As he walks through the southeastern English seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea with a large banner for the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party under his arm, there is no doubt who 47-year-old builder Phil Drew will vote for in an election this week.

A former supporter of Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives, Drew likes UKIP's promise to curb immigration, he likes its plan to pull Britain out of the European Union, and he believes the established political parties are out of touch.

He is not the only one.