Richard Desmond gives Ukip £1.3m

Mr Desmond, who owns the Express, the Sunday Express, the Star and OK! magazine, has given Ukip £1million, on top of a previous £300,000 donation. He said of Nigel Farage’s party: “what they believe in is the best for the British people.”

His donation will massively boost the Ukip coffers, as they are believed to have only raised just over £35,000 between 30 March and 5 April.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said Mr Desmond was “a self-made man with the courage of his convictions”.

Mr Desmond said he was making the donation as a “challenging” gesture to shake up a Westminster establishment that has lost the trust of millions of voters.

The donation is the biggest individual cash donation to a British political party by a private individual since 2008.