I understand that millionaire UKIP donor Paul Sykes has ceased his funding of the party. A source close to the Yorkshire based businessman says that Mr Sykes doesn’t feel it right that the so-called “people’s party” is funded by a couple of millionaires. Mr Sykes paid for UKIP’s £1.6 million advertising campaign at the European elections but I understand that no further money is likely to be forthcoming to fund the UKIP General Election poster campaign or the party’s target seats campaign. Mr Sykes didn’t respond to calls when asked for a comment. It is unclear as to whether he continues to chair the party’s target seats campaign. This comes as a further blow to UKIP following the news that Stuart Wheeler has threatened to withdraw his financial support for the party, although this was slightly tempered by a rumoured £300,000 donation from Richard Desmond, owner of the Express Newspaper Group.
Speaking to ITV two weeks ago Mr Sykes said that rising membership and subscription fees mean that after the general election his help will ‘not be needed’. My sources tell me that over the last fortnight he has decided that help isn’t needed now.
