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| Former Tory donor Arron Banks ups his Ukip donation to £1million following William Hague 'nobody' comment | Former Tory donor Arron Banks ups his Ukip donation to £1million following William Hague 'nobody' comment |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The former Tory donor and multi-millionaire Arron Banks has announced he is upping his Ukip donation to £1 million to spite the Conservatives, after William Hague made a joke at his expense. | The former Tory donor and multi-millionaire Arron Banks has announced he is upping his Ukip donation to £1 million to spite the Conservatives, after William Hague made a joke at his expense. |
| Mr Banks' announcement, made alongside the Ukip leader Nigel Farage, came as David Cameron delivered a blunt warning to disillusioned Conservatives that a flirtation with Ukip at the next general election could lead to a Labour government. | Mr Banks' announcement, made alongside the Ukip leader Nigel Farage, came as David Cameron delivered a blunt warning to disillusioned Conservatives that a flirtation with Ukip at the next general election could lead to a Labour government. |
| Mr Farage's riposte came just hours later, when Mr Banks explained he had decided to increase his donation from £100,000 to £1 million pounds after William Hague, the Leader of the Commons, dismissed the significance of his defection. | Mr Farage's riposte came just hours later, when Mr Banks explained he had decided to increase his donation from £100,000 to £1 million pounds after William Hague, the Leader of the Commons, dismissed the significance of his defection. |
| Mr Banks, who runs the insurance company Go Skippy, has previously funded the Tories to the tune of £250,000, Ukip claimed, although that figure was disputed by the Conservatives. | Mr Banks, who runs the insurance company Go Skippy, has previously funded the Tories to the tune of £250,000, Ukip claimed, although that figure was disputed by the Conservatives. |
| Mr Hague had told the BBC: "I have never heard of him, so we are not going to get too upset about that." | Mr Hague had told the BBC: "I have never heard of him, so we are not going to get too upset about that." |
| "It’s certainly not going to overshadow the Prime Minister’s speech today that someone we haven’t heard of has gone to Ukip." | "It’s certainly not going to overshadow the Prime Minister’s speech today that someone we haven’t heard of has gone to Ukip." |
| The huge donation was the latest in a series of announcements by Ukip designed to disrupt the Tories’ final party conference before the general election. | The huge donation was the latest in a series of announcements by Ukip designed to disrupt the Tories’ final party conference before the general election. |
| Over the weekend Mark Reckless followed fellow MP Douglas Carswell in jumping ship and triggering Commons by-elections and speculation dogged the conference that a third Tory MP could be about to follow suit. | Over the weekend Mark Reckless followed fellow MP Douglas Carswell in jumping ship and triggering Commons by-elections and speculation dogged the conference that a third Tory MP could be about to follow suit. |
| Explaining his decision to increase the donation, Mr Banks told reporters he “woke up this morning intending to donate £100,000 to Ukip”. | Explaining his decision to increase the donation, Mr Banks told reporters he “woke up this morning intending to donate £100,000 to Ukip”. |
| “I understand Mr Hague called me a… nobody, so in light of that and in view of the fact that I’m a strong advocate of leaving the European Union, I’ve decided today to donate £1 million to the party and not the £100,000 we originally agreed,” he said. | “I understand Mr Hague called me a… nobody, so in light of that and in view of the fact that I’m a strong advocate of leaving the European Union, I’ve decided today to donate £1 million to the party and not the £100,000 we originally agreed,” he said. |