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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Conservative Party donor Arron Banks set to join UKIP | Conservative Party donor Arron Banks set to join UKIP |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Conservative Party donor Arron Banks is set to join the UK Independence Party and could stand in next May's election. | Conservative Party donor Arron Banks is set to join the UK Independence Party and could stand in next May's election. |
| UKIP said the insurance entrepreneur had donated more than £250,000 to the Tories since 2005. | |
| He will hand over a £100,000 cheque to UKIP leader Nigel Farage. | He will hand over a £100,000 cheque to UKIP leader Nigel Farage. |
| House of Commons Leader William Hague said he had never heard of Mr Banks, and said his defection would "certainly not" overshadow Mr Cameron's party conference speech. | House of Commons Leader William Hague said he had never heard of Mr Banks, and said his defection would "certainly not" overshadow Mr Cameron's party conference speech. |
| And Conservative sources accused UKIP of trying "to make a somebody out of a nobody" over the defection, disputing the claims over his previous donations. | |
| Mr Banks follows Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell in switching allegiance from the Conservatives to UKIP in recent weeks. | Mr Banks follows Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell in switching allegiance from the Conservatives to UKIP in recent weeks. |
| 'Significant move' | 'Significant move' |
| Mr Banks, who runs the insurance company Go Skippy, said the UK remaining in the European Union was "unsustainable" economically, and said being a member of the EU was like "having a first class ticket on the Titanic". | Mr Banks, who runs the insurance company Go Skippy, said the UK remaining in the European Union was "unsustainable" economically, and said being a member of the EU was like "having a first class ticket on the Titanic". |
| He criticised Mr Cameron's plans to renegotiate the UK's membership of the EU, saying: "The Conservative Party try to sell us the myth that EU reform is achievable when frankly all Cameron can offer is tinkering around the edges." | He criticised Mr Cameron's plans to renegotiate the UK's membership of the EU, saying: "The Conservative Party try to sell us the myth that EU reform is achievable when frankly all Cameron can offer is tinkering around the edges." |
| Mr Farage said the business community no longer believed Mr Cameron's promises over an in/out referendum on UK membership of the EU. | Mr Farage said the business community no longer believed Mr Cameron's promises over an in/out referendum on UK membership of the EU. |
| "This is the beginning of a significant move from the business community who are not prepared to wait for Mr Cameron's referendum," he said. | "This is the beginning of a significant move from the business community who are not prepared to wait for Mr Cameron's referendum," he said. |
| He added that Mr Banks had expressed an interest in standing as a candidate for UKIP in next year's general election. | He added that Mr Banks had expressed an interest in standing as a candidate for UKIP in next year's general election. |
| Speaking from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mr Hague said: "The PM will give a very strong speech today bringing together all our plans. | Speaking from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mr Hague said: "The PM will give a very strong speech today bringing together all our plans. |
| "The conference has fully moved on from the defection of one MP on Saturday and the gentleman you're talking about is not a senior figure in this party not someone I know at all." | "The conference has fully moved on from the defection of one MP on Saturday and the gentleman you're talking about is not a senior figure in this party not someone I know at all." |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said there would be relief that the latest Conservative to switch to UKIP was "not a big figure", but added: "Having said that, it is the theme of this conference underlying the surface, which is 'could they stop the Tories winning?'" | BBC political editor Nick Robinson said there would be relief that the latest Conservative to switch to UKIP was "not a big figure", but added: "Having said that, it is the theme of this conference underlying the surface, which is 'could they stop the Tories winning?'" |
| Mr Reckless, the former Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, announced his decision to defect to UKIP on the eve of the conference. | Mr Reckless, the former Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, announced his decision to defect to UKIP on the eve of the conference. |
| He said that, as a Tory, he could not keep a promise to "cut immigration while treating people fairly". | He said that, as a Tory, he could not keep a promise to "cut immigration while treating people fairly". |
| The Conservatives say that electing them at next May's General Election is the only way for people to ensure there is a referendum on UK membership of the European Union. | The Conservatives say that electing them at next May's General Election is the only way for people to ensure there is a referendum on UK membership of the European Union. |
| David Cameron said Mr Reckless's defection to UKIP was "senseless and counter-productive". | David Cameron said Mr Reckless's defection to UKIP was "senseless and counter-productive". |