Civil war rages in Ukip over EU campaign
NIGEL FARAGE has accused his only MP of having “residual loyalties” to the Tory party after Douglas Carswell suggested he would not back the Ukipendorsed campaign to leave the EU.
Civil war broke out at Ukip’s Doncaster conference after one of the party’s biggest donors, who is supported by Mr Farage, threatened Mr Carswell with deselection unless he backed the Leave.EU group. Aaron Banks, the man behind the group, warned Douglas Carswell he must abandon his support for the rival group Business for Britain, or risk being thrown out of the party.
The businessman also accused him of being “borderline autistic, with some mental illness attached”.
Mr Carswell, the party’s only member of parliament, hit back after the two men exchanged cross words in full view of journalists at the conference.
He said: “If someone briefs the news- papers that if I don’t do what they want, despite me being elected by the people of Clacton, I’m going to be removed, I think it’s perfectly legitimate that I should say, ‘Why did you say that?’
“I’m not sure that it’s a good way to build a coalition of support for Out to have the self-appointed leader of Out attacking Ukip’s sole MP. If anything, today’s events have convinced me that the group likely to get it is the one headed by Business for Britain.”
Mr Banks confirmed the spat and claimed that Mr Carswell shouted, “You can’t deselect me”, before walking out of the room. He later accused the Ukip MP of having a “hissy fit”.
Sources who witnessed the exchange described it as “terse”.
Asked to defend his sole MP, Mr Farage said: “We all have residual loyalties, I suspect he’s frustrated too.”
He added that he was “not interested” and played down reports of a plot against Mr Carswell.
The row was sparked by Mr Banks’s comments in The Guardian, where he said: “Whoever Ukip decide to endorse, it will be hard for the Electoral Commission to say no to that and Carswell will either have to leave or do the same.”
But doubts emerged over the legitimacy of the anti-EU umbrella group last night after Lord Lamont, vice president of the Bruges Group and one of Leave.EU’s alleged supporters, issued a statement denying claims that he backs it. He said: “I was surprised to be told it was being claimed I supported the Leave.EU campaign. I have had no contact with this group whatsoever.”
Another senior anti-EU campaigner claimed Ukip was in “chaos” and warned that the split raises questions about Mr Farage’s motive for backing the Leave.EU group.
The statement throws Ukip’s claim to have cross-party backing for the new campaign – a condition required to win Electoral Commission endorsement – into disarray.