Kilroy-Silk: we will still fight every seat
The UK Independence Party will fight every seat at the general election despite the loss of its largest donor, would-be leader Robert Kilroy-Silk insisted today.
Yorkshire businessman Paul Sykes has stopped bankrolling the anti-EU party he gave £1 million for its successful European election campaign.
His decision came as a much needed boost for Tory leader Michael Howard as he prepared to deliver his keynote conference speech.
However, ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk insisted UKIP would still find the money to field candidates in every constituency provided the party made him leader.
"We will still be able to do that. I have been promised the money from other sources," he said. "The people who have offered donations did not say so but the assumption is that they will be paying for a challenge that I will be spear-heading."
Mr Kilroy-Silk's declaration at the weekend that UKIP wanted to "kill" the Conservatives is understood to have been the tipping point for Mr Sykes.
The property developer, who has twice quit the Tories over Europe, opposes plans to stand against Eurosceptic MPs passed by UKIP's own conference.
Mr Sykes also told The Daily Telegraph: "Conservative Party policy is now moving in the right direction."
Nigel Farage, leader of the UKIP group of MEPs, conceded the decision to fight every seat may have been an error.
"The party went to its conference on Saturday in Bristol in euphoric mood. I think that amidst that euphoria we rather lost sight of our key objective," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"In my opinion we should not be fighting against sitting Tory and Labour MPs who are prepared to say the right things."
However, Mr Kilroy-Silk insisted the party should stick with the policy.
"What we can't have - and Paul understands that from me - we can't have the party policy decided by the man with the biggest cheque book," he said.
Mr Kilroy-Silk insisted he had not fallen out with the Yorkshire tycoon and said they would be meeting for lunch today with their wives.
Roger Knapman, the leader he is seeking to replace, also insisted the party would be able to find the cash to fight every seat. "I'm sorry that Paul Sykes takes the view he does. I think he has not thought things through," Mr Knapman told the ITV News Channel.
"I have a feeling that Paul, who is a great patriot, will come back to us before very long.
"But there are plenty of people who will support us and we have already had a phone caller tell us he will fill that gap."
