There can be no doubt now: the opinion polls that have tracked UKIP's steady rise to between 8% - 11% are right.
Yes, the Party did not win hundreds of seats as some will inevitably spin. But look at the facts. The seats that UKIP did stand in saw the Party averaging around 14%. More votes have already been won than in 2008, with 300 results still to come in. The progress is there for all to see.
The strategy for UKIP has always been to build long term locally. The amount of second places achieved last night - for example in Gorleston, Great Yarmouth where from a standing start the Party was 25 votes away from taking an ultra safe Tory seat - is striking.
If the momentum continues, UKIP will take many more Council seats next year. Oh, and the year after that? The local elections coincide with the European Elections. What happens then is truly anyone's guess. All bets could be off.