Ukip on the brink of collapse as it faces £175,000 legal bill

THE UK Independence Party is facing collapse just weeks before the local elections after a judge gave it just 14 days to pay £175,000 costs in a libel case involving one of its MEPS.

A High Court judge ruled that Ukip had to shoulder a share of the estimated £690,000 legal costs for Jane Collins, one of the party’s MEPS in the European Parliament.

Last year Ms Collins was ordered to pay £54,000 in damages to three Labour MPS over remarks she made in 2014 about a child abuse scandal in Rotherham, the area the MPS represent, and £196,000 in costs.

Ms Collins had claimed the MPS knew many details of the scandal – in which more than 1,400 children were abused over a 16-year period – but chose not to intervene. The three Labour MPS sued her for libel and slander but Ms Collins refused to withdraw her remarks during last year’s general election campaign and repeatedly tried to delay the case. In his ruling last month the judge said Ukip had “deliberately delayed” settlement of a libel case for “political advantage” ahead of the 2015 general election.

Mr Justice Warby ruled yesterday that Ukip had to make two payments towards the legal costs of £125,000 and £50,000 within a fortnight, weeks before May’s local elections.

In a joint statement the MPS – Sir Kevin Barron, John Healey and Sarah Champion – said: “Ukip’s actions behind the scenes forced the costs of this case to soar and compounded the damage from Jane Collins’s unfounded and hurtful allegations.

“This deliberate strategy hugely increased the legal costs and it is right that Ukip are today held liable for a large share of these costs.”

A Ukip spokesman confirmed the order for £175,000, adding: “Our lawyers are dealing with the matter. A statement will be made by the party at the appropriate time”.