UKIP and Lega Nord.

UKIP's group future looks set to rely on Italy's Northern League. The group that is to be launched today is going to contain 22 MEPs from either Party, well over half of its entire size.

The left-wing press, having rattled Cameron's Conservatives with allegations over their new Euro Parliamentary bedfellows, are obviously now going to aim for UKIP. Do they have cause to?

Well, Northern League, or Lega Nord in Italian, are certainly anti-illegal immigration. This has led to accusations of racism, not dissimilar to the false accusations that UKIP face from some of their political opponents. Yet Lega Nord recently saw Italy's first ever black Mayor elected under its banner.

One would imagine that Nigel Farage has had very stern talks with the League's Leader Umberto Bossi. The League were expelled from UKIP's previous group, the Independence and Democracy group, after distributing questionable material in Italy during a domestic election campaign.

The rumours are that Nigel Farage will be the parliamentary group's sole Chairman. That is certainly a coup for UKIP's profile. But what must not be underestimated is that without this relatively moderate group, the likelihood is that many could have been drawn into an alliance with the likes of the BNP and the French National Front in exchange for the huge privileges being part of a group in the European Parliament brings. That is something very positive indeed.