When press officers from Ukip enticed journalists along to a press conference at the end of the summer by promising that it would definitely be worth their while, they showed they weren’t exaggerating. That press conference was where Douglas Carswell defected. So today when Ukip told hacks that it would definitely be worth their while travelling from the final day of the Tory conference to a Gloucestershire country home for a 5pm press conference, everyone assumed there would be another defection.
5pm came, and up popped Nigel Farage and Arron Banks, a Tory donor who defected to Ukip earlier this week. Banks was increasing his donation to the party from £100,000 to £1 million, partly because William Hague had this morning said he’d never heard of the guy ‘so we’re not going to get too upset’ about his defection.
And that was that. No defection. Just a donor increasing their donation. It is useful for the party coffers, of course, but it’s not worth hauling the lobby out for. It would have looked far more interesting as a press release.
This is odd because Ukip’s stage management of defections has so far been very good, to the extent that it’s shown the mainstream parties a thing or two about the difference between stage management that kills the mood of a conference and stage management that is truly dramatic. The party has expended a fair bit of goodwill and trust with this rather self-indulgent attempt to sabotage the end of the Tory conference.
Banks increasing his donation because William Hague basically told him to close the door after him may be helpful for Ukip financially, but it does risk making the party look like a repository for angry Tories who don’t feel as though the leadership has given them enough pats on the back. When Carswell defected, he talked about principle, and so did Reckless, but the second MP’s account included his disgust that the Prime Minister hadn’t given him more credit for the EU Budget cut.
Of course, if a defector had got cold feet at the last minute, then the donation was a useful fall back. But if someone else goes over, they might not find anyone bothers to turn up to cover it.
UPDATE: Here’s Ukip’s open letter to William Hague thanking him for the increased donation:
Dear Mr Hague,
In the first instance I would like to thank you for your efforts in raising funds for the UKIP cause. It is clear to me that your fundraising ability deserves formal recognition and I would like to offer you the role of Deputy Treasurer on or before your forthcoming retirement from front bench politics.
However to do this, requires you to be a member of the Party, but in your case, as you have raised such a substantial sum for the party, I have spoken with Mr Farage and he has authorised me to offer you honorary membership in recognition of your efforts in securing funds for our party.
I look forward to seeing you at many party events.
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Reid
UKIP National Treasurer
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