Ukip woes worsen as biggest donor Arron Banks warns party could be facing oblivion

Losing Nigel Farage caused a 'pressure cooker to explode,' Mr Banks warned
AFP/Getty Images / GLYN KIRK / Stringer
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Ukip's woes increased today as its biggest donor admitted the party could be facing oblivion.

Tycoon Arron Banks scornfully dismissed all three of the contenders fighting for the leadership, saying they were pressing a “ludicrous” aim of shifting to the political centre-ground.

He said front-runner Paul Nuttall lacked the “steel” needed to mount a massive clear-out of troublemakers and said acting leader Nigel Farage might need to be recalled.

“I think Nigel was probably the dominant politician of the last 20 or 30 years,” he said. “Losing him has caused the pressure cooker to explode.

“I think we’re struggling at the moment. There’s no point in denying it.”

Asked if Ukip was finished, Mr Banks admitted: “It could be. It’s at a crossroads. I think at the moment we have to wait and see if it stabilises itself and elects a credible leader.

“I think it’s whether Nigel stays engaged with it or not. There has to be a clear-out of certain people in the party who have caused a lot of trouble.”

Ex-leader Mr Farage is now interim chief after Diane James left following 18 days in the job. The favourite to succeed her, Steven Woolfe, then quit the party after an “altercation” with fellow Ukip MEP Mike Hookem.

A London hustings last night heard that fighting Islamist extremism should be the priority for the next leader.

Former deputy leader Mr Nuttall told the meeting: “We need to tackle radical Islam. We need to say ‘no’ to Sharia courts in our towns and cities and ‘no’ to any Saudi funding of mosques in our country.” Rival Suzanne Evans also said “radical Islam” should be targeted.

London Assembly member Peter Whittle, a third candidate for leader, said the party must defend “British values and British institutions” by “fighting the advance of Sharia law” and enforcing the legal ban on female genital mutilation.

Ms Evans presented herself as the candidate able to “reach out” beyond Ukip’s traditional support and attract ethnic minorities and Labour voters. She said it is time for the party to fight multiculturalism as strongly as it previ- ously fought uncontrolled migration.

“One thing I feel very strongly about is radical Islam,” she added. “We’ve fought the EU and immigration. This is, I think, the next big battle. I want to fight this from a feminist perspective, as I think the way women are treated by Sharia law and FGM is staggering.”

Following speculation that victory over Brexit has left Ukip a spent force, Mr Nuttall said its way forward was to “replace Labour as the party of the patriotic working class”. He added: “We take away a party that dislikes our flag, refuses to sing our anthem and says nice things about the IRA.”

Mr Whittle told the audience of about 200 he would like to see every school in the UK fly the Union flag and put a picture of the Queen on the wall.

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