external.

The Daily Politics

As UKIP gathers for its annual conference, here is a look back at some highlights of the ups and downs for the party that won nearly four million votes at the general election.  

UKIP defence spokesman Mike Hookem has told the party he found very few genuine refugees on a recent visit to the migrant camps in Calais. The Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire MEP said most of the migrants were Eritreans, Somalis, Sudanese, Pakistanis and Nigerians rather than Syrians. "There were also few families, children or even women."

He added:

Mr Hookem also told activists he had been threatened with a gun, tear-gassed in a riot and met people traffickers during his visit.  

UKIP conference is officially underway. Attendees are currently listening to a speech from Sweden Democrats MEP Peter Lundgren, who gets a cheer and round of applause when he declares that Nigel Farage "is like a god, more or less" in Sweden.

"There is no other party that has been so successful in criticising the European political system," he adds.

Mr Lundgren also reveals that people are always impressed when they find out he has Mr Farage's personal number. "That makes me really popular. But I'm not giving it out."

Robin Brant
Political Correspondent

The last time I was here - at the party conference in Doncaster - I was surrounded by jubilant UKIP supporters. Some were waving flags and whooping their leader Nigel Farage out of the auditorium. Others were taking photos of each other on stage. All because of the man who'd just been snuck into Doncaster racecourse in a blacked-out car.

The then Tory MP Mark Reckless defected to UKIP at the end of its conference a year ago. At the time I reported that it felt like being among the fans of the winning team at an FA Cup final. It seemed the 'tremors' ahead of the much promised "earthquake" were shaking the ground in Yorkshire.

But it turned out that was the high. On the day of the general election, Mark Reckless was rejected by the people of Rochester, Nigel Farage failed for the seventh time to become an MP and all that talk of the "people's army" taking over in Boston, Grimsby and Thurrock came to nothing.

Read more from Robin.

Image source, PA

As UKIP dedicates its conference to its campaign to leave the EU, a new poll suggests the UK business vote on whether to remain in the union is "still up for grabs".

Of 2,000 business people surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce, 63% said they would vote to stay in the EU if asked now, with 27% voting "no".

But 50% said their final view depended on the outcome of Prime Minister David Cameron's negotiations over EU reform.

Meanwhile, a Business for Britain poll suggests small firms overwhelmingly think the EU hinders their business.

More here.

In some non-conference news, ex-minister Lord Mandelson has advised Labour Party members unhappy at the election of Jeremy Corbyn not to be in a hurry to see him replaced as leader.

In comments seen by the Guardian newspaper, external, the peer argues Mr Corbyn has to demonstrate his "unelectability" at the polls before facing a challenge.

Last month, Lord Mandelson warned that Labour could be in "mortal danger" if Mr Corbyn won the party's leadership.

Mr Corbyn's team and the Labour Party have not commented on the remark.

More here.

More than 200 miles south of Doncaster, the Green Party is meeting for its annual conference, in Bournemouth - which it has billed as its "biggest-ever".

The party, which says its membership has quadrupled to 67,000 in a year, expects up to 1,100 members to attend.

Leader Natalie Bennett will address activists and members at 14:00 BST, and its only MP, Caroline Lucas, will address conference on Sunday.

More here.