Ukip donor: Make me chairman or funds cut

UKIP donor Arron Banks has threatened to pull his funding unless he is made chairman so he can “purge” members and stop it being “run like a jumble sale”.

Following defeat by Labour in the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, Mr Banks blamed “dullards” like Douglas Carswell for not bringing in enough Tory votes.

He said the defeat was the “final straw” in terms of Mr Carswell, accusing him of being preoccupied with “sabotaging” a knighthood for former leader Nigel Farage, an allegation strongly denied by the MP.

Mr Banks said Mr Farage, who criticised Mr Nuttall for not being radical enough on immigration, would have a “more fulsome role” in the party under his stewardship.

Mr Banks told the Sunday Express: “I am giving Paul Nuttall an ultimatum that either I become chairman and sort out Ukip by bringing in business people and professionals to make the party electable, or I am out of there.

“The party cannot continue to be run like a jumble sale.

“If Nuttall doesn’t professionalise it and toss out the likes of Douglas Carswell, Suzanne Evans and the rest of the Tory cabal then the party is finished anyway.

“These dullards aren’t bringing in Tory votes, so what are they for? The party now needs to bring in serious people.

“From what I hear, Carswell’s main concern is sabotaging Nigel’s knighthood, which is why he must leave the party.”