CHRISTCHURCH has been named in a list of the top 'UKIP-friendly' Tory seats.

Compiled by Dr Robert Ford and Dr Matthew Goodwin, authors of Revolt on the Right, the study lists the top 100 demographically receptive seats in the country for UKIP.

The New Forest is also included.

Published on the Conservative Home website, Dr Ford, of the University of Manchester, said UKIP's ideal seats include 'left behind' Tory voters, who are most receptive to UKIP and a low number of voters who are resistant to UKIP such as university graduates, ethnic minorities and people in professional and secure jobs.

In the post, Dr Ford qualifies: “Clearly, we are not saying that UKIP will enjoy strong support in all of these seats. It might be that they do not target these seats, or the local Conservative MP has a formidable majority that makes a UKIP insurgency unlikely.

“In order to find seats that UKIP actually has a chance of winning, you would need to look at both demography and the local political context, such as whether the vote is split across three parties, whether UKIP is targeting the seat and has been recruiting support through local elections.”

Christchurch Conservative MP Chris Chope, who has held the seat since 1997, said: “In the European elections, UKIP did well in our area and so I am not complacent.

“But on the other hand since my views are very similar to the views articulated by them, I think that I have got an advantage.”

He added: “I am a Conservative and I want to try and ensure that we get an overall majority.”

Robin Grey, UKIP's prospective parliamentary candidate, believes it is a distinct possibility UKIP will win the Christchurch seat.

“In a sentence, I am going to win Christchurch for UKIP”, he told the Daily Echo.

“I am finding that people are fed up of all the parties in Westminster and they really want to see change.”He said the main issues besides immigration and the EU, were local, and include planning policy and building on the green belt.

“Most of the people I'm speaking to do not recognise the Conservative Party of today and they are pretty fed-up with career politicians.”

In 2010, Chris Chope won the Christchurch seat with a majority of 15,410 votes.

The Liberal Democrats polled 12,478 votes, Labour, 4,849 and UKIP 4,201.