Paul Sykes, the primary financial supporter of the UK Indepencence Party, tells the Times today that he is prepared to spend all his £500 million fortune to remove Britain from Europe.

"I’ll spend every last penny I have," he said.

"To me, it’s no good creating wealth to leave to your child if you’re not going to leave them with a self-governing democracy. That to me is the most important thing a nation owns."

Sykes has been charged with leading a massive expansion and reorganisation of UKIP.