I THOUGHT I'd rush to support Andrew Knight's letter in your paper last week to try and at least offset the regular voices of UKIP who, though few, write tirelessly (to their credit) to your paper.

Mr Knight's letter deserves support as UKIP is a dangerous reflection of a tendency to succumb – by cheap policies of division – to the power of the media.

The fact that UKIP leader Nigel Farrage has been on the BBC Question Time panel programme 25 times despite UKIP not sitting a single MP in the House of Commons is a symptom of their dangerously populist appeal.

We can only hope the media disembark from the road of viewers by controversy. But more important is the fact that UKIP's populism is ill-founded, nasty and offensive to the true nature of Britain.

Mr. Knight's letter is a welcome riposte to the small-minded, self-serving agenda of UKIP. But I rather think more facts about UKIP are necessary, facts beyond their cheap stand on immigration or wind turbines.

For example do UKIP supporters and – more importantly – those wavering in that direction in the coming European and next year's General Election know that UKIP believe that you should pay to see your GP?

Or that UKIP stand for higher taxes for working families while also ensuring huge tax giveaways for the rich? (a lesson learnt from the Conservatives but a clear attempt to grab Tory support).

In fact, do readers know that UKIP stand for deeper cuts to public services? And that's on top of the deepest cuts we've ever experienced following the crash of global banking?

Why should essential public services be cut to pay for hedge fund failure?

Well done Andrew Knight for providing a much-needed balance!

And well done for all the voters out there who rightly ignore this new, nasty party.

Once we had the Monster Raving Loony Party as a protest vote. Now there's UKIP: the Modern Raving Loony Party.

The trouble is some people are taking them seriously. Don't be fooled.

– Carl Spiby, St Briavels.